Choosing the Content type
There are various different categories of content that a user could create in Drupal (as seen in the above screenshot). This option can be accessed by navigating to the personal user menu on the side from the main Drupal page.
The different content options basically have standard field options that need to be filled in. There are a few optional fields that are only present for specific create content page types.
- Standard Fields
- Title: what will be displayed on the main page
- corresponding to the content
- Input Format: specifies if it will be limited HTML or full HTML published
- Body: the information that is presented from the user
- Submit/Preview buttons: sending the request to post for publication
- Optional Fields
- Parent: used in book pages - specifies which book this page will be created on
- Log: used in book pages - an area of where you can describe or make comments to the material that is presented in the Body
- Link Name: used in pages - enables the page to show up in the navigation link
- Link Description: used in pages - shows when the mouse is hovering over the page's link
- Category: Select from administrator defined categories in pulldown menu
- Attach New File
Preparing Content
When posting a shorter content types like a forum posts or comments users can enter the information directly into the text area provided. The site administrator may have also provided an online HTML editor to make formatting of the post easier and faster for the user.
When posting large articles and stories the author may want to start by using a word processing program. Potential advantages include:
- Saving time online. This is a particular consideration if you're on dial-up.
- Access to spell-check and other editing features.
Depending on how much formatting you wish to do, you could also consider using an HTML editor. These include, for instance, the "composer" that comes with Mozilla and Netscape. Steps:
- Type or copy and paste your text into the HTML editor.
- Apply formatting as desired (e.g., bold, italics).
- Bring up the HTML (encoded) view of the text.
This HTML is what you'll copy and paste into Drupal's input form, to have formatted copy. There may also be an online editor that can clean up the word processors HTML to make it more standards compliant and make the posting show as well formatted in more web browsers.