Thread

I am creating a file-repository-type website that will allow users to access many Word & Excel docs. Initially this seemed like a simple setup of EE weblogs and templates. However, there are four user-types, and when the web page opens, the users want to see only links to documents that pertain to their user-group. What makes this more complex is that some files pertain to only one user (so should not be visible to other user-groups), some pertain to two or three users, and some pertain to all four users. Most files pertain to all four user-types.

I’m having trouble conceptualizing the organization with weblogs and templates. Any recommendations or helpful hints? Obviously I need to learn more about DBs and how they work. 😛

The client prefers not to make this a member-based site at the moment. Would using memberships make it easier to accomplish what I need?

Thanks for your input.

Neal

What makes this more complex is that some files pertain to only one user (so should not be visible to other user-groups), some pertain to two or three users, and some pertain to all four users. Most files pertain to all four user-types.

What about categories?

The client prefers not to make this a member-based site at the moment. Would using memberships make it easier to accomplish what I need?

I should think so, especially if you are worried about security. If you are not, do people rate themselves? (“User type one click here ...”?)

So do you think that it would make sense to:

1. Creates weblogs based on the groups of document types
2. Then create categories to pull the weblogs based on the user group?

Then I would use the {exp:weblog:categories} tag to populate the various pages?

Neal

Whether you use single or multiple weblogs depends on the rest of your content, but categories have one significatn advantage: an entry can belong to more than one at a time. So you have your average entry, which is a regular weblog entry, really, and assign it to one or more of your categories.

When you mentally associate one usergroup with a category, you can decide from entry to entry which category (usergroup) this article should be in.

I think it’s starting to make some sense. So if I set up categories based on the user, then I can call each category in a URL, and only info desired by that usergroup/category will show up.

Question:

When I use categories, can I associate individual weblog entries with the category? Or is it just at weblog level (not the deeper weblog-entry-level) that I can use categories?

I think I’m getting an understanding. This is a complex website that I’m working on, so hopefully it’ll come soon.

Thanks,

Neal

I think it’s starting to make some sense. So if I set up categories based on the user, then I can call each category in a URL, and only info desired by that usergroup/category will show up.

Yes, exactly. You’d show category 1 to group 1, categories 1 and 2 to group 2, etc.

When I use categories, can I associate individual weblog entries with the category? Or is it just at weblog level (not the deeper weblog-entry-level) that I can use categories?

Yes, of course. Every entry can belong to one or more categories.

OK. Thank you! Here goes nothing! Go ahead and close this thread. I’ll start a new topic if any other Qs come up.

No worries 😊 We only close “Tech Support” threads, but I am glad you’re on track.