Types

The self-service area can be split into different sections, called types, and each type is customisable. This allows you, for example, to set up a knowledgebase, a blog or a downloads section, depending on what you require.

Ordering Types

You may wish to change the order that the self-service types are shown in the frontend, it can be done by dragging and dropping rows on the grid to the order you prefer.

Searching for Types

Table Sorting

By default the table is sorted based on creation time, or the order you've specified (see Ordering Types). Once the table has loaded you're able to change the sort column by clicking the up/down arrows:

• Down arrow: descending order
• Up arrow: ascending order

This action is only temporary and will disappear once the page has been reloaded. If you wish to permanently change the order of types see Ordering Types.

Filtering the Table

It's possible to filter types based on their name and view format:

1. Visit Self-Service -> Types and click "Filter Results".
2. Search terms:
   1. Name - It is possible to search for partial names. For example, you could find "Knowledgebase" by searching for "know" or "base".
   2. View Format - Whether the type is using list or hierarchical format. The drop-down list is populated based on the contents of the table, thus if you don't have any types using hierarchical format you will not be able to filter based on that view format.
3. The table will be filtered automatically as you enter search terms.

Creating or Updating a Type

A default installation will come with two self-service types: announcements and a knowledgebase. You can create your own type if you need something different:

1. Visit Self-Service -> Types. If you're creating a new type click "Add Type", or if you're updating an existing type, find the type and click the edit (pencil) icon on the right side of the table row.
2. Complete the input fields:
   1. Name - The name of the self-service type which will be displayed on the frontend interface.
   2. Description - A short description of the types of articles within this self-service type. The description will be displayed on the frontend dashboard.
   3. Enabled - If the self-service type should be published on the frontend interface.
   4. View
      Typically we wish to display content in different formats depending on the purpose of the articles. For example, a blog is typically ordered by time in a list-format whilst a knowledgebase is grouped into categories. There are two view types available:
      • List - Articles are listed by most recently created, suited more to time-dependent content.
      • Hierarchical - A hierarchy of categories is visible, suited more to heavily categorised content.
      Both of these view formats can be modified respectively:
      • List - /resources/templates/frontend/default/selfservice/list.twig
      • Hierarchical - /resources/templates/frontend/default/selfservice/hierachical.twig
   5. Frontend Icon - Each self-service type must be assigned a dashboard icon, this is visible on the frontend dashboard. It's possible to use one of our predefined icons or upload your own. If uploading your own icon, for best results, use an icon that has the same width as its height.
   6. Show Articles on Frontend Home - Toggle the switch to show a preview of articles in the self-service type on the frontend dashboard. When using the "List" view format the latest articles will be displayed, meanwhile when using the "Hierarchical" view format the most viewed (popular) articles will be displayed.
3. Click the "Submit" button.

Deleting a Type

Deleting a type is an irreversible action. When deleting a type, all associated content will also be permanently removed, including: categories, articles, and article comments.

If you prefer not to permanently remove the content associated with a type, we recommend to simply disable the type.

To delete a type, follow the below steps:

1. Visit Self-Service ->Types.
2. Search for the type you wish to delete (see Searching for Types).
3. Click the delete (cross) icon located on the right of the table.
4. Check all checkboxes shown, ensuring you understand that all this related data will be removed along with the type.
5. Click on the left button, "Yes, Delete Type", that pops up confirming you would like to delete this type and it will now be deleted.