The Workspace
- Matthew Wagner
The XperienCentral Workspace is where you manage the content for your website. The Workspace consists of the Editor in the main part of the workspace and two expandable, customizable sidebars, one on the left and one on the right. Along the top of the Workspace is the XperienCentral Configuration menu in the upper right part of the title bar, the Quick Search field, and at the top right the User menu.
The middle part of the Workspace, the Editor, is where you directly interact with your website content. Here you can add content elements (images, paragraphs, separators, etc.), rich text and so forth to fill in the content of your website. The Editor is a WYSIWYG representation of the content of your website which means that the appearance of a content item in the Editor is exactly the same as what visitors see on the frontend of your website. This allows you to always see how your web pages, articles, page sections, and so forth look without having to take any further action.
See also Keyboard Shortcuts for operations you can perform in the Workspace using just the keyboard.
Select your version of XperienCentral below for complete information about the Workspace.
In This Topic
Workspace Overview
The parts of the Workspace are shown in the figure below:
Customizing the Sidebars
The sidebars in the Workspace can be fully customized according to your personal preferences. You can resize the sidebars, add or remove widgets, and arrange the widgets exactly how you want them. The left and right sidebars of the Workspace work exactly the same: Each has a tab containing icons that allow you to minimize and maximize the sidebar, drag and resize the sidebar to your desired width, pin the sidebar to the Workspace, and add widgets. Widgets can also be dragged up and down in the same sidebar in order to rearrange the order in which they appear from top to bottom or you can drag a widget from the left to the right sidebar and vice versa.
Adding Widgets
Using widgets, you interact with the structure of your website, preview content, modify the properties of content items, and can see references between content items. XperienCentral contains seven default widgets that you can add to the Workspace sidebars. Your application manager and developers can develop their own widgets and easily add them to XperienCentral. Contact them for information on using widgets which are custom to your project.
Click one of the following for information on the default XperienCentral widgets:
- Site Structure Widget
- Properties Widget
- /wiki/spaces/GXAR/pages/25002961
- Context Widget
- Page Section Widget
To add a widget to a sidebar, follow these steps:
- Expand the sidebar to which you want to add a widget by clicking the expand button if it is collapsed:
- Click the Add icon in the sidebar header:
The "Add widgets to the sidebar" dialog box appears. - Click the [Add] button next to the widget you want to add. For example:
The widget is added to the sidebar.
Moving Widgets
The widgets in the sidebars of your Workspace can be dragged and moved around to suit your preferences at any time. You can arrange the widgets any way you like from top to bottom and you can also drag a widget from one Sidebar to the other.
To rearrange widgets within a sidebar, follow these steps:
- Expand the Sidebar so that the widgets are visible.
- Hover the mouse over the title bar of the widget until a four-sided arrow indicator appears.
- Click and hold the left mouse button in the title bar of the widget you want to move.
- Drag the widget up or down to the desired location. While dragging the widget, an indicator will appear at the top left corner of the widget being dragged that tells you when it is in a position where it can be dropped. When it can be dropped, an outline box will appear showing the location where it will be placed.
- When the widget is at the desired location, release the left mouse button. The widget is dropped in that place and the other widgets rearrange themselves accordingly.
To move a widget from one sidebar to the other, follow these steps:
- Expand both sidebars.
- Hover the mouse over the title bar of the widget you want to move from one sidebar to the other until a four-sided arrow indicator appears.
- Click and hold the left mouse button in the title bar of the widget you want to move.
- Drag the widget to the desired location on the other sidebar. While dragging the widget, an indicator will appear at the top left corner of the widget being dragged that tells you when it is in a position where it can be dropped. When it can be dropped, an outline box will appear showing the location where it will be placed.
- When the widget is at the desired location, release the left mouse button. The widget is dropped in that place and the other widgets rearrange themselves accordingly.
Manually Resizing the Sidebars
The sidebars can be resized to any desired width. This is done by clicking and dragging the Resizer. To resize a sidebar using the Resizer:
- Hover the mouse over the resizer on the inner edge of a sidebar until a two-sided arrow appears:
- Click and hold the left mouse button and then drag the Resizer to the left or right until the sidebar is the desired width.
- Release the left mouse button.
Expanding and Collapsing the Sidebars
The sidebars can be expanded and collapsed with the single click of the mouse. To collapse a sidebar, click the Collapse button in the sidebar's header:
The sidebar collapses. To expand a collapsed sidebar, click the resize button once when the sidebar is collapsed. The sidebar expands.
Navigating in the Sidebars
When the sidebar contains more widgets than can be displayed in one view vertically, a scrollbar appears (on the left side of the right sidebar and on the right side of the left sidebar). Drag the scrollbar and down to access the widgets that are out of view.
Floating Versus Docked
The sidebars have two modes: floating and docked. In floating mode, content can appear behind the sidebars — the sidebar is partially transparent and the content behind it can be seen. In docked mode, a sidebar claims the part of the screen where it is and content in the content item is adjusted so that all of it remains visible. To switch to docked mode, hover the mouse over the sidebar's header and click the pin icon:
The pin icon turns black and the edge of the sidebar becomes flush with the content. To switch to floating mode, hover the mouse over the sidebar's header and click the black pin icon. The sidebar and the content adjust so that part of it appears behind the sidebar.
Switching Between Language Versions
Expand the section below that corresponds to your version of XperienCentral for more information.
When more than one language version of your website exists, you can quickly and easily switch between the versions using the Language drop-down in the header of each sidebar. For example:
Expand the drop-down list and select the language you want to switch to. For example:
Multiple language versions of content items exist parallel to each other. For pages and page sections, the tree structures are identical. For all content items, the title of the language versions can be different as well as the workflow status. In almost all cases, different language versions of content items have different content than their parallel language versions. In the image below, the pages in the site structure have an English language version and a Dutch language version:
When there are multiple language versions of content items, you have the added flexibility that a content item in one language can be published while its counterpart in the other language(s) can be unpublished and therefore not visible on the frontend. For example:
In the above image, you can see that the page "Academy" in the English language version of the site structure is published while its Dutch counterpart "Academie" is not published. The same rule holds for page sections and all other content items in XperienCentral.
In the Language Widget, the current language you are viewing is always shown in the collapsed drop-down list. To switch to a different language version, select the language from the drop-down list. When the drop-down list is expanded, the current language is shown in bold text. When you select the language you want to switch to, the names of pages in the Site Structure Widget and the names of the page sections in the Page Sections Widget change to the language you select. You can now proceed to edit the website in the language version you selected.
Creating a New Language Version
To create a new language version of a content item, follow the steps below. You can also create a new language version of a content item using the Actions menu.
- Navigate to the content item in the Workspace using the Site Structure Widget, Page Sections Widget or using Search.
- In the Language Widget, expand the drop-down list and click the plus sign next to the language for which you want to create the new version. For example:
The "New Language Version" dialog appears:
- To create an empty version of the content item, select "Create new <language> version".
- To copy the content from a version of the content item that exists in a different language, select "Copy the <language> version". You can then select the version to copy content from in the drop-down list.
- Click [Apply]. The new version of the content item is created in the language you selected. The version of the new content item becomes the active language in the Edit environment.
Visual Indicators
In the Language drop-down list, visual indicators show you which language version you are currently viewing, which other language versions exist and what the publication status(es) of the language versions are.
| Indicator | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bold text | The language version you are viewing. The page is in a published state. | Dutch |
| Bold italic text | The language version you are viewing. The page is in an unpublished state. | English |
| Italic text | The page exists in the language stated and it is in an unpublished state. | French |
| Normal text | The page exists in the language stated and it is in a published state. | Dutch |
| Add a new version of this page in the language indicated. |
Example 1
In the example above, you are viewing the published English version of the page, it exists and is published in Dutch and a French version can be created.
Example 2
In the example above, you are viewing the unpublished English version of the page, it exists and is published in Dutch and a French version can be created.
Example 3
In the example above, you are viewing the unpublished Dutch version of the page and an English and/or French version can be created.
Browser Spell Checkers
Text in property fields in XperienCentral can be checked by browser spell checkers. Beginning in version R38, text in the Editor can also be checked. You can manually manage the languages that are spell-checked in all the supported browsers. Click a link below for information on how to do so:
When more than one language version of your website exists, you can quickly and easily switch between the versions using the Language drop-down in the header of each sidebar. For example:
Expand the drop-down list and select the language you want to switch to. For example:
Multiple language versions of content items exist parallel to each other. For pages and page sections, the tree structures are identical. For all content items, the title of the language versions can be different as well as the workflow status. In almost all cases, different language versions of content items have different content than their parallel language versions. In the image below, the pages in the site structure have an English language version and a Dutch language version:
When there are multiple language versions of content items, you have the added flexibility that a content item in one language can be published while its counterpart in the other language(s) can be unpublished and therefore not visible on the frontend. For example:
In the above image, you can see that the page "Academy" in the English language version of the site structure is published while its Dutch counterpart "Academie" is not published. The same rule holds for page sections and all other content items in XperienCentral.
In the Language Widget, the current language you are viewing is always shown in the collapsed drop-down list. To switch to a different language version, select the language from the drop-down list. When the drop-down list is expanded, the current language is shown in bold text. When you select the language you want to switch to, the names of pages in the Site Structure Widget and the names of the page sections in the Page Sections Widget change to the language you select. You can now proceed to edit the website in the language version you selected.
Creating a New Language Version
To create a new language version of a content item, follow the steps below. You can also create a new language version of a content item using the Actions menu.
- Navigate to the content item in the Workspace using the Site Structure Widget, Page Sections Widget or using Search.
- In the Language Widget, expand the drop-down list and select the language for which you want to create the new version. The "New Language Version" dialog appears:
- To create an empty version of the content item, select "Create new <language> version".
- To copy the content from a version of the content item that exists in a different language, select "Copy the <language> version". You can then select the version to copy content from in the drop-down list.
- Click [Apply]. The new version of the content item is created in the language you selected. The version of the new content item becomes the active language in the Edit environment.
Creating New Content
Using the Create Content drop-down fixed to the header of each sidebar, you can create new content for your channel(s) (pages, page sections, articles, etc.). For example:
All supported content types can be created quickly and easily using the Create Content drop-down and you can immediately begin adding content to the items you create. With the exception of pages and page sections, all items created with the Create Content drop-down are automatically added to the Content Repository and are therefore universally available to be used in all parts of your channel(s). To create a new content item, expand the drop-down list of available content types and then select the content type you want to create. The new content type will be created and appear in the Editor where you can add content to it and define its properties.
The content types described in this topic are the default types available in XperienCentral. If your project has deployed custom content types, they will also be available in the Create Content drop-down. Ask your application manager or main editor if you have questions about using custom content types not described here.
To create new content, expand the drop-down list and select the content type to create. For example:
Image
An image content item contains a graphic that can be displayed on content items in your channel(s). The supported formats are SVG, GIF, BMP, PNG, JPEG and WEBP (versions R36 and higher). When you select "Image" from the drop-down list, the basic properties for the image appear. The image can be showed on content items using the Image content element as well the Dynamic Content Overview and Content Overview content elements. Define the following properties for an image:
| Basic | |
|---|---|
| Property | Description |
| Title | The title of the image. This is the name that appears in the search results when you search for the image. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the Publication Status of the image was or will be Active or Planned, depending on the Workflow status. By default, the Publication Date and time is the moment that the image was created. At the same time, the default Workflow Status is Planned which means that the default Publication Status of a newly created image is "Inactive". This prevents a newly created image from being immediately visible. If you change the Publication Date for an image to a future time while its Workflow Status is set to "Published", the Publication Status changes from "Inactive" to "Planned". When the current date and time reaches an image's Publication Date, the Publication Status transitions from "Planned" to "Active". |
| Expiration Date | The date when the image will expire. |
| Tags | The tags assigned to the image. |
| Database Link | A link to one or more database items containing related information. |
| Alternative Text | The text that appears if the image cannot be displayed. |
| Alternative text can be edited at an element | Specifies whether the alternative text can be edited in an element. |
| Size Model | The size model to use to display the image. If no size model is specified, the image will display in its actual size. |
| Image | A thumbnail preview of the image. To add an image. click [Add Image]. You can either select an image using the File Upload Explorer or you can drag and drop an image onto the target area from another window. If an image has already been added and you want to edit it, click [Edit Image]. You can also delete the image by selecting the [Delete Image] link after clicking [Edit Image]. |
| Status | |
| Property | Description |
| Publication Status | The following are the possible publication status states:
|
| Workflow Status | The current workflow status of the image. |
| Created | The date and time the image was created and the name of the user who created it. |
| Last Modified | The date and time the image was last modified and the name of the user who modified it. |
| Versions | |
| Shows all the versions of the image. To navigate to a version, click it in the list. | |
Image Preview and Metadata
Once you add an image, you will see a thumbnail preview as well as the following metadata for it:
| Metadata | Description |
|---|---|
| File Name | The (operating system) name of the file containing the image. Click the file name to download the image. |
| File Type | The image type. |
| Source | Specifies the source of the image. |
| Dimensions | The height/width dimensions of the image in pixels. |
| File Size | The size of the image file in kilobytes (KB). |
| Focus Point | Specifies whether a focus point has been defined for the image. To define a focus point, click [Edit Image] and select "Select Focus Point" (see below). See Defining the Focus Point for an Image for complete information on defining a focus point for an image. |
Edit Image Options
Once a lead image has been added, clicking [Edit Image] gives you the following command options:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Select from Content Repository | Select a lead image from the Content Repository. |
| Select File | Select a lead image from a file on a local disk. |
| Navigate to Image | If the lead image is stored in the Content Repository, you can navigate to the image content item by selecting this. |
| Delete | Delete the lead image from this content item. The source of the image is not affected by this action. |
| Select Focus Point | Set a focus point for the lead image. See Defining the Focus Point for an Image for complete information. |
| Edit Focus Point | If a focus point has been defined for this image, use this command to edit or delete it. |
Page
To create a new page, select "Page" from the drop-down list. The new page will be a child page of the page that currently has the focus in the Site Structure Widget.
Article
An article content item can be displayed in a Dynamic Content Overview content element or a Content Overview content element. You add content to an article in exactly the same way that you add content to pages and page sections in the Editor.
Download
A Download content item contains a file that is available for website visitors to download. The download can be made can be made available using the Download content element as well the Dynamic Content Overview and Content Overview content elements. Define the following properties for a Download:
| Basic | |
|---|---|
| Property | Description |
| Title | The title of the Download. This is the name that appears in the search results when you search for the Download. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the Publication Status of the download was or will be Active or Planned, depending on the Workflow status. By default, the Publication Date and time is the moment that the download was created. At the same time, the default Workflow Status is Planned which means that the default Publication Status of a newly created download is "Inactive". This prevents a newly created download from being immediately visible. If you change the Publication Date for a download to a future time while its Workflow Status is set to "Published", the Publication Status changes from "Inactive" to "Planned". When the current date and time reaches a download's Publication Date, the Publication Status transitions from "Planned" to "Active". |
| Expiration Date | The date when the Download will expire. |
| Tags | The tags assigned to the Download. |
| Author | The name of the person or entity that added the Download. The author will appear below the link for the Download. |
| Date | Select the date when the Download was added. The date will appear below the link for the Download. This is useful in order to give website visitors an idea of how old the file is. |
| Version | Enter a version number for the Download if you want to distinguish it from other Downloads with the same or similar name. The version will appear below the link for the Download. |
| Personalization | The personalization assigned to the Download. |
| File | The name of the file to be downloaded. To replace the file with another or to delete it, click [Replace File]. |
| Status | |
| Property | Description |
| Publication Status | The following are the possible publication status states:
|
| Workflow Status | The current workflow status of the Download. |
| Created | The date and time the Download was created and the name of the user who created it. |
| Last Modified | The date and time the Download was last modified and the name of the user who modified it. |
| Versions | |
| Shows all the versions of the Download. To navigate to a version, click it in the list. | |
Navigating to Content Items
When you create a new content item, it is stored in the Content Repository. To navigate to all content items, see Searching for Content Items. Pages can also be navigated to using the Site Structure Widget and page sections can be navigated to using the Page Sections Widget.
Configuration Menu
In the top bar of the Workspace there is a link to the XperienCentral Configuration menu. When you click Configuration, a menu appears which contains all the XperienCentral functionality categorized into functional groups.
User Menu
The User menu, located at the top right part of the Workspace, can be accessed by clicking your username. For example:
The drop-down list consists of the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| My Settings | Your personal settings for XperienCentral. |
| My Content Items | Shows the content items that you have created and also those created by others which you have the right to modify. |
| About XperienCentral | Displays information about the version of XperienCentral that you are using. |
| Logout | Logs you out of XperienCentral. |
Browser Spell Checkers
Text in property fields in XperienCentral can be checked by browser spell checkers. Beginning in version R38, text in the Editor can also be checked. You can manage the languages that each of the supported browsers checks for spelling. Click a link below for more information:
In This Topic
Workspace Overview
The parts of the Workspace are shown in the figure below:
Customizing the Sidebars
The sidebars in the Workspace can be fully customized according to your personal preferences. You can resize the sidebars, add or remove widgets, and arrange the widgets exactly how you want them. The left and right sidebars of the Workspace work exactly the same: Each has a tab containing icons that allow you to minimize and maximize the sidebar, drag and resize the sidebar to your desired width, pin the sidebar to the Workspace, and add widgets. Widgets can also be dragged up and down in the same sidebar in order to rearrange the order in which they appear from top to bottom or you can drag a widget from the left to the right sidebar and vice versa.
Adding Widgets
Using widgets, you interact with the structure of your website, preview content, modify the properties of content items, and can see references between content items. XperienCentral contains seven default widgets that you can add to the Workspace sidebars. Your application manager and developers can develop their own widgets and easily add them to XperienCentral. Contact them for information on using widgets which are custom to your project.
Click one of the following for information on the default XperienCentral widgets:
- Site Structure Widget
- Properties Widget
- Language Widget
- Create Content Widget
- /wiki/spaces/GXAR/pages/25002961
- Context Widget
- Page Section Widget
To add a widget to a sidebar, follow these steps:
- Expand the sidebar to which you want to add a widget by clicking the expand button if it is collapsed:
- Click the Add icon at the edge of the Sidebar:
The "Add widgets to the sidebar" dialog box appears. - Click the [Add] button next to the widget you want to add. For example:
The widget is added to the sidebar.
Moving Widgets
The widgets in the sidebars of your Workspace can be dragged and moved around to suit your preferences at any time. You can arrange the widgets any way you like from top to bottom and you can also drag a widget from one Sidebar to the other.
To rearrange widgets within a sidebar, follow these steps:
- Expand the Sidebar so that the widgets are visible.
- Hover the mouse over the title bar of the widget until a four-sided arrow indicator appears.
- Click and hold the left mouse button in the title bar of the widget you want to move.
- Drag the widget up or down to the desired location. While dragging the widget, an indicator will appear at the top left corner of the widget being dragged that tells you when it is in a position where it can be dropped. When it can be dropped, an outline box will appear showing the location where it will be placed.
- When the widget is at the desired location, release the left mouse button. The widget is dropped in that place and the other widgets rearrange themselves accordingly.
To move a widget from one sidebar to the other, follow these steps:
- Expand both sidebars.
- Hover the mouse over the title bar of the widget you want to move from one sidebar to the other until a four-sided arrow indicator appears.
- Click and hold the left mouse button in the title bar of the widget you want to move.
- Drag the widget to the desired location on the other sidebar. While dragging the widget, an indicator will appear at the top left corner of the widget being dragged that tells you when it is in a position where it can be dropped. When it can be dropped, an outline box will appear showing the location where it will be placed.
- When the widget is at the desired location, release the left mouse button. The widget is dropped in that place and the other widgets rearrange themselves accordingly.
Manually Resizing the Sidebars
The sidebars can be resized to any desired width. This is done by clicking and dragging the Resizer. To resize a sidebar using the Resizer:
- Hover the mouse over the resizer until the Resizer indicator appears.
- Point the mouse at the resize icon, click and hold the left mouse button and then drag the Resizer to the left or right until the sidebar is the desired width.
- Release the left mouse button.
Expanding and Collapsing the Sidebars
The sidebars can be expanded and collapsed with the single click of the mouse. To collapse a sidebar, click the Collapse button in the sidebar's anchor. The sidebar collapses. To expand a sidebar, click the expand button in the sidebar's anchor. The sidebar expands.
Navigating in the Sidebars
When the sidebar contains more widgets than can be displayed in one view vertically, a scrollbar appears (on the left side of the right sidebar and on the right side of the left sidebar). Drag the scrollbar and down to access the widgets that are out of view.
Floating Versus Docked
The sidebars have two modes: floating and docked. In floating mode, content can appear behind the sidebars — the sidebar is partially transparent and the content behind it can be seen. In docked mode, a sidebar claims the part of the screen where it is and content in the content item is adjusted so that all of it remains visible. To switch to docked mode, hover the mouse over the sidebar's tab (right of the left sidebar and left of the right sidebar) and click the pin icon. The tab disappears and the edge of the sidebar is flush to the content. To switch to floating mode, hover the mouse over the sidebar's tab (right of the left sidebar and left of the right sidebar) and click the pin icon. The sidebar tab appears and the content adjusts so that part of it appears behind the sidebar.
Configuration Menu
In the top bar of the Workspace there is a link to the XperienCentral Configuration menu. When you click Configuration, a menu appears which contains all the XperienCentral functionality categorized into functional groups.
User Menu
The User menu, located at the top right part of the Workspace, can be accessed by clicking your username. For example:
The drop-down list consists of the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| My Settings | Your personal settings for XperienCentral. |
| My Content Items | Shows the content items that you have created and also those created by others which you have the right to modify. |
| About XperienCentral | Displays information about the version of XperienCentral that you are using. |
| Logout | Logs you out of XperienCentral. |
Browser Spell Checkers
Text in property fields in XperienCentral can be checked by browser spell checkers, however text in the Editor cannot be spell-checked. You can manage the languages that each of the supported browsers checks for spelling. Click a link below for more information: