MeggBrown.com

“Smart Cascade Server Implementations” by Justin Klingman, Manager of Web Design & Content Management, Beacon Technologies. Presented in the Executive Track.

Smart Cascade Server Implementations

Introduction

• Session geared towards end users and managers
• Tips & tricks to smartly implement, manage and use Cascade Server
  • Smart implementations
  • Integration with Dynami Applications
  • Managing Search engine marketing
    …

Plan & Think Ahead

• What is your ultimate web strategy?
  • All sites share common template
  • Sites have individual template
• How can we implement Cascade Server to grow with us?

Templates

• It’s tempting to create a new template for every different page look & layout
• Consolitdate templates
  … // get these points

Ideas for consolidating templates

• Keep minimal HTML in templates
  • Only have structure-level HTML
• Keep regions of HTML in blocks & formats and use like SSI
• Use multiple Configuration Sets instead

• Use CSS for minor layout alterations
• Example: 2 different content layouts
  • Page w/ right column
  • Page w/o right column
• How do they all run off of one template?
  • Create additional CSS file that overrides main site CSS
    … // get these points

Data Definition

• Key: Think long-term!
• Always use, even if just one WYSIWYG
  • Can add to Data Definition functionality
  • If not used, may have to apply Data Definitions to 100s of pages in the future
• Use groups
  • Separates applications within one Data Definition and allows for expansion

Metadata Sets

• Use unique Metadata Sets per site
• Just like with Data Definitions, think long-term
• Consider using separate metadata Sets for Pages, Files, Folders, External Links

Content Types

• Bundles Configuration Sets, Metadata Sets, and Data Definitions
• Use one Content Type per section and application
  • Allows flexibility of changing the configuration on that section
  • Ability to change Data Definition for section or application

Index Blocks

• When not used properly, can hurt performance
• Use same block in different regions with similar indexing needs
• Only index what you need

Integration with Dynamic Applications

• WYSIWYG editor doesn’t play nice with scripting languages without special code
• Most scripting languages can’t be run inside Cascade (exception: JavaScript)

How do we get scripting coded into Cascade?

• Use Server-Side Includes (SSI)
  • Allows developers full control over their code without using Cascade
  • Protects the code from modification or deletion by the end user

Adding SSI below the content region

XSL shows internal tags for “The form will be displayed here when published” and include call once published.

• Create include files outside Cascade
• Create a format for each include file
• Add a template region just below DEFAULT
  • Used to attach SSI format to page
  • Allows end user to maintain introductory content
• Attach appropriate format
• When published, application will be displayed

Methods to include dynamic applications

[Bad practice #1] Adding SSI inline

• Insert SSI within the body of content, floating left or right, in between paragraphs
• Allows more flexibility for end user to position applications within content
• …

Cons:

• [system-view:internal] tags show up in the editor
• Module can accidentally be deleted very easily

[Bad practice #2] Add scripting code directly into editor within SSI

• Use HTML view
• start-code and end-code tags
• Disadvantage: Code cannot be seen within the editor, and can easily be deleted

Search Engine Marketing Efforts

• One of Cascade’s great benefits: producing search engine-friendly sites
• Set up SEM template regions
  • Include analytics scripts on each page
  • Allows SEO analysts to add code to a certain page such as a tracking…

Controlling Flash Applicatoins

• Flash is very popular, but difficult to maintain
• The Challenge: Empower end users to maintain Flash apps’ content & imagery, using Cascade
• Solution
  • Develop Flash app that reads an XML file
• Develop Data Definitions for content entry
• Publish content as XML file for Flash to read

Documentation and Training for End Users

• Create your own user’s manual
  • Hannon Hill Knowledge Base too much information for an end user
  • Nobody knows more about your implentation than you
  • Layout like a tutorial and use screenshots
  • Keep it up-to-date with version releases

Training Tips

• Walk through the entire manual using Cascade pages they’ll use
• If possible, conduct training in-person
• Slow down!

This entry was posted on Monday, September 28th, 2009 at 12:14 pm and is filed under Cascade, Web, Work/Professional Development. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.