Bitrix24 Self-hosted For Advanced Users

The Information blocks is the module aimed to manage and catalogue different types (blocks) of homogeneous information. Some examples of information blocks are:

• news;
• product catalog;
• photo galleries;
• job lists and other information.

Information blocks offer a convenient way to store the frequently updated information. This method of publishing the information saves time and efforts. You can easily add new information to the site, and also export and import information.

The concept of information blocks is built upon the following objects which can be regarded as the information repository tiers:

• types of information blocks (define the structure of information blocks);
• information block (contains information in its sections and elements);
• information block sections (can be thought of as file system folders);
• information block elements (contain information).

The Information blocks module implements the following hierarchical model of information repository.

Types of information blocks

The types of information blocks (e.g. Catalog, Dictionary, Vacancies, News etc.) are used for grouping the information blocks. Information blocks of the same type usually have similar subject and the identical structure.

For example, the information blocks Company News, New Products and Partner News can be derived from a single type - News (see figure above).

The following parameters are defined at the level of information block type:

• layout of the information block structure: defines whether information blocks of this type can contain sections and subsections;
• names of sections and subsections of information blocks;
• option of exporting the information block contents to RSS;
• optional custom element editing form.

The types of information blocks can be created and edited on the Information block types form.

Content -> Information blocks -> Information block types.

The names of information block types currently existing in the system are added to the Control Panel menu:

Information blocks

Information blocks contain pieces of uniform information. For example, a catalog Phones can contain descriptions of mobile phones, whereas a Photo Gallery information block can contain images. Depending on the information block type set-up, information blocks can have sections and subsections (i.e. tree structure).

The information block parameters allow to:

• assign user access permissions for an information block;
• select site(s) where the information block contents can be displayed;
• define the addresses of a public pages that are used to display elements and/or sections of the information block;
• create custom properties for describing the information block elements. For example, elements of the Phones information block can the following properties : Year, Stand-by Time, Weight, Standard etc. Users will have to provide values of the custom properties when creating elements of this information block by filling in the appropriate fields;
• configure RSS export parameters (if the RSS export was enable in the information block type settings).

You can view the list of information blocks by clicking the name of the information block type in the Control Panel menu:

You can manage information block of the selected type on the Information blocks form:

Information block sections

Sections are containers used to group elements within an information block. Using sections allows to build the hierarchical structure of information repository. Names of information block sections (e.g. Group, Section, View etc.) can be defined in the settings of a corresponding information block.

Each information block has its own set of sections and subsections. You can view the list of information block sections:

• by clicking the name of an information block in the menu;

  

• by clicking the name of an information block in the list;

  

• by opening the information block context menu.

  

  To browse subsections of a certain section, you can:

  • click the section name in the menu;
  • click the link in the list;
  • use the section context menu.

Information block elements

Elements of information blocks are the containers for the user supplied information stored in information blocks (news, products, dictionary entries etc.).

You can view the list of elements of an information block:

• by opening the element context menu (figure on the left), or by clicking the number of information block elements (see figure on the right);
• by opening the section context menu (figure on the left), or by clicking the number of elements in a section (see figure on the right);
• from the Control Panel menu.