Setup instructions for Online News Site

Copy the files from the zip file to the public HTML folder on the internet server. For evaluation purposes, this file structure is fine.

For production websites, move the includes folder to a location outside the public HTML folder. Update the system configuration file with the new location of the includes folder.

Log into the editor system as "admin" with a password of "admin." Select the "Settings" tab. Within the administration area, the admin password is required for each change. Input the following:

  1. The newspaper name and description.
  2. The newspaper news sections and their sort order.
  3. For productions systems, change the admin password from "admin" to a unique password.

Add users by their area of responsibility

The log in name determines what area of the system a user can access. Visit the other tabs in the menu to add users for news editing, patron management, advertising management, classified management and menu management.

Menu management

Select the Predefined tab. Enable as appropriate the following menu items.

  1. Archive search
  2. Calendar
  3. Classified ads
  4. Contact form

The Menu tab has instructions for creating custom pages and programs. Select the Calendar tab to maintain event listings.

Files updates will not overwrite

In order for updates to not overwrite databases and customized files, there are files and locations that updates will not overwrite.

  1. images/logo.png and other images added to the images directory
  2. z/local.css
  3. z/system/configuration.php
  4. includes/custom/ and its subdirectories

Evaluating the system does not require modifying the above files. Production systems will want to modify the files to substitute the organization's logo, color scheme and system configuration.

Editing the system configuration file

For evaluation purposes, the configuration file, configuration.php (displayed), will likely not require modification. For production systems, the four following edits should be made:

  1. Edit the time zone offset as the number of hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), formerly called Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Valid entries are shown as examples.
  2. Edit the location of the includes directory, which should be moved to a location outside the public HTML folder.
  3. Edit the URI scheme, if needed, either "http" for sites without SSL encryption, or "https" for secured systems, the recommended and default configuration.
  4. For paid subscriber websites, change "free" to "paid" to enable the paywall to secure access to the news for paid subscribers. When set to "paid," searching the news archives will also require a log in. Viewing classified ads will not require a log in.


//
// INPUT: Time zone offset from GMT, Greenwich Mean Time
// The following entries are allowed:
// -12 -11 -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4.30 -4 -3.30 -3 -2 -1 0
// 1 2 3 3.30 4 5 5.30 5.45 6 6.30 7 8 9 9.30 10 11 12 13
//
$gmtOffset = '-8';
//
// INPUT: Path to the includes folder, without trailing /
//
$includesPath = 'z/includes';
//
// INPUT: URI scheme, http or https
//
$uriScheme = 'https';
//
// INPUT: Free or paid access to news
//
$freeOrPaid = 'free';