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Categories

The Basics

Every Post must be assigned to one or more Categories. You can either explicitly assign a Post to a Category, or the Post will be automatically assigned to the default Category (named Unassigned by default, but often renamed to something more meaningful).

In general, assigning a Post to a Category will define how (or where) the Post will be displayed on your website. There are several ways that Categories decide this, and we will cover two of the ways that Briel Computer uses them here.

Categories and Lists

As explained in the previous section, Posts can be displayed in reverse-ordered, chronological lists, and one example of this would be a blog. Since a website can have more than one of these lists, for example a blog and a latest news list, Categories will be used to designate the list to which a given Post is assigned.

Categories and Blocks

Posts can also be assigned to specific blocks on your website through the use of Categories. Typically, Briel Computer will define blocks at various locations on your website, with their associated Categories. Briel will then provide the mappings (i.e., Category to Block mappings) so that you will know where a Post will be displayed if assigned to a given Category. For example, a Category named footer-left might be defined by Briel, directing Posts assigned to this Category to display in the left side of the website footer.

Assigning a Post to a Category

Categories are assigned when you create or edit a Post. Look for the Categories block with its checkboxes in the upper-right corner of the Post edit window in the Administration Panel. The image below illustrates the Categories block with two available Categories (i.e., blog and news). In this case, news is the default category (Unassigned was renamed to news).

It is not evident that news is the default Category in the Categories block below, but this can be determined in Manage->Categories in the Administration Panel. This will be described in a moment.

Assigning a given Post to one or more Categories is as simple as checking the respective Category checkboxes before saving or publishing the Post.

Managing Categories

The Administration Panel provides an area for Category management. To manages Categories, click Manage on the Main Menu, and Categories on the SubMenu. The existing Category List will be displayed.

Creating a New Category

To create a new Category, click add new, type an optional Description, and click Add Category. You can leave the Category slug field blank, since it will be auto filled when you click Add Category. Also, leave the Category parent at None.

Your new Category will now appear in the Category List.

When Should You Create a New Category?

You will normally not need to create a new Category. This is because Briel Computer will create the Categories required for the normal operation of your website. However, if you accidentally delete a Category for some reason, it can be recreated using the steps above.

Editing Categories

The main reason that you would want to edit a Category would be to change its name. You can edit a Category by clicking the Edit link related to the Category in the Category List. Keep in mind that changing a Category name may interfere with the normal operation of your website, so you may wish to ask if other changes are required before renaming a Category.

Deleting Categories

Briel Computer will provide you with a document listing the Categories that have been defined and assigned to specific areas of your website, and these Categories should normally not be deleted. Should one of these Categories be accidentally deleted, the Category can be recreated using the procedure above with its original name.

If for some reason you do need to delete a Category, or if Briel Computer asks you to do this, the Category can be deleted by locating it’s name in the Category list, and clicking the Delete link in the entry.

There is one Default Category that cannot be deleted, and you will know it because the word Default will be found where the Delete link should normally be (see the illustration above). The Default Category name is usually Unassigned, but, as already mentioned, it is often renamed.

If you choose to delete a Category to which Posts have already been assigned, you will be notified that these Posts will be moved to the Default Category. At this point you can change your mind and not delete the Category by clicking Cancel in the notification.

It’s usually a good idea to reassign Posts ahead of time so that a Category is empty before deleting it.

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