After a site migration we have a lot changed Urls.
We have several places and rules for a 301 redirection (load balancer, htaccess rewrite, Coldbox interceptor).
I would prefer to have a new content type or modified page in Contentbox for 301 or http status codes.
I know that it could be done with a widget, but I would like to have it more visible in the overview and more simple to edit for users.
I think this is very common to see. However, I am not sure if a content type is the right place as there is no content. Basically, it is a set of rewrite rules for the system. I think this is more of a module type approach, where you intercept and keep track of these URLs.
Much how the security interceptor works and we have the security rules management in ContentBox. Actually, come to think of it. You can actually use that as it relocates for you already. Maybe we can extend the security interceptor so you can add a status code and text to the security rule.
Thoughts?
Luis Majano
CEO
Ortus Solutions, Corp www.ortussolutions.com
P/F: 1-888-557-8057
Direct: (909) 248-3408
You are right content type doesn’t really fit.
When I suggested it my idea was to have an entry a normal user can easily understand. Most of our users have even problems to enter simple html or to fix easy html errors
For me it makes sense to have the old urls visible in the site structure, so they can see how much redirected urls are there.
Security interceptor sounds good but how can this be combined with a user editable entry in the site structure?
+1 The thing for me that custom content types bring to the table is that when you edit that piece of content, the screen that is presented to the user can be completely customized. This is huge over just having to stick a single widget into an HTML editor. Now you can have a “homepage slideshow” type of content where the edit screen allows you to select the images, or a calendar content type where the edit screen lets you edit the calendar events. A module is great if you want to extend ContentBox in a way that is convenient for a developer, but what if you want to extend it in a way that is easy for your secretary to use?
My perfect world is the ability to have a module, that when installed, registers new types of content that can immediately be added and managed. That way, if Gunnar wants to build a custom content type that presents his admin with a nice screen that collections a location to redirect to, he could easily do so with a module, and share it on ForgeBox as well if he so chose.
I would say every custom content type would minimally get the ability to customize:
The admin edit screen for that any pieces of content using that type
The front end view when a user views the content
Additional data that the content type needs to collect. As simple as some additional fields, or as complex as needed.
The existing page and entry types should have their pieces reusable in case I wanted to create a type that had the same admin editor as “page” but customized the front end.
For any Route changes this is something the Developer needs to handle, I wrote something for my old blog that took the incoming URL and if it failed, tried to redirect it to the correct page or content. Although I did not write a Dashboard interface for it, there is no reason why you can’t do that too.
But, this is not something that is going to be the same thing for every developer who decides to change their routes, therefore I am with Luis on this and that this is something the developer needs to work into their application themselves as the rules will be different depending on the developers needs.
Unless I am not understanding this, this is seriously not a good idea.
Imagine a user publishs a page/blog post. This get’s index by Google, externe links are set.
Later the user realizes that the headline and url contains the wrong words or a spelling mistake.
Thats where a visible 301 in the site structure would be helpful.
Which is why ContentBox needs a better workflow of Content Approval. Once the Subject is approved it needs to be locked down so the title of the page is locked down, so these things can’t happen.
Why not create a module that handle all redirects? I’m thinking something as a module where I could set old url (a page or blog entry) and redirect url or other headers.
Then simply do a check in an interceptor to match url and fire a redirect if is needed?
Which is what I indicated earlier, but if it is due to constant changes to a title then a better work flow is needed to minimize title changes once it has been published. I was under the impression that ContentBox locks the content title down anyway, once it has been published.
Now there are AOP points for current work flow, so one could build your own list of these title changes and compare them from incoming URL’s and make the redirection yourself.
But personally, people should be trained in how to use the system and why these changes are imperative not to be changed in work flows and the consequences they cause for linkbacks and search engines.
I still think the best place for this is a module where you can see all the rewrites in the system. Instead of digging via the site map.
What you can do is add a panel to the page editor itself as part of the module that allows you to setup the rewrite for the page right there in the editor or see a status of rewrites for it.
However I still feel this is more of a custom module that would be a great addition to ForgeBox.
Luis Majano
CEO
Ortus Solutions, Corp www.ortussolutions.com
P/F: 1-888-557-8057
Direct: (909) 248-3408
