Bitrix Site Manager

Terms

 

Term Description
Component A component is a module constituent which is built of logically complete code stored in a file. Component may accept parameters, perform actions and display a result (e.g. as the HTML code). Using components is the preferred way of information processing and display, both in public and administrative section. The notion of component comprises the following concepts:
Language Account in the database which can be edited using the Languages menu in the administrative section. Contains the following fields: Both public and administrative sections mainly use language to handle language files.

For the administrative section, language defines the date and time format, page encoding. For the public section, these parameters are defined by the site settings.
Language file A PHP script containing phrase translations. This file contains the array $MESS whose keys are the phrase identifiers, and values are the phrase translations in the corresponding language. Each language has own set of language files usually stored in folders /lang/.

Language files are mainly used by the administrative scripts of modules and by components.

The Translation module offers a front-end for handling the language files.
META tag Conveys hidden information about the page to the server and the client. The META tag allows to specify page encoding, keywords, author name, short description. Service element; for example, used by search engine robots. Can be only used within the <head> tag.
Navigation chain Navigation chain is the design element which aims to helps users navigate through the site. 
Usually displayed in the prologue visual section; consists of the site section titles with links applied to them. In addition to the automatically displayed section titles, you can add arbitrary items to a navigation chain by calling CMain::AddChainItem.
Page template File stored in one of the following folders:
  • /bitrix/templates/site template ID/page_templates/
  • /bitrix/templates/.default/page_templates/
This file is a kind of draft of a public page. Commonly used to create a new page in the HTML editor (the Site Explorer module). A file .content.php stored in one of the above folders, is used to define the page template sorting order.
Site The aggregate of the following notions:
  • database account - created in the Sites administrative menu. Includes the following principal parameters:
    • identifier - a set of symbols which identifies a site;
    • domain name - one or more domain names of a site;
    • site folder - path to the folder containing the site public section;
    • site language;
    • date format;
    • time format;
    • URL - default protocol and domain name (e.g. "http://www.site.com")
    • DocumentRoot - if multiple sites is implemented using the method 2, this parameter should contain the server file system path to the site root;
    • template inclusion conditions - each site may have one or more templates used to display the public section scripts; each template may be included using a condition.
  • public section - a set of scripts (pages) which belong to this site and are stored in the site folder;
  • settings - each module may have site related preferences; for example, the Information Blocks module settings are associations between blocks and sites; the Techsupport module settings are associations between status, categories etc. and sites.
Site template The synonyms of this term are "site design", "site skin". Several templates may be used to display a site. In the strict sense, a site template comprises:
  • database account - created in the administrative menu Site templates;
  • set of files in the directory /bitrix/templates/template ID/, where the template ID is the ID field in the site template editing form. The structure of this directory is described below:
    • /module ID/ - directory with components of a module;
    • /lang/ - language files used by this template and components;
    • /images/ - directory with images used by this template;
    • /page_templates/ - directory with page templates and their descriptions stored in file .content.php;
    • header.php - prologue of this template;
    • footer.php - epilogue of this template;
    • styles.css - CSS used by this template;
    • .menu type.menu_template.php - template used to display a menu of the corresponding type;
    • chain_template.php - default template used to display the navigation chain;
    • other helper files used by this template.
Absolute path Includes the DocumentRoot and the path relative to the root.
Accept-Language The Accept-Language request-header field restricts the set of natural languages that are preferred in the client browser

Example

MS Internet Explorer allows to set languages in Tools -> Internet Options -> General -> Languages.
Mozilla Firefox: Tools -> Settings -> Main -> Languages.
Administrative section A set of scripts each including the administrative prologue and epilogue. The administrative script (page) must conform to the following conditions:
  • the page must not be a part of any site;
  • the page must be a part of a module;
  • the page design should follow that of the Administrative section;
  • all localization parameters depend on the user selected language;
  • the page should perform additional checks of permission specified in the module settings.
Binding of variable Applicable to the Oracle SQL queries. Implies binding names of variables to their values. Usually, this technique is used with fields BLOB, CLOB, LONG etc. intended for storing huge amount of data.
Buffering In PHP, the buffering means a special output mode when all outcoming data (e.g. HTML code) is stored in memory without the immediate dispatch to the output stream (that is, not sent to a client). The buffering can be turned on by calling the ob_start PHP function. When the buffering is turned off using the ob_end_flush PHP function, all the buffered data is sent (flushed) to the client browser.

The buffering allows to manipulate the outcoming stream as desired; the delay function technology is built on buffering.
cron In the Unix family operating systems, the cron tool schedules and runs scripts.
DocumentRoot Path to the site root within the server file system. Specified in the web server settings.

Example:
  • Apache - in the file httpd.conf, parameter DocumentRoot;
  • IIS - in the site settings, tab Home Directory -> Local Path.
Domain name One of the DNS table fields that stores information about host names and domain names. Most importantly, it provides an IP address for each host name.

For example: www.bitrixsoft.com
Dump When applied to databases, means exporting the database content (and/or table structure) to a file in a special format which may be used later for importing in this or another database.

A set of specially designed utilities exists for each database type. For example, the MySQL tool mysqldump allows exporting the database content in the format of common SQL queries. The Oracle tool exp exports data in the proprietary format.

When applied to variables, the dump implies displaying the structure and value(s) of a variable in the text format.
Epilogue

Generally, this term means bottom right part of a page.

For the public section, the epilogue of the corresponding site template is stored in the file /bitrix/templates/site template ID/footer.php.

For the administrative section, the epilogue is stored in the file  /bitrix/templates/site template ID/footer.php.

The epilogue in its turn can be split in the service and visual sections. The service section perform the following actions: sending e-mail messages, firing the OnAfterEpilog event etc. The visual section displays the bottom right area of a page.

If an undivided epilogue is to be included in the public section, the following code should be used: require($_SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"]."/bitrix/footer.php");

If a epilogue is to be split in the service (epilog_before.php) and visual (epilog_after.php) sections, the following code should be used: require($_SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"]. "/bitrix/modules/main/include/epilog_before.php"); ... require($_SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"]. "/bitrix/modules/main/include/epilog_after.php");

HTML safe format This term is usually applicable to a text portion in which the following substitutions are made:
Source Result
< &lt;
> &gt;
" &quot;
& &amp;
This conversion allows to display text within the HTML code, avoiding interpretation collisions within the browser HTML engine.
Host In terms of the Kernel module, a host is the domain name or IP address that a client may use to access a site.
IP address The unique address for each computer on the Internet. The IP address appears as a set of four numbers separated by periods. The numbers indicate the domain, the network, the subnetwork and the host computer. Each IP address usually has an equivalent domain name address, which is spelled out with letters.

For example: 198.63.210.79 (the corresponding domain name is www.bitrixsoft.com)
Include areas Arbitrary text (HTML code) which is the part of the page body. The control toolbar button Show include areas causes all include areas to be framed in a border with control buttons in the upper right corner.
Index page Name of the file used by a web server if a requested URL does not contain a filename. Different web servers use different rules to define an index file, for example:
  • Apache: parameter DirectoryIndex in the file httpd.conf. 
  • IIS: defined in the site properties: tab Documents -> Enable default content page.
The PHP does not allow to retrieve the index page name. To obtain the value of this parameter, call GetDirIndex.
Localization The adaptation of information to a particular language or region. Localization involves translating strings using proper encoding and providing proper conventions for sorting, date and time formats, currency and measurement units, calendars, numbers, and other culturally specific items such as icons.
Mail event Mail message of a certain type sent using the appropriate mail template. Mail event initialises fields of the mail event type with specific values. The order of message fields, as well as the body is defined by the mail template.

To create a mail event, use the CEvent class.

Note
Used in Mail subsystem.
Mail event type Defines a set of special fields (placeholders) that can be used in the mail template. These fields are initialised with specific values when creating a mail event.

The CEventType class is used with mail event types.

Note
Used in Mail subsystem.
Mail template Defines the mail message text, and the order of fields (placeholders) assigned in the mail event type.
Mail templates are available in the administrative menu (System settings -> Mail templates).

The CEventMessage class is used to manage mail templates .

Note
Used in Mail subsystem.
Page body A page body is the part of the PHP or HTML code located in the script between the inclusion of prologue and epilogue. Page body is not the part of a site template; its content is the subject of a public or administrative page.
Path relative to the root File path beginning from the folder specified in the DocumentRoot parameter of the web server settings, using the URL specification.

Example: /en/about/index.php
Path to component Used in CMain::IncludeFile as the first parameter. Represents the path to the main file of component relative to one of the following folders, in descending priority order:
  • /bitrix/templates/site template ID/
  • /bitrix/templates/.default/
  • /bitrix/modules/module ID/install/templates/
In the path:
site template ID - the ID of the current site template;
module ID - the ID of the module whose component is being included.
Persistent connection When establishing a database connection, a special connection descriptor is created in memory. In case of simple connection, the descriptor is closed after the script finishes. For persistent connection, the descriptor remains valid and may be used by other processes.

The advantage of persistent connection is less amount of time required. At the same time, its weakness is that the maximum number of persistent connections is limited (in the database settings): a visitor is unable to open a site page until any connection becomes available.
Portal An aggregate of files stored in folder /bitrix/modules/ and a single database. Portal may comprise one or more sites. The synonyms of this term are: "a product copy", "single system installation", "single copy of the system".
Prologue

Generally, this term means upper left part of a page.

For the public section, the prologue of the corresponding site template is stored in the file /bitrix/templates/site template ID/header.php.

For the administrative section, the prologue is stored in the file  /bitrix/modules/main/interface/prolog_admin.php.

The prologue in its turn can be split in the service and visual sections. The service section includes all required classes, establishes the database connection, creates the system-wide objects $USER, $APPLICATION etc. The visual section displays the upper left area of a page.

If an undivided prologue is to be included in the public section, the following code should be used: require($_SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"]."/bitrix/header.php");

If a prologue is to be split in the service (prolog_before.php) and visual (prolog_after.php) sections, the following code should be used: require($_SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"]. "/bitrix/modules/main/include/prolog_before.php"); ... require($_SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"]. "/bitrix/modules/main/include/prolog_after.php");

Public section Generally, this term implies a set of scripts each including the prologue and epilogue of a site template. Their inclusion stipulates:
  • the page is a part of a site;
  • the page design is defined by the current site template;
  • all localization parameters depend on the current site settings.
Session This implies the PHP session. Session opens when a visitor opens a site page and closes when he closes the browser window. Additionally, a new session opens upon the user authorization, and closes when he ends the authorized session. A possible synonym of this term is a single "site visit".
Site section A site section is just a directory (folder) in the server file system. The Bitrix Site Manager mirrors the site structure to the server file structure, which means that site pages are files, and site sections are file system folders.
Submit The process of forwarding data of an HTML form to a server.
Time in Unix format Number of seconds elapsed from 01.01.1970, to millisecond. Currently, the Unix format can be only used to specify dates up to 2038.
Unix permissions The Unix family operating systems support the following permissions: read, write and execute assigned to a file or directory. These permissions are consecutively specified for: the file owner, the owner's user group and for all other users.

The permissions are specified in the numeric form:
  • 4 - read
  • 2 - write
  • 1 - execute
The sum of these numbers gives the final permission set, for example: 6 implies read and write access without execution, 7 - all permissions, 5 - read and execute.

For example: a permission value of 764 means: 7 - all permissions for a owner, 6 - read and write permission for the owner's user group and 4 - read for all other users.

The PHP syntax prescribes the permissions to be set in octal numbers, which imposes the use of prefix "0" before the number, for example: 0755.
User account Record in the database containing parameters of a registered user. The following fields are required in the user account:
  • login name;
  • password;
  • e-mail address.
User account may also include additional fields containing personal or work information, administrator notes etc.
© 2001-2005 Bitrix Bitrix Site Manager - Content Management & Portal Solutions