Published file names

[JimV]

What is the best way to handle file names for published files in
RedDOT. I believe the options are to:
1. Use the GUID
2. Use the page ID
3. Enter a normal name for the file.

We are currently using option 3, so that we get realistic names for
the files on our website. But this appears to require that the
properties for each page be opened when a page is first created. Is
there an automatic way to get the file name from the headline.

Also, we currently need to have our files saved with a .php extension,
though in the next 3 months or so, hope to have them all as .html.
What is the best way to handle the extension?

[markus giesen]

Hi Jim,

with some RQL you can create a Plugin, which sets the filename
automatically to your page headline and still let's you manage to edit
this manually.

The extensions can be changed in the project variants or as global
setting in the project settings.

Cheers,

Markus
http://www.reddotcmsblog.com

[Henry Lu a.k.a. Javahand]

Hallo Markus, hi Jim,

Publishing SEO friendly and human-readable file names (urls) is a constant challenge facing RedDot users.

I've recently written a plugin that has fairly sophisticated interface that allows admins/editors to configure a "rule" for a content class so that pages' file names(url) and their title tags can be automatically generated, either in batch fashion or page by page.

The rule setting is a visual drag and drop interface that allows all conceivable data fields that pertain to a content class template -- headline, page id, guid and etc -- to be concatenated into an aggregate meaningful string. In addition, this plug in also allows one to add arbitrary "constant" string segment as part of the concatenation.

A simple RQL script that grabs the headline and turn it into file name is easy to write; but devil is always in the detail. What do you do if there are i18n chars in the headline? Are you gonna keep all "noise" words in the url? (a, an, the, of and etc)

Issues like that and a whole slew of other character escaping, grammatical stemming and word sanitizing are all gracefully, automatically handled by this plugin.

A url like this http://www.chefsbest.org/no-sugar-added-premium-vanilla-ice-cream-award-winner-2400.htm and all the other thousands of file names are all handled with this plugin. All the content managing staff needs to do is to come of with nomenclature logic and click a few button to configure a rule to reflect that nomenclature. The plugin does all the dirty work.

Unfortunately I am not able to share this plugin with you as the client invested heavily in it.

But I just want to emphasize that Drupal style "path-auto" is doable in RedDot. And with due effort, you can take it as far as your imagination leads.

Cheers,

Henry Lu

--
646-807-8683

[Sids]

Hey Henry

Very nice approach and suggestion, may be a plugin (having a GUI of
its own with mentioned much flexibility whereas what Markus has
mentioned is quicker and easier for the use I am able to visualize)
would be time taking thing but the use of string
<PageHeadline>_<PageGuid>...or something like this definitely is best
practice from a SEO as well page searchability in CMS prospective.

There is a high probability (it is not mandatorily unique) of having
more than one pages with similar headline so just a file name as in
option 3 seems not to be a nice idea, just a thought, whereas just
page guid or id are against SEO standard practice.

It was a good read. Thanks for sharing it. :)

Cheers

[rodger1984]

Try using RQL to set the file name in pre-execute scripts for pages whose file names need to be meaningful.

Btw, trim the headline first before setting it as the file name.

-Rodger

---

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[markus giesen]

Don't forget to make sure your filename is not longer than 263
characters, as this page points out:
http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/wearejustdoingthistobestupidnowsincethiscangoonforeverandeverandeverbutitstilllookskindaneatinthebrowsereventhoughitsabigwasteoftimeandenergyandhasnorealpointbutwehadtodoitanyways.html

Cheers,

Markus
http://www.reddotcmsblog.com

On 28 Jul., 02:28, rodger1984 <rodger1...@126.com> wrote:
> Try using RQL to set the file name in pre-execute scripts for pages whose file names need to be meaningful.
> Btw, trim the headline first before setting it as the file name.
>
> -Rodger
>

> 在2009-07-27?23:41:51，JimV?<james.vo...@em.wisc.edu>?写道：
>
>
>
>
>
> >What?is?the?best?way?to?handle?file?names?for?published?files?in
> >RedDOT.?I?believe?the?options?are?to:
> >1. Use?the?GUID
> >2. Use?the?page?ID
> >3. Enter?a?normal?name?for?the?file.
>
> >We?are?currently?using?option?3,?so?that?we?get?realistic?names?for
> >the?files?on?our?website.?But?this?appears?to?require?that?the
> >properties?for?each?page?be?opened?when?a?page?is?first?created.?Is
> >there?an?automatic?way?to?get?the?file?name?from?the?headline.
>
> >Also,?we?currently?need?to?have?our?files?saved?with?a?.php?extension,
> >though?in?the?next?3?months?or?so,?hope?to?have?them?all?as?.html.
> >What?is?the?best?way?to?handle?the?extension?

[Rob Palmer]

The Magic Page-Naming Plug-in that I'm imagining would run through the
site once, generate a list of all pages and all proposed names, with
conflicts (odd characters? duplicate names?) highlighted in red -- and
maybe questionable ones (had to delete a lot of little words from the
headline to make the page name?) in yellow -- and needing to be fixed
before proceeding.

Then you'd hit the "Go!" button and it would name all the pages...

-Rob.

[kimdezen]

Hi Rob,

We @ Areeba (myself and Markus) have created such a plugin (well, its
actually a standalone executable) that you either run once or you set
it up to run via scheduled job on a regular basis...

The script loops through every page in the project, determines if the
page already has a name assigned - and if one doesnt exists, it uses
the headline of the page to generate the filename (by removing any odd
characters, replacing spaces with dashes, and if any other pages in
the site contain the same filename - it will append an integer version
number to the end of the filename).

Using a config file, you can specify which pages (based on specific
content classes) require renaming - since you probably have a number
of 'system' pages (such as stylesheets, javascripts, footer, header,
xml etc) that you dont want to touch.

We have also included a whole lot of command options which enables you
to generate reports before you decide to run the script to change the
filenames.

If anyone is interested in finding out more about the plugin, let me
know!

Cheers,
Kim

[Richard Hauer (5 Limes)]

Just to add my 2 cents (in case you dont have enough options already)
we have a web service which is called as a User Defined Job in a pre-
publication event that uses a mixture of supported (RQL) and
unsupported (database) calls to set file names using pre-determined
patterns that are SEO friendly. Basically these are built off the nav
structure using the stf_PageTitle placeholder with some special
handling for characters the file system won't like.

This is a very robust model as you can be sure a page never gets
published without a name (unlike the periodic job model or user
required to click a link model) and it doesn't require the page to
have ever been opened in SmartEdit (unlike the RDExecute model), and
of course it is executed only once for the whole site (unlike the pre-
execute model), which we find ideal.

We have the process executing in about 3-5 seconds for 2500 pages, but
again, to achieve this we have opted for direct DB calls which is not
supported and is strongly discouraged unless you really know what you
are doing.

HTH.

Regards,
Richard Hauer
====================
5 Limes Pty Limited
www.5Limes.com.au

> > -Rob.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[organica]

Hi Kim,

I'm very interested in this plugin! I'm been trying to figure out how
to do something like this for a very long time. I'm not sure if our
sys admin will let me run this plugin, but it's worth a shot.

Thanks,

Tom

[kimdezen]

Hi Tom,

Hit me up on the email kim....@areeba.com.au

Cheers,
Kim

[markus giesen]

Richard, beside the speed - what is the advantage of your script?
I am worried about the warranty response of OT, they say that you lose
any warranty if you touch/change the database by not using RQL.
Did they approve your version? It might be worth discussing this with
OT.
There certainly should be a way to get OT to do review of plugins in
my opinion.

Cheers,
Markus

On 4 Aug., 10:39, kimdezen <dasw...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Tom,
>

> Hit me up on the email kim.de...@areeba.com.au