go to main navigation, go to document content

Discussion Forums module

This module enables discussion to be defined for a specific topic or document in OpenCMS web. Users (visitors) thus may take a part in on-line discussions. Assigned managers can operate individual discussion forums (create new, cancel running, moderate etc.). User of a running discussion can:

• view list of topics & threads
• view content of all topics & threads
• view content of selected topics & threads
• contribute to a discussion
• contribute to a thread

There are two types of Discussion forums:

1. Automatic discussion forum
2. Defined discussion forum

Defined discussion forum

This type of discussion forum is defined in the module administration view for each OpenCMS web project. This type of forum gets to be included in JSP pages or templates by explicitly setting a discussion forum identifier, which has been assigned by the discussion forum manager in the administration part of the module. Discussion forum manager can thus easily manage and monitor all forums in his administration view even after a specific discussion forum has been deactivated and removed from the website.

Automatic discussion forum

This type represents a discussion forum which is not listed in and managed by the administration view. Discussion forums of this type are displayed automatically (only in templates) according to parameters set for a specific document. These parameters are set by OpenCMS user (editor) for a particular page being displayed. Let's suppose that we created a new HTML page and want to add a discussion forum below our text. In the OpenCMS Explorer view we choose "properties" for our document and set appropriate parameters. The discussion forum for our page gets to be created automatically.

A discussion forum can be activated (displayed) within a template for a particular document by setting appropriate parameters of this document by the author of the document. Activation of a discussion forum within a template for all documents, that use this template, or within a JSP page can be done only by administrator.

The Discussion forum module allows management of defined discussion forums in the administration view, insertion of discussion forums to JSP pages, to view contributions to individual discussion forums submitted by discussion participants, to view contributions of deactivated discussion forum etc.

Each discussion forum defined in the administration view is tightly bind to the OpenCMS project within which it was created (the OpenCMS project selected upon creation of this discussion forum). Discussion forum manager can create only discussion forums in the respective OpenCMS projects for which he/she is authorized. The same authorization rule applies also for editing, deleting and viewing of submissions in defined discussion forums.