Pages - How to Use?

[Millipede]

I’m joining the others who don’t understand how Pages works. I’m very used to working with Joomla as a CMS (since the days it was Mambo), which seems way simpler to understand and set up than Pages... I’ve read the Pages guides and read several topics here, but I’m still no wiser.

I find the name “Pages” to be confusing, as it infers a single item, eg: a web “page” as we know it. In topics here to do with Pages, people refer to a “page” (lowercase) and I don’t know if they mean a Pages page or site page.

When I go to the default installation of Pages, I see:
Pages - articles.html
Database - Articles
Categories - Articles
and the URL is /articles.html/articles/welcome-to-pages-r1.
The quantity of “articles” is enough on its own to confuse anybody.

I know the “.html” part can be removed, in which case you end up with /articles/articles/welcome-to-pages-r1. Isn’t it a bit daft to have “articles” twice in the URL?

I also really can’t wrap my brain round the Pages section in the Pages app and Databases. “Pages Management” is above “Content” (databases), which makes it sound like you have to create a Page first in order to associate a database to it - I tried that with a test Page and database, and it didn’t work and now I can’t find where to associate it to a Page! I'm not even sure I understand what a database is. I definitely don't understand the hierarchy of Pages, maybe that's what's bugging me most.

In Joomla, it’s easy. You create “categories” for your articles. You add “articles” to the appropriate category. You create a menu item to show your articles, whether by single article, single category or all categories (in either a "blog" view or a list view). You can add “modules” (blocks) to the individual menu item pages. You can create custom fields if you want. In much older versions, you had “sections” which held “categories”, and you could have “static” articles that weren’t in any category (that's now been replaced by an "uncategorised" category).

So, how do I do it in Pages? For instance, say I want to have (a menu link to):
- Articles (with no categories or sub-categories)
- Pages SuperQuote as a page
- A news page made up from RSS and Twitter feeds (that doesn’t show up in “All Activity” as it floods it with too many items)
- A page with blocks to other items

I’d be grateful if somebody could please explain, in simple step-by-step terms, how to at least start using Pages, whilst bearing in mind that Pages is not like other CMSs (that I know of) and that some of us are total novices at it

There really needs to be a very simple, easy to understand, “How to” guide for newbie Pages users. Either that or change the terminology: “Page” is too easily confused with “page”; “database” is too easily confused with ... a database.

PS - I found it annoying that “Welcome to Pages” is set to show by default on installation, before you’ve even had a chance to look at the app! It should, at the very least, be hidden first or set to Admin only, not for the whole world to see.

[opentype]

There are beginner’s guides for Pages in the Guides section of this site. Start there. 

If you have more questions, let us know. Since it’s such a powerful app, I wouldn’t know how to teach you “how to start” using it as you request. It depends on what YOU want to do with it. 

[Millipede]

38 minutes ago, Millipede said:

I’ve read the Pages guides

I already did... and, like I said, I'm no wiser.

This is an example of what I'd like to do with it:

38 minutes ago, Millipede said:

So, how do I do it in Pages? For instance, say I want to have (a menu link to):
- Articles (with no categories or sub-categories)
- Pages SuperQuote as a page
- A news page made up from RSS and Twitter feeds (that doesn’t show up in “All Activity” as it floods it with too many items)
- A page with blocks to other items

 

[opentype]

17 minutes ago, Millipede said:

So, how do I do it in Pages? For instance, say I want to have (a menu link to):

What now? You asking about the menu or the listed items themselves?

[Joel R]

The Pages application is very confusing and overwhelming.  You're not alone.  It's incredibly powerful but it'll be a headwarp to understand.  

In general, the application encompasses the following:

- databases - IP.Pages database is probably what you're accustomed to.  A database contains records, which can be customized depending upon what you'd like to write.  You can have multiple databases, one for news articles, one for quotes, one for community articles, etc.

- pages - IP.Pages page is a single page, where you can drag and drop blocks or an editor.  Theyre basically single, independent pages.  You need to associate a database with a page, in order to display the database.  Notice how @opentype refer to the application name in uppercase as Pages, whereas single pages are referring to in the lowercase.  They have very precise meanings to IPS clients.  

- templates - you can change the template displays of databases at 3 levels: at the database level, listing level, or record level.  

[Millipede]

Thanks, Joel, that helps a bit to start me off with Pages.

20 hours ago, Joel R said:

the application name in uppercase as Pages, whereas single pages are referring to in the lowercase. 

Which is precisely what I mean by its being a very confusing word to use, as its meaning is far too general and not specific enough. Which isn’t helped by “Pages” [sic] under “Page Management” being capitalised (because it’s a header).

What are “folders” (at top left in the “Pages” page)? Sub-pages? If so, why not just call it a “sub-page”? If not, is it more like some form of category?

If I’ve understood correctly (which I possibly haven’t!), and whilst also comparing it to Joomla (maybe of use to other confused Joomla users?):

Page: A container for a database. Can either be:
- a solitary single “page” that belongs to no category (like articles in Joomla’s “uncategorised” category) where you use the editor to enter your article or other text (using “Manual HTML”);
- a solitary single “page” that belongs to no category where you just add blocks, and can’t be a page like the one above (using “Page Builder”);
- or have it as a parent “page” (“folders”?) for a “sub-page”, in which case you can't add anything to it.
Eg: similar to an entire “Forum”.
Eg in Joomla: similar to a menu item; or to a component, such as JEvents.

Database: a form of category or section, which is shown on a “page”.
Eg: similar to a forum category.
Eg in Joomla: similar to “Categories”; or to a JEvents Category.

Category: Sub-category of Category. Optional.
Eg: similar to a forum in a forum category.
Eg in Joomla: similar to a sub-category; or to a JEvents Calendar.

Record: Article or other item containing content of some type.
Eg: similar to topics.
Eg in Joomla: similar to an “Article;” or to an event in JEvents.

The order of creating things isn’t to start with a “page” (despite it appearing to be), but to create a database first and then add fields and records to it, then add it to a “page”?

[Joel R]

1 minute ago, Millipede said:

The order of creating things isn’t to start with a “page” (despite it appearing to be), but to create a database first and then add fields and records to it, then add it to a “page”?

Yeah.  The page is really just a placeholder for the database.  Or, it can be a page for static content.  The true power of the application is with datavases, since that's where you can create different kinds of repositories of content, and use different templates to display them.  

For the most part, you're spot on with most of your descriptions.  

I don't personally use folders, but I believe they're used to store media that you can use and re-use in anywhere.  So if you're building a normal website with static content (eg. Like IPS homepage), then you can save the content in those media folders (rather than manually saving onto the server).  

On a final note, I think you need to cut your thinking with Joomla.  Every platform is going to be a tad different, and trying to find a corollary with Joomla is only going to be a mental block from understanding Pages.  

[Millipede]

Thanks, Joel

I know it’s not the same as Joomla, it’s nothing like it .... but my laying it out like that did help me quite a lot to initially start understanding Pages.

[Meddysong]

I think you're getting your head around it. It isn't easy, especially with words like "record" and "database".

It's probably easier to think of specific cases. Let's look at IPS's blog: https://invisioncommunity.com/news

That's built with Pages using its database functionality. Each article you see is a Pages "record". Their database will have several categories, corresponding to the tabs you can see under the header.

They display the database (ie the articles, the categories etc) by assigning it to a Page. That can be done from an option when creating the database, by adding the line {database="database-title"} into a manual page, or by dragging the database block from the front-end Block Manager. You get to choose which of the two page types you want after you click Add Page. Don't be fooled into thinking it's either one or the other; you can still drag and drop with into a manual created page too.

The three elements (create the database, assign it to a Page, add the records (= articles)) are all you need to do to build something equivalent to Joomla.

The only missing element is customising the look. IPS has heavily modified theirs by adding custom templates. You don't need to do that; it's a skilled job. If you don't like the default ones, you can buy some from the Marketplace. The most popular seem to be these:  

And that's broadly it for the database functionality in Pages.

 

[Millipede]

Thanks, I think I've got the main gist of it now