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In the template layout, the left column includes three major elements: a navigation set, a local site-search utility, and a Related Sites callout box.
Navigation
Navigation options appear as the first item in the left column.
To meet user expectations of primary navigation systems, the
clickable choices in this area should always lead deeper into
your site, and never to a new, external site or to a PDF. The
left navigation area is defined and styled using list elements,
<ul class="navlink"> and <li
class="navlink">, within <div>'s.
Define the first navigation choice to lead back to your site's
home page. Define the others to link to the main start pages
in your site's architecture. Secondary links within a section
are defined using <li class="sublink">.
When on a particular page, you may use the <p class="selected">
tag to indicate the selected active page to users.
Local Site Search
This utility allows users to search only the local site and not the entire www.case.edu site (that option is provided via the SEARCH link in the upper right header navigation). To help users understand this difference, please rename the local site search box to something specific to your site (e.g., "Search Microbiology" or "Search Registrar".) Local searches are made possible through an agreement with Google.
To configure the proper search parameters, find the form action line of code in the HTML document. In that line of code, look for value="inurl:www.cwru.edu/" and add the directory name of your site following the final forward-slash. This will direct the Google search engine to search only your local directory. Results display on the Google system under a Case banner. Please note: if you have built a new site, changed file names or moved your site to a new location, it may take time for Google to index your site so that the search engine will work with your directory.
Related Sites
Include the Related Sites box (see left) on a page when you want to crosslink to a related, but external site. The Related Sites heading and double carats >> will help users understand that these links go elsewhere, and that clicking them will result in leaving the current site. If you wish, include some further explanatory text in the box (e.g., "For more information, visit these sites:"). You need not use the Related Sites box on every page in your site. This feature is meant to be used in the context of each individual page, so use where appropriate and delete it from the code when not in use. Remember, these links are meant to be external to your site. For crosslinking within your site, use a sidebar or highlights box in the content area.
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