In order to prepare the server for the content management system, the old website was placed entirely into a single folder. It is still accessible from http://www.commonside.net/old. A MySQL database
to install the CMS, was downloaded from http://www.mamboserver.com. It was then
decompressed and uploaded via FTP (File Transfer Protocol) to the web host. A 5-step, web browser based configuration was done to link Mambo with the database and make a few other minor configuration choices. When this was completed, Mambo had been completely installed
Figure 32: Mambo Front End with Water and Stone Template
and currently displayed
implement the look and feel set out by the previous MQP. Several factors hindered our progress.
First, the website which we had been utilizing for Mambo components and theme help, http://www.mamboforge.org, went down without warning and remained down during the full implementation. In addition, some suggestions made by the MQP in terms of style would have been either difficult to implement, or simply clashed with the research the team compiled prior to implementation. In order to circumvent these issues, we sought out other sources for templates.
We found a suitable template for a base on http://www.mamboteam.com. The dark-green ‘247 Shock’ template was free, aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and matched the Trust’s branding goals. We uploaded it into the CMS and enabled it. A custom logo was designed with the
Commonside Trust brand (a mother embracing her child beneath a tree) and with the Trust color palate of green, white, and black in mind. The events calendar module was installed and
Figure 33 Trust’s new website with 247 Shock template design
Figure 34 Custom Banner created for new website
published without issue. After getting approval from the Trust staff in regard to the aesthetics of the site, the team turned their attention to the site’s menu structure.
Once the template was loaded onto the sample website, the team was left with the same filler page structure as before, with the new green template placed on as a superficial layer. As the Trust staff had favored a possible template design created by the branding MQP, the team developed a site structure according to most of the buttons that were in place. This site structure, shown in Appendix H. Commonside new website site map covers all of the basic content areas that the team had envisioned for the site, as well as certain modules that we installed for additional functionalities. The ‘News’ button leads to an easily updated serial page, where entries are added chronologically and the former entries are displaced, like a diary. The ‘Projects’ area focuses on three categories of Trust projects,
and has a rigid structure to prevent the confusion between Trust projects and general community programs. The ‘Events’
button leads to the events calendar module, as shown in Figure 35, which appears in weekly form by protocol, but is easily navigable for users. The ‘About Us’ area will host several subpages, including one
focusing on the Trust’s funders and community partners, as well one serving as a source of administrative documents for staff. The ‘Community Info’ portion is highly segregated in terms of content structure to allow for ease of finding specific content and updating easily from the administrator’s point of view. This is to aid in the workload of maintaining accurate contact information and reliable information for the community at large. The ‘Contact Us’ component was a built-in feature, with a pre-formatted sub-page, as well as an email form that sends inquiries to [email protected]. Finally, the ‘Links’ section is a highly organized page with categories of links with preformatted description areas.
Figure 35. Events calendar subpage
In terms of navigation, the main menu was located in a horizontal position across the top of the page to fit with the template. Because of the multiple levels in the site map, the team needed to implement nested menus. The team had considered making the menu pull down, similar to that in the Windows toolbar, but were unable to implement this style of menu within
was needed, as is the case with the ‘Projects’ and ‘Community Info’ portions of the website. The events calendar was placed in the right column to appear at all times in a snapshot of the current month. The search function was placed in the top of the left column, to appeal to users looking for specific content without navigating to find it. The main body of the home page, shown in Figure 36, is set to post recent news as well as a static “Welcome to the website” greeting. Filler content was placed in all areas of the website until actual content could be inputted and
published. Much of the content will be copied from the old website, first by the team to get the main pages running, and then by the Trust staff, in order to gain experience while the team is still present to help with difficulties.
Figure 36. Redeveloped Current Commonside Trust homepage