Channels
Dictator Channels are a unique feature that enables you to create new groups of pages outside the regular tree structure of your site. Channels are not used on all web sites, but they are very helpful at solving specific presentation needs to save time and simplify operation of your site.
Specifically how they are used can vary widely from site to site. Often times, the designer will setup one or more channels as part of the development process, but you can also create your own as specific needs arise.
The presentation of a channel is exactly like that of a subpages listing in Dictator, only you determine what goes in it rather than your site map. In addition, channels are also used for creating RSS feeds. The term channel is derived from that of a television channel, and that analogy helps to describe them.
If you are familiar with RSS feeds, you might also be familiar with the concept of an RSS channel. This is exactly what they are in Dictator when used for the purpose of creating an RSS feed.
When you create a channel in Dictator you are creating alternate programming for a specific purpose. Below are a few simple examples of how channels might be used on your site:
To maintain a What’s New section on your homepage with links to new pages in your site. Adding a page to the What’s New channel makes it’s link and summary appear on the homepage.
To maintain a Special Features box that will appear throughout your site. Add a page to your Special Features channel and now every page on your site highlights it as a special feature. You may have just updated 5,000 pages in one shot!
To maintain an RSS feed of recent articles. RSS feeds are an alternate means of presenting your content and can bring more traffic to your site.
These are just examples, but channels open up a wide range of possibilities so you should not be limited by the examples mentioned. If need be, a given channel can contain an unlimited number of pages, and you can create as many channels as you like.
