Just seeking comments / feedback / ideas on a wee challenge I have.
I will soon be building a promotional site for a supermarket chain. The chain is divided into 3 regions and each region operates independently of each other, running their own promotions, product specials, etc.
Users of the site will be able to confirm their local store (and therefore their region).
Pages within the site will require content to be displayed specific to the chosen store/region. but in addition if a user has not chosen a store there needs to be some default content displayed.
So potentially there will be 4 versions of the same page. And here is where I am seeking feedback on the best way to achieve this:
Option A: Load 4 rich text editors within a document type and depending on the users cookie (or lack thereof) grab the appropriate content. This keeps the node tree simple, but is not overly intuitive in that you would need to click through the tabs in the back end to identify which regions have content loaded.
Option B: Have a page container document type with sub nodes of page content. The page container is what will be rendered on the front end with the content determined but the user cookie. This will create more nodes but be more intuitive as to what regional content is loaded. One consideration however is that XLST search will need modified to output the correct URL for the page container and not the content node.
Does anyone have feedback / comments / ideas on the above ?
Personally, (I'm no expert) - just trying to get my post rate up in a friendly way :) - I would always break my content down as much as possible. It saves so much time when you come back around and have to make heavy modifications.
I would suggest structuring your content to the spec in Option B:
(Content Section)
Home ---> Region 1 ----> Store 1 ---> Some interaction
------> Store 2 ---> Some interaction
---> Region 2 ----> Store 3 ---> Some interaction
------> Store 4 ---> "" """
----> Unknown Region ----> Find Region
-----> Some other interaction
(Doc Type)
Region (Name, content)
Store (Name, Location, content)
This will also help to keep your templates neat and tidy and exclusively design elements only.
I'm in agreement with Shaun the best way is to make it easy for you to identify what store is what when making changes other wise it just gonna confuse people and then they will keep coming back to you.
Personally, I'd probably tackle it in the same way as a multilingual site and so create each regional store as seperate sites within umbraco. If you have a look at some of the umbraco videos on "Runnning multiple sites" this wil give you a bit more detail:
I find this way gives you maximum flexbility ie regional stores can have content that other stores don't have and would be eaiser to give each store access to their own site without affecting others (you might not need it now, but it'll be hard to go back later).
Where you have a master site, you could setup event handlers to automatically copy those pages to the regional sites, and then each regional site can just update as necasary.
Due to the size of the site I did not provide a full overview of the other areas to be built and your common answer initally made me groan in despair !!! We (me and the boss) had formulated a plan of attack along the lines of Option B as per my original post.
However, having had a bit of time to think it over I think I am starting to see the light. A feel a whiteboard session is in order with the boss on Monday to see if we can figure out if we can make the site work in this fashion.
Thanks again - high fives to you all (Matt gets the solution tick).
If your groaning in despair because you know you now have to extract some technical info and logic from a non technical minded person - then I'm here to sympathise.
Good luck on Monday! I would suggest a claw hammer, rather than a white board.
Just re-visiting this thread 'cos there is still something nagging away in the back of my (somewhat scary and confused) brain !
For now we are definitely heading down the track of separate regional "sites" within the one Umbraco installation.
The site is for a supermarket chain which is divided into 3 main regions and obviously has a number of stores within each region. The front end user will be able to select their "local store" and this will be set as a user cookie for future reference / visits to the site.
Here's a scenario:
I live in "Region A" and have previously visited the site and have a cookie to confirm my local store.
I am currently on holiday in "Region B" and so wish to see the current specials on at the store I am currently closest to - I therefore update my local store and associated cookie.
The site will then redirect me to the "Region B" site within Umbraco.
The concern I have with the above is determining what page the user was on in "Region A" and ensuring they end up on the same page within "Region B".
I guess providing each regional site is an exact replica of each other in terms of page names this should be OK.
As part of the cookie setting process I could get the current URL, slice and dice it, perform some magical plastic surgery to put it back together, and then redirect the user.
Do you think this is feasible ? Is it a suitable solution ? Does anyone have any bright ideas ?
I had a couple of ideas for content structures that might enlighten you. Firstly, I think as long as the actual product contains the same data across all regions - there's an easier way around this.
Personally I wouldn't parse the URL (it will either be error prone - or annoying to set up), but if that's the only way you can get it done - I think it's more than feasible and suitable.
I have a couple of ideas I'd like to run by you (all theory of course). Red- (parent document type), Green-(templating stuff), Blue-(data)
#1 to fit your current model:
You create all your products in a separate folder - and then do 1 of 2 things;
Template each product DIRECTLY - that is to be sold in the specific Region/Store (e.g. Face of [Product 1]) and add to the region.
Template all of the products in 1 go (e.g. Face of [Product *]) - this does mean you will have to add in functionality that will allow a Store to sell something the other Stores cannot.
When you change Region for the user then, you take the current ProductsID (which is the same in the next Region). You can pass this value to the region's page using a QueryString parameter (or perhaps Umbraco has a better method inbuilt) or something - and then that region loads the product in its own way using the ID.
If your regions always contain the same list of products, same prices and the same structure - then check this out:
For a simple region, you cross ref a Product with a Region - then add specific (Special deals or something - specifically to the region selling them).
hope some of this garble helped, haha!
Oh by the way - When it comes to structuring I found that understanding "Entity Relationship Diagrams" really helped me conceptualise my sites/apps/games. At least I know how its going to go together, even if I don't know the code that's going to make it all work.
Wow - thanks so much for your feedback - you have gone to huge amount of effort to detail your ideas. Thank you so much.
Funnily enough we had a 4 hour meeting yesterday with regional representatives to thrash out functional requirements. Then the boss and I had a 2 hour white board session mapping out / talking through technical solutions. Man my brain was in a spin by the end of the day.
I think our solution is along the same lines as what you have detailed (I am still blown away with the effort you have gone to).
The biggest area of concern was enabling regions to add / maintain their own content, developing a navigation structure that enables pages to be made available for specific regions (one region in particular has a service that no other region has so this would only be displayed to users who have confirmed their region).
We do not envisage constant changes, however I would develop some event event handlers to make updates to the parent content as required (add/delete/change).
A Region manager adds a Special and clicks "Add/Edit to all regions" button --- or ---
Each Region manager adds an almost identical Special to the Region each time.
That works so much better,
and like you say, the only negative is you'll have to code in the integrity aspects(which responsibility can be passed onto Region Managers theoretically).
I figured the loose folder storing products was a bit over the top with all the templates you'd have to add to each region anyway, hence the second bash, and now in retrospect also potentially suffers the same problem.
Haha, no worries for the a la tech specs - consider it my version of a sudoku puzzle. Thank you for the answers pages in the back of the booklet! I feel sad I was a little off, do you mind if I go back and scribble it out, then write in the correct answer?
Feedback on Document Type Setup
Hi there
Just seeking comments / feedback / ideas on a wee challenge I have.
I will soon be building a promotional site for a supermarket chain. The chain is divided into 3 regions and each region operates independently of each other, running their own promotions, product specials, etc.
Users of the site will be able to confirm their local store (and therefore their region).
Pages within the site will require content to be displayed specific to the chosen store/region. but in addition if a user has not chosen a store there needs to be some default content displayed.
So potentially there will be 4 versions of the same page. And here is where I am seeking feedback on the best way to achieve this:
Option A: Load 4 rich text editors within a document type and depending on the users cookie (or lack thereof) grab the appropriate content. This keeps the node tree simple, but is not overly intuitive in that you would need to click through the tabs in the back end to identify which regions have content loaded.
Option B: Have a page container document type with sub nodes of page content. The page container is what will be rendered on the front end with the content determined but the user cookie. This will create more nodes but be more intuitive as to what regional content is loaded. One consideration however is that XLST search will need modified to output the correct URL for the page container and not the content node.
Does anyone have feedback / comments / ideas on the above ?
Thanks
Nigel
Personally, (I'm no expert) - just trying to get my post rate up in a friendly way :) - I would always break my content down as much as possible. It saves so much time when you come back around and have to make heavy modifications.
I would suggest structuring your content to the spec in Option B:
This will also help to keep your templates neat and tidy and exclusively design elements only.
I'm in agreement with Shaun the best way is to make it easy for you to identify what store is what when making changes other wise it just gonna confuse people and then they will keep coming back to you.
Personally, I'd probably tackle it in the same way as a multilingual site and so create each regional store as seperate sites within umbraco. If you have a look at some of the umbraco videos on "Runnning multiple sites" this wil give you a bit more detail:
http://umbraco.org/help-and-support/video-tutorials/umbraco-fundamentals
I find this way gives you maximum flexbility ie regional stores can have content that other stores don't have and would be eaiser to give each store access to their own site without affecting others (you might not need it now, but it'll be hard to go back later).
Where you have a master site, you could setup event handlers to automatically copy those pages to the regional sites, and then each regional site can just update as necasary.
Matt
Hi Shaun / Martin / Matt
Thank you all for your input.
Due to the size of the site I did not provide a full overview of the other areas to be built and your common answer initally made me groan in despair !!! We (me and the boss) had formulated a plan of attack along the lines of Option B as per my original post.
However, having had a bit of time to think it over I think I am starting to see the light. A feel a whiteboard session is in order with the boss on Monday to see if we can figure out if we can make the site work in this fashion.
Thanks again - high fives to you all (Matt gets the solution tick).
Regards
Nigel
Thanks Nigel,
Best of luck, and don't hesitate to ask if you are unsure on anything.
Matt
If your groaning in despair because you know you now have to extract some technical info and logic from a non technical minded person - then I'm here to sympathise.
Good luck on Monday! I would suggest a claw hammer, rather than a white board.
p.s. Thanks for the high five :)
Hi all
Just re-visiting this thread 'cos there is still something nagging away in the back of my (somewhat scary and confused) brain !
For now we are definitely heading down the track of separate regional "sites" within the one Umbraco installation.
The site is for a supermarket chain which is divided into 3 main regions and obviously has a number of stores within each region. The front end user will be able to select their "local store" and this will be set as a user cookie for future reference / visits to the site.
Here's a scenario:
Thanks
Hi again Nigel, good to see you back :)
I had a couple of ideas for content structures that might enlighten you.
Firstly, I think as long as the actual product contains the same data across all regions - there's an easier way around this.
Personally I wouldn't parse the URL (it will either be error prone - or annoying to set up), but if that's the only way you can get it done - I think it's more than feasible and suitable.
I have a couple of ideas I'd like to run by you (all theory of course). Red- (parent document type), Green-(templating stuff), Blue-(data)
#1 to fit your current model:
You create all your products in a separate folder - and then do 1 of 2 things;
Hi Shaun
Wow - thanks so much for your feedback - you have gone to huge amount of effort to detail your ideas. Thank you so much.
Funnily enough we had a 4 hour meeting yesterday with regional representatives to thrash out functional requirements. Then the boss and I had a 2 hour white board session mapping out / talking through technical solutions. Man my brain was in a spin by the end of the day.
I think our solution is along the same lines as what you have detailed (I am still blown away with the effort you have gone to).
The biggest area of concern was enabling regions to add / maintain their own content, developing a navigation structure that enables pages to be made available for specific regions (one region in particular has a service that no other region has so this would only be displayed to users who have confirmed their region).
So here is my schematic ...
We do not envisage constant changes, however I would develop some event event handlers to make updates to the parent content as required (add/delete/change).
Cheers
Nigel
I totally get it with your schema now.
I figured the loose folder storing products was a bit over the top with all the templates you'd have to add to each region anyway, hence the second bash, and now in retrospect also potentially suffers the same problem.
I feel sad I was a little off, do you mind if I go back and scribble it out, then write in the correct answer?
hi Shaun
Feel free to add anything as desired ...
I guess I ask a lot of questions in this forum so hopefully helping provide solutions to others in a roundabout way
Cheers
Nigel
Sorry, I didn't want to add anything...
Either:
A) - have been known to occasionally
B) - have been known to occasionally
C) - no comment !
ha ha :)
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