Community Groups Console community-groups-console
The Groups console provides access to creating community groups when a community site’s template structure includes the groups function.
- AEM Communities support nesting of groups within other groups. Group nesting is possible when the structure of the new group contains the groups function.
- For the author environment only, there is a group creation wizard similar to the site creation wizard.
- Whether (or not) members can create groups in publish environment it is configurable when adding a Groups function to a community site structure or community group structure.
Of the three group templates that are included, only the Reference Group template includes a groups function in its structure.
The different facets of community groups are:
- Creation: new group can be created on author and optionally on publish instance.
- Control: group can be open or secret.
- Nesting: group can contain zero or more groups.
Group Creation group-creation
To access the Groups console:
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On Author, sign in with administrator privileges.
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From global navigation: Communities > Sites.
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Select an existing community site folder so you can open it.
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Select an instance of a community site within the folder.
- The structure of the community site must include a groups function.
- These screenshots are from the Getting Started tutorial after creating groups on publish.
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Select the Groups folder so you can open it.
When opened, all existing groups, whether created on Author or Publish, are displayed.
From this Groups console, it is possible to author new groups.
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Select the Create Group button.
Step 1: Community Group Template step-community-group-template
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Community Group Title
A display title for the group.
The title appears on the published site for the group. -
Community Group Description
A description of the group.
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Community Group Root
The root path to the group.
The default root is the parent site, but the root can be moved to any location within the website. It is not recommended to change it. -
Additional Available Community Group Languages(s) menu
Use the drop-down to select the available community group languages. The menu displays all the languages in which the parent community site is created. Users can select among these languages to create groups in multiple locales in this single step. Same group gets created in multiple specified languages in the Groups console of the respective community sites.
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Community Group Name
The name of the group’s root page which appears in the URL. Avoid using underscore characters (_) and keywords such as resources and configuration in group name.
- Double-check the name as it is not easily changed after the group is created.
- The base URL is displayed underneath the
Community Group Name. - For a valid URL, append “.html”
for example,https://localhost:4502/content/sites/mysight/en/mygroup.html.
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Community Group Template menu
Use the drop-down to choose an available community group template.
Step 2: Design step-design
COMMUNITY GROUP THEME community-group-theme
The framework uses Twitter Bootstrap to bring a responsive, flexible design to the site. One of the many preloaded Bootstrap themes can be selected to style the selected community group template, or a Bootstrap theme can be uploaded.
When selected, the theme is overlaid with an opaque blue check mark.
It is possible to select a theme which differs from the parent site’s theme.
After the community site is published, it is possible to edit the properties and select a different theme.
COMMUNITY GROUP BRANDING community-group-branding
Community site branding is an image displayed as a header across the top of each page. It is possible to display a banner for the group which differs from other site pages.
The image should be sized to be as wide as the expected display of the page in the browser and 120 pixels in height.
When creating or selecting an image, keep in mind:
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The image height is cropped to 120 pixels measured from the top edge of the image
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The image is pinned to the left edge of the browser window
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There is no resizing of the image, such that when the image width is:
- Less than the browser’s width, the image is repeated horizontally.
- Greater than the browser’s width, the image appears cropped.
Step 3: Settings step-settings
MODERATION
Community Group Moderators
By default, the parent community site’s list of moderators is inherited.
It is possible to add moderators specifically to the group. Search for members (from publish environment) to add them as moderators
Group Administrators
By default, the parent community site administrator is the administrator for groups too.
However, it is possible to assign independent group administrators. Group administrators can manage their group (for example, G1), and create a subgroup nested under G1. They can further assign different administrators for the subgroup.
A user U1, therefore, can be an administrator in a group G1 and a regular user in its nested group G2.
MEMBERSHIP
The membership setting allows for selection of one of the three ways to secure a community group.
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Optional Membership
If selected, the community group is a public group. Site members can participate in the group and post without explicitly joining the group. Default is selected.
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Required Membership
If selected, the community group is an open group. Community site members can view the contents of the group, but must join the group to post content. Members join by selecting the
Joinbutton in the publish environment. Default is not selected. -
Restricted Membership
If selected, the community group is a secret group. Community members must be explicitly invited. Invited members are entered in the search box. Members can be added later using the Members and Groups consoles the author environment. Default is not selected.
THUMBNAIL
The thumbnail is an image to display for the group on author and publish.
The optimal size for a group image is 170 x 90 pixels in a supported image format (such as JPG or PNG).
If no image is added, a default image is displayed.
Step 4: Create Group step-create-group
If any adjustments are needed, use the Back button to make them.
Once Create is selected and started, the process of creating the group cannot be interrupted.
When the process completes, the card for the new subcommunity site (group) is displayed in the Communities Sites Groups console, from where authors can add page content, or administrators can modify the properties of the site.
Author Group Content author-group-content
The page content of a group can be authored with the same tools as any other AEM page. To open the group for authoring, select the Open Site icon which appears when hovering over the group card.
Modify Group Properties modify-group-properties
The properties of an existing subcommunity site, specified during the community group creation process, can be modified by selecting the Edit Site icon which appears when hovering over the group card:
Details of the following properties match the descriptions provided in the Group Creation section. Any nested group can be modified, whether created in the publish environment or author environment.
Modify Basic modify-basic
The BASIC panel allows the modification of
- Community Group Title
- Community Group Description
The Community Group Name may not be modified.
Choosing a different community group template would have no effect on an existing community group site as no connection remains between templates and sites.
Instead, the STRUCTURE of the subcommunity may be modified.
Modify Structure modify-structure
The STRUCTURE panel allows the modification of the structure initially created from the community group template selected when creating the subcommunity site from either the author or publish environment. From the panel, it is possible to:
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Drag-and-drop additional community functions into the site structure.
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On an instance of a community function in the site structure:
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Gear icon
Edit settings, including the display title, URL, and privileged members groups. -
Trashcan icon
Remove (delete) functions from the site structure. -
Grid icon
Modify the order of functions as displayed in the site’s top-level navigation bar.
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Example: Adding a Calendar Function to a Sub-Community (Group) Structure
Modify Design modify-design
The DESIGN panel allows the modification of the theme:
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- Scroll to the bottom of the panel so you can change the brand image.
Modify Settings modify-settings
The SETTINGS panel allows the ability to add community moderators.
Modify Membership modify-membership
The MEMBERSHIP panel is informational only. It is not possible to alter the type of group membership established, whether it is optional, required, or restricted.
Modify Thumbnail modify-thumbnail
The THUMBNAIL panel allows for an image to be uploaded to represent the community group to site visitors in the Publish environment and in the Communities Site’s Groups console in the author environment.
Publish the Group publish-the-group
After a community group has been newly created or modified, it is possible to publish (activate) the group by selecting the Publish Site icon.
After the group is successfully published, the following message appears:
Delete the Group delete-the-group
Delete a group from within the community Groups console by selecting the Delete Group icon, which appears on hovering mouse over the group.
This removes all the items associated with the group, for example, all the content of the group is permanently deleted and user memberships are removed from the system.