Site Tree Import

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I am evaluating Concrete5 for use in an agency environment. One of the things that has been requested is the ability to quickly create a site architecture in a plain text file, or xml structure and then importing it into the CMS in order to quickly build out the skeleton architecture of the site.

Many times, by the time we are ready to prototype, we have already gotten to a fairly stable IA. The idea of building out an entire architecture for a medium to large site, one page at a time via the "add page" front-end capability seems really tedious and sort of archaic. However I have not yet been able to find any ability to import any kind of a file into the system in order to shortcut that process.

I am not concerned about having to teach people to build a file to a particular specification or format if that is necessary.

So, can anyone point me to a built-in integrated way to do this, or an add-on that accomplishes this task? I assume I could get a dev to write me a script that would do this via the API, but this seems like such a fundamental ask that it is hard to imagine it is not already baked in somewhere.

Thanks,

DavidJ

 
enlil replied on at Permalink Reply
enlil
This recent thread should point you in the right direction
http://www.concrete5.org/community/forums/customizing_c5/free-packa...
DavidJ3d replied on at Permalink Reply
This seems like an option, but perhaps overkill for what I am asking. All I really want to be able to do is create a text file that looks like this:

Home
   About
      Contact Us
      Our Team
      Our Board
   Products
      Widget 1
      Widget 2
      Pro Widget
   Services
      Widget Support
      Widget Training

and then import it into C5 in such away that it automatically creates a basic page structure. The labels listed would be used as the page names with some basic default page type (since this can easily be changed later). Creation date would default to when it was imported. Alias would default like it does now automagically when you type in a name.

I do not need to to automagically deal with adding page types, blocks of content, create Concrete5 instantiations, etc. I just need a fast way to build out a skeleton site architecture that can be done quickly by anyone once the IA is mostly solidified. Then the whole go in an massage/create/update individual pages process can proceed through the normal Concrete5 workflow.

If the text file is much more complicated or difficult to specify than what I have shown above, then it would probably be faster just to add each page using the add sub page button. I was just hoping to be able to go from sitemap in outline form to C5 site architecture rapidly.

Thanks,
DJ
JohntheFish replied on at Permalink Reply
JohntheFish
I thought I had seen an addon for that go through the PRB, but I cant find it now.
johnpaulb replied on at Permalink Reply
johnpaulb
Hello DavidJ3d,

You can generate and view the full sitemap at anytime in Concrete5, these articles I did may help provide a better view of the process.

Generate the Sitemap xml File in Concrete5:
http://www.webhostinghub.com/help/learn/concrete5/get-started/gener...

View Full Sitemap in Concrete5:
http://www.webhostinghub.com/help/learn/concrete5/creating-pages/vi...

Hope this helps,
John-Paul
DavidJ3d replied on at Permalink Reply
John-Paul,

Thanks for your reply. However, what I am trying to find a way to do is not generate a site map out of Concrete5 it is importing one into it.

I have in the past used several homespun CMS products that allowed me to create a simple text file in outline form that showed pages and hierarchy. Then I could import that file and it would create a basic page structure in the CMS.

For a small site clicking Home in the site tree and selecting add page, then filling out the rough details and saving, then clicking add page again, then navigating to a sub page and clicking add page again, etc. is fine. But for a large site with a 3 or 4 level deep site tree it is a real pain in the ass. Typing in the site tree in a text editor, or outputting it as a text file from whatever you use to build site maps (Like visio or omnigraffle) is MUCH easier that adding one page at a time by hand.

Thanks,
DavidJ