Creating or Editing Articles

1. To create an article click the "Create article" tab. To edit an article, click the "Search article" tab, fill in the form and search for the article you wish to edit. Click the "EDIT" link to continue.

2. Fill in/change the "Code" field. Also called "File Name" or "Slug", this field will be used in URLs to identify an article along with publication, date, and section. For example, to have a URL equaling /content/inquirer/2002/03/01/myfile.htm you will have typed a "Code" of "myfile" here. Note that you cannot 'change' this field by typing in a new value over an old one when editting. What actually happens is a new article is created, based upon the old, with the new file name. In fact, no articles can be deleted in Cofax. You can disable them however (below).

3. The "Publication" field is already filled in for you. Publication indicates what publication an article is in. An article's publication designation cannot be changed.

4. The "Publication Date" will determine what date this article will be found in. It helps to identify the uniqueness of an article, and like "Code" if changed will create a new article and not change the old one.

5. The "Item ID" is assigned to the story upon story creation. The Item ID remains static throughout the life of the story regardless of version. It can be used to call for the story if you are constantly updating, such as weather.

6. The "Section" will determine the 'main' mapping code of an article. Along with "Code", "Publication", and "Publication Date", it determies the uniqueness of an article. It cannot be changed. If it is, then in actuallity a new article is created based upon the old.

7. The "Disable" check boxes allow you to 'disable' an article's display thru the CDS on two different layers - the article story page itself by checking "article" and section front digests by checking "section".

8. The "Initial rank" field will determine an article's ranking on a section front, if that section has not beem re-ordered using the "Order Section" tab.

9. "Article Types" identify an article with an 'article type'. These can be particular columnists or other kinds of article types that have been created in the "Edit Article Type" tool. "Article Types" stay consistent to an article no matter what section or "Mapping Code" an article has been mapped to.

10. "Mapping Codes" are additional sections/categories you want an article to be related to and to show in. You can map an article to an unlimmited number of sections, three more slots at a time will open up on the form if you use all that are available on the form by default. The "Rank" field will determine where in that section/category, an article will appear. Simply check the "Remove from map" check box to delete an article's relationship to a mapping code.

11. The "Title" field is self-explanitory. This is the main title that accompanies a story.

12. "Subtitle" is a secondary title to accompany a story.

13. "Web Headline" is an additional field you can use for headlines in your display.

14. "Lead" appears on story digests below headlines. Should consist of first paragraph of body or first few sentences. Should be repeated in body.

15. "Lead In" is the first sentence or teaser from the Lead, if used.

16. "Byline" is the byline you wish to accompany an article.

17. "Body" is the body text of the article itself, which should include the lead if desired.

18. You can add or edit multimedia assigned to an article.

    First, select what type of image you are trying to add from the "Select Type" pulldown. Currently, there are two types of multimedia: article images and section images. An article image displays (when called by a package tag) in a article template. A section image displays (when called by a package tag) in a section template.

    Click the "Browse" button and select an image/ multimedia to upload from your hard drive.

    Type a caption in the "Caption" field. A caption is the text that will be displayed below the multimedia (when called by a package tag.)

19. You can add or edit related links assigned to an article. Like "Mapping Codes" above, if all available slots are taken, simply save and re-edit the article and more will be made available.

20. Click "Save Article" to save your changes.