Folders are used in Movable Type as the publishing location for pages that users create. The combination of folders and pages in Movable Type make it easy to use MT as a general purpose content management system, and create entire websites alongside your blog.

Working with folders

When creating or editing a page, authors can place that page in a folder. Unlike blog entries, where an author can assign one or more categories to an individual blog entry, pages can only live in one folder at a time. In creating folders, it's best if you plan your site's directory structure in advance. If you change publish a page to a specific folder and then change its folder in the future, you may break inbound links to that page.

Note: The ability to manage categories on a blog is tied to the "Manage Pages" permission. Only those users with the 'Manage Pages" permission can create folders or perform the other management procedures listed below.

Managing a blog's folders

To view and manage a blog's folders, click on Manage > Folders from the main menu while working within any of your blogs in Movable Type. The Manage Folders page lists all folders and subfolders underneath your blog's main directory. From the Manage Folders page you can create new top level folders, create new subfolders, promote or demote folders or subfolders, or edit the details of an individual folder.

Creating a new top level folder

• To create a new top level folder, click on the "Create a new top level folder" link at the top of the Manage Folders page.

• The system will allow you to quickly create a top level folder, and will automatically assign it a publishing path.

Creating a new subfolder

• To create a new subfolder, click on the "Create" link on an individual folder's row.

• The system will allow you to quickly create a folder as a child of your selected folder, and will automatically assign it a publishing path.

Promoting or demoting a folder or subfolder

• On the Manage Folders page, locate the folder or subfolder that you wish to promote, demote or simply move to another parent folder. Click on the "Move" link associated with that folder.

• The system will display a hierarchical list of your folders and subfolders, with your selected folder highlighted.

• Click the radio button that corresponds to the new desired parent folder, or the "Top Level" radio button to make it a top level folder. This will automatically move your folder (and any of its subcategories) to your desired location.

Note: Once you've moved the desired folder or subfolder, you'll need to publish your site for the change to take effect publicly. Click the publish icon in the main menu and follow the prompts.

Editing the details of a folder

On the Manage Folders page, locate the folder or subfolder that you wish to edit, and click on the folder name to navigate to the Edit Folder page.

The Edit Folder page allows you to edit the category label, basename, description, and TrackBack settings.

• Label: A folder's label is the identifying name assigned to that folderthat serves as the identifier in any listing tables, folder selection menus and on the published blog.

• Path: This is the folder name where pages in that folder are published on your site.

• Description: This field is optional, but gives you the ability to richly describe the folder and its assigned content.

Note: If you make changes to your Category details, you may need publish your site for the change to take effect publicly. Click the publish icon in the main menu and follow the prompts.

Deleting a folder

• On the Manage Folders page, locate the folder that you wish to delete, and select it by clicking on the checkbox on its row. You can delete multiple folders at once by clicking on more than one checkbox.

• Click the Delete button at the top of the page. The system will ask you to confirm your choice; click OK to delete the selected folder or folders and remove all associated folder assignments from your blog's pages.

Note: After you make delete one or more folders, you will need publish your site for the change to take effect publicly. Click the publish icon in the main menu and follow the prompts.

WARNING: When a folder is deleted all page assignments (but not the pages themselves) are removed. Additionally, if you have set the DeleteFilesAtRebuild directive in Movable Type's configuration file, the pages for that folder are removed from the filesystem. Like all deletions, this action is permanent and will render useless any bookmarks or incoming links that may exist to those pages. (Note -- this needs to be reviewed.)