File download listing page

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deanloh
Posts: 99
Joined: Sat 12. Feb 2005, 05:31
Location: Singapore
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File download listing page

Post by deanloh »

Sometimes back I talked about using phpwcms for a corporate site. Well I'm already halfway baking it.

Somehow got stuck with one part and I need you guys' opinion:

Being a publicly traded company, the client constantly have news releases in PDF format to be posted up for download. I thought I could use File List content part to present it:
http://202.60.247.199/netelusion_new/in ... ouncements

But I realised one big problem: for File List content part, all newly added file will go to the bottom of the list. Therefore, when viewed on the site, the newest files are at the bottom, which doesnt make sense. So in order to have the newest files at the top, I had to go back to File List content part to move the file from bottom to top (like what you can see at the site now). This will become very difficult when the list gets longer and longer.

I have another choice, which is to create new article for each new file, then make the article listing to be sorted by date. But the problem is: on article listing page, it will only show the title and the summary. Again, it doesnt make sense to make a visitor to click on the title to go to the full article page (where it has only a title and a download link, in order to download the article). You may say that I could handcode the download link to the summary area of the article, but it will be very inconvenient.

I really do not know how can I proceed from here. I'm on the verge of switching to another CMS if this one cannot be solved, as I'm spending more time trying to figure out how to fit the site in the CMS, rather than fitting the CMS in the site.

So please give me your opinion on how can I present the file download page.
Olaf Finkbeiner
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Location: Frankfurt am Main
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Post by Olaf Finkbeiner »

Hi Dean,
no need for a new article but you could use a new content part each one.

Have Fun

Olaf
Olaf Finkbeiner
deanloh
Posts: 99
Joined: Sat 12. Feb 2005, 05:31
Location: Singapore
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Post by deanloh »

Olaf Finkbeiner wrote: no need for a new article but you could use a new content part each one.
Thanks for the suggestion. But it's not that convenient either to have to shift newly created content parts from bottom all the way up.

Anyway I have resorted to create new articles for each download, and have it sorted by date. It looks like a lot of clicking for visitors to do, but it solves the main problem.
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jsw_nz
Posts: 907
Joined: Fri 2. Apr 2004, 02:42
Location: New Zealand

Post by jsw_nz »

Hi Dean,

Without looking into the backend, it would seem you could resolve this by changing the sort order on the file list content part query. Just an idea for the future.

BTW, nice site.....wanted to ask how you customised the menu at top. Obviously you are using images and a image-swap on rollover script. Is this integrated to Wcms or is it hard coded. Clean design....

:D
deanloh
Posts: 99
Joined: Sat 12. Feb 2005, 05:31
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Post by deanloh »

jsw_nz wrote: Without looking into the backend, it would seem you could resolve this by changing the sort order on the file list content part query. Just an idea for the future.
Worth a try, but doing so may result in reversing the sorting of every occurance of file list content part. Which may still create another problem.
jsw_nz wrote:BTW, nice site.....wanted to ask how you customised the menu at top. Obviously you are using images and a image-swap on rollover script. Is this integrated to Wcms or is it hard coded. Clean design....
Yes the menu is hardcoded, using list tags and images are rendered using CSS, no javascript :) it also highlights current menu by detecting the current page.
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jsw_nz
Posts: 907
Joined: Fri 2. Apr 2004, 02:42
Location: New Zealand

Post by jsw_nz »

Hi Dean,

Without taking too much time out of your busy schedule....wanted to ask if you might post the CSS, images code....alway been interested in this approach as an alternative to using Flash menu....
Are you using {PAGETITLE} rep tag for highlighting.....
:D
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