Dizkus

Is there a way to share one or more topics in a multi-site arrangement?

So let's say I want to post a hardware review that all my sites may be interested in....so I post the article to say "Global" and all the other sites posts it just as if I posted that article on that site.

Anyone?

Brew

Hi Brew

Yes, this is an area I'm interested in but not found an easy solution.
The only way I have ATM, is through use of restrictions in permission groups.

So, multisites share topics and stories tables (as you can't share parts of tables).

Separate group permissions table (I separate them after I have set up all the common group permissions - ie setup common group permissions - then copy over table to other prefix/site table).

As an example we have the Topics called: Global, A, B and C.

Then using group permissions:
Site A: use group permissions so site A can only see Global, and Topic A.
Site B: use group permissions so site B can only see Global, and Topic B.
etc

You will need to (or may not) wish to setup permissions for stories. Depends how strictly you want to restrict access.

Depending on how many sites, topics, or story categories you have, it may be easier in permissions to use a 'restrict all' for topics, and higher up in permissions 'enable read' for a particular topic/site permission. Alternatively, in some situations it is easier to do it the other way around.

Well, that was a bit convoluted so hope you understand my meaning. I know you understand multisites pretty well so hope it makes some sense.

Jo

Thanks for your reply jojodee,

I see what you're saying but still am a but confused....is the sharing of topic Global and A for one site and Global and B for another still too minute of detail that you can do> I mean you can share all or nothing in the topics right?

Can you share the exact set up you have to accomplish this? What is it you have in your permissions and groups to allow this?

One area that I know nothing about in PN is the use of sections....I was wondering if this could be used?

Hi there

Brew, it was a bit confusing so I'll use a real example of my site, and another subsite (which is actually not meant to be public, just used for testing stuff but is setup ok in the main, for this demo ).

In this instance, postnuke.athomeandabout.com shares the topics and the stories tables with the main site. Separate group permissions (among other things, but irrelevant to this demo).

If you go to my site at http://www.athomeandabout.com and look in News Artice Library in the left menu you will see four topics. Once of which is Webmaster, but no HomeMade topic.
If you then go to http://postnuke.athomeandabout.com and look in the same, you will see two topics - Webmaster, and Home Made.

Webmaster is a shared topic between the two sites. Home Made is only available at the subsite.

Now there are a few things you need to do:
1. You can easily have Webmaster shared across sites and Home Made restricted to one (or more) sites with permissions. To do this:
In the postnuke.athomeandabout.com site permissions:
All groups | Topics::Topic|webmaster::1|read
All groups | Topics::Topic|homemade::5|read

All groups | Topics::Topic|::|none
//make sure this is down from the above permissions

In the main site permissions are:
All groups |Topics::Topic|homemade::5|none

Now, of course you will have to adapt this for your sites depending whether or not you want to show all the topics except one on your main site - etc - but I hope you get the picture.

Important note:
You will also want to restrict or allow reading of stories in specific categories. But this gets to your more specific question:



You can get more specific by allowing reading or restricting of reading for a specific story category. Remember, when you post a story you pick a Topic and a Category.
Thus, if I post a story at postnuke.athomeandabout.com in the homemade topic, it will show on athomeandabout.com main site, unless i restrict the category on the main site as well.

Now - two problems here:
1. If you are using a block that does not have permissions set up, then it will show every story regardless - see the Recent Headlines block on my main site. Thus, I have not set up an example story in HomeMade as it will show in that Headlines block regardless.

2. I can't recall clearly, but I think the permissions for stories was broken in a few releases of PN - not sure if it was fixed in pn.723 or not but I think so. In anycase it is easy to adjust the permissions, let me know if you need to (I fixed mine in .72ab on that site).

Theoretically Sections would be the same scenario, but easier in that you only have top level section names to worry about for permissions - but then again you don't have as fine tuning as you do with Topics/Categories.

Hope that's helps some. Let me know.

Jo

Hey jojo,

I've been back and forth, looking at your instructions....then back to some experimenting.....then back to your instructions....

I swear I get a migraine while I'm trying to figure this out....don't know if it's some type of mental block or I'm just plain ole going mental....but I am having a hard time with this.

So I'll keep trying to figure it all out.... eventually I might catch on lol

Brew

Hi there

It is a bit of pesky setting things up this way. As I said I haven't found and easier way yet, maybe someone else has - might sit and have a rethink to see if it can be made easier.

I know you've got a whole swank of sites, and that would make it particularly niggly to do. Contact me if you are still having probs.

Regards
Jo

@jojodee- first up thanks for both helping me and others- esp with the tutorials etc- I've started to try and help others- and it's people like you who inspire the patience!

@All- I am looking at the same kind of issue- another, equally convoluted method is to make use of the Language facility if you are nto already using it...
Copy the English/your language folders to a different language code and then publish your stories basd on language code.
In this case- All is Global and then you select which language/site individual stories will appear in.

Make sure when maknig language folders to populat them... otherwise that's another story of woes!
but it's another option (thought ot be honest I'll probably use jojodee's)

Regard
Allan