Publishing Settings
You can use Archive File path specifiers to choose exactly how your archives publish. By default, Movable Type offers a drop-down list of common choices like yyyy/mm/entry-basename.html, but if you want to customize to your heart’s content, check out the full list of specifiers.
Administrators can also choose to publish each template and template archive mapping via a different method. These settings use the terms “Statically”, “Via Publish Queue”, “Dynamically”, “Manually” and “Do Not Publish”. Except for that last one, you might not know what these mean. But do not despair! You’re gonna love ‘em:
Publishing Methods and Terminology
Statically (default)
By default Movable Type publishes all files statically and synchronously. “Statically” means that Movable Type will create a physical file on your web server. “Synchronously” means that Movable Type will create that file on demand and that at times users and readers will need to wait for those files to be published before continuing onto the next task.
Via Publish Queue
Publishing via the Publish Queue is another form of “static publishing” meaning that a physical file will be generated on your web server. However, the Publish Queue allows for those files to be published in the background by a separate program running on your web server. This program is often referred to as the “run-periodic-tasks script” and can be run via a cron job (scheduled task) or as a daemon.
Dynamically
Templates that are published dynamically never have a physical file created for them. Instead the contents of the page are generated in real time directly from the database. Of course, you’ll have to have dynamic publishing enabled, which you can learn more about here.
Manually
Templates that are published manually will only be published when a designer or administrator explicitly asks for the file to be published. Templates with a setting of manually will be published when:
- When a user clicks the “Save and Publish” button on the template editing screen
- When a user clicks the checkbox next to the template on the template listing screen and then clicks the “Publish” list action button above the table. This is a great option for templates like the RSD file for your site, or even your CSS files if you publish them through Movable Type. They probably don’t change a lot, and if and when you do change them, you won’t mind explicitly telling them to publish. Set them to “Manually” and now they won’t have to publish every time you make a new post.
Do not Publish
Templates with this setting are never published.
