Content Management System
Web Addresses
One CMS feature that Web authors may notice from the start, is the unique structure
of Web addresses (URLs). CMS URLs have a tendency to be clunky and even difficult
to decipher. The system must pass a complex string of session variables, directory
paths, etc. in order to bring the page up for the visitor. To simplify the CMS URL
and help you understand its structure, take a look at the following examples and explanations.
- EXAMPLE 1:
The first part of the CMS Web address will be familiar as it follows the standard
URL structure:
/admissions
- "http" is known as the protocol, and it determines the type of resource being accessed. In this particular situation,
a Web page (or hypertext transfer protocol) is identified.
- "www.winthrop.edu" is the domain or hostname. All of Winthrop's CMS pages reside on this domain.
- "admissions" identifies the location on the server where the files reside. This file name is
equivalent to a Web folder on the FrontPage (Expression Web) system.
- EXAMPLE 2:
Here is an example of a CMS Web address that takes the visitor to a piece of content
found deeper into a site (past the home page):
/admissions/transfer-tuesday.aspx
- Notice the first part of the address, "/admissions," is the same as the Admissions' URL discussed above. "Admissions" is the name of
the Web.
- EXAMPLE 3:
This URL shows how a template AND an anchor (or bookmark) are pulled onto the screen:
/audit/audit-timing.aspx#Jan
- The name of the Web is "audit."
- The page name is called "audit-timing.aspx."
- "#Jan" is the name of the anchor which points to a specific location on the page.
Anchors/bookmarks are a helpful navigation tool typically used on long pages to help
visitors more easily move to specific content on a Web page.
- EXAMPLE 4:
Forms - Note: If your department requires a form, please notify the Director of Web Development.