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Computing and Information Services

Version: 13 August 2009

This CMS version introduces or extends three content types, and adds a second content area in the right sidebar to most templates. This content area can be added to by Site Administrators to create dynamic feature-box-like content, though the majority of existing content types are not usable in this area.

This CMS version release also makes several minor changes to the profile system to allow additional information to be entered and the display of information to be adjusted, and fixes some errors with the display of the staff list and Directory information. Duplicate publication checking has been improved, which will help research staff avoid having multiple copies of the same publication entered by different authors.

All new content types and visible changes to CMS behaviour have been added to the updated Guides.

New or extended content types

  • Research Aggregator. This new content type allows you to have a display like the University's Research Events page restricted to your own department's events and seminars.
  • Slideshow. This new content type displays a collection from an image gallery as a slideshow. It may be placed in the main body of the page with full-sized images, or in the right sidebar (if the template allows this) with thumbnail images. In modern browsers, automatic image changing is supported.
  • News feed display. This content type has been extended to include a version for the right sidebar, including automatic switching between the items in the feed.

Profile System, Staff List, and Directory changes

  • Staff lists are now 'dynamic' and will update instantly on the live site with changes in the CMS
  • Email addresses will be displayed on staff lists to internal University users even if "email address" is not selected as a contact method in the staff profile. The display to external users is unaffected, and this change does not affect the few staff who have requested that they be entirely "ex-directory".
  • Staff lists can now be configured not to display non-personal phone and fax extensions.
  • Departments can be given aliases in the Profile System to aid searching by department in the Directory. For example, Computing and Information Services could have CIS as an alias.
  • Role entries can now have room numbers associated with them. A bug involving the display of initials for role holders is also fixed by this version.
  • Research project display now allows selectiveness over the components (e.g. staff, aims, publications, project title) displayed in the same way that the research group display does. It is also possible to move the project leader to the top of the project staff list.
  • Research groups displays now allow the staff list to be sorted alphabetically instead of by category.
  • Research project summaries can now be restricted by category for a more flexible display.
  • Links to other information (research groups, research projects, and other individuals) from staff profiles displayed using the Staff Profile content type can now be sent to different pages.
  • Research groups now have "additional information" boxes, which allow entry of free-text information if the types of structured information available are insufficient.