Menu

Digest

A menu is typically the main navigational feature of a website. A menu can show a list of just the main links on a site or several levels of sub pages. A menu can be the same for all pages throughout the site, or it can expand to show more levels the deeper into the site you go.

Concept

In Cascade Server, dynamic navigation menus are created through the use of Index Blocks, or blocks that index the content of a specified folder or portion of the site. An index block is then placed into a page region (at the template, page configuration, or page level), and styled with an XSLT stylesheet. Because index blocks dynamically update content, the navigation menu stays updated.

Technical

Creating Menus via Index Blocks

When creating your index block for a menu, select the following options:

  • Folder to Index - Select the folder you wish to index. If you want your menu to include subpages, simply select the highest folder.

  • Depth of Index - If you only want one folder indexed, type in 1. If you want your menu to include subpages, or if you want the menu to expand as you navigate deeper, select the number of levels you want it to go.

  • Max Rendered Assets - For a menu, you will most likely want all pages included.  Entering 0 will allow the index block to render an unlimited number of assets.

  • Indexed Asset Types - For most menus, only pages and links need to be indexed. 

  • Rendering Behavior - For most menus, select Render normally, starting at the indexed folder.  This will cause the index block to render all sibling assets, and as many subfolders as the depth of index allows.

  • Page XML - Select Do not render page XML inline.

  • Block XML - Select Do not render block XML inline.

  • Indexed Asset Content - For most menus, only user-supplied metadata is needed.

  • Other Indexed Information - Do not check any options.

  • Sort Method - For most menus, either folder order or alphabetical order is best.

These options will provide you with a usable index block that can then be plugged into a page region at the template, configuration set, or page level. If it's a menu that is used throughout the site, it's easiest to go ahead and add it at the template level so that it will appear on all pages.

An XSL stylesheet must also be added to style and filter the results rendered by the index block. Examples are included with Cascade Server and can be found in the common folder.

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