Set the properties for a discussion web site

Do one or both of the following:

Modify the properties of the discussion group

1. Open the page that contains the form for posting articles.

   Note   If you used the Discussion Web Wizard, the file name of this page contains _post.

2. In Page view, right-click the form, and then click Form Properties on the shortcut menu.
3. Click Send to other, and select Discussion Form Handler from the drop-down box.
4. Click Options.
5. Click the Discussion tab.

   Specify one or more of the following (or you can use the default values). Many of these settings determine how the information will appear in the table of contents de ions:

   • Title   Specify the name of this discussion group, which will appear on pages containing articles.
   • Directory    Specify the directory where you want to store articles posted by site visitors, such as _private.
   • Form fields    Choose which form fields (form field: A data-entry field on a page. A site visitor supplies information in a field either by typing text or by selecting a field.) you want to display. For example, you might display the subject and author fields.

     Note   Separate multiple field names with spaces.

   • Time   Select this to insert the time the article was submitted.
   • Date   Select this to insert the date the article was submitted.
   • Remote computer name   Select this to insert the name of the computer from which the article was submitted.
   • User name   Select this to insert the author's user name.
   • Order newest to oldest   You can specify the order in which you want to display submitted articles.

     If this check box is not selected, the articles will be displayed oldest to newest.

   • Get background and colors from page   You can choose another page in the web site from which to use the background style and colors. Type the name of the file or browse to it.

     Note   Changing the value in this field affects only the appearance of new articles posted to the discussion group.

Modify the properties of discussion group articles

1. Open the page that contains the form for posting articles.

   Note   If you used the Discussion Web Wizard, the file name of this page contains _post.

2. In Page view, right-click the form, and then click Form Properties on the shortcut menu.
3. Click Send to other, and select Discussion Form Handler from the drop-down box.
4. Click Options.
5. Click the Article tab.
6. Set one or more of the following (or you can use the default values):
   • URL of header to include   The Discussion Web Wizard automatically creates an article header page and sets it as the default. If you want to change this, you can choose the URL of a page that you want to set as the header of each article.

     If your page is located in the current web site, type a relative URL (relative URL: The Internet address of a page relative to the Internet address of the current page. For example, the relative URL Doc/Sample.htm refers to the page Sample.htm in the folder Doc, below the current folder. ) or click Browse to locate the page. 

   • URL of footer to include   The Discussion Web Wizard automatically creates an article footer page and sets it as the default. If you want to change this, you can choose the URL of a page that you want to set as the footer of each article. 

     If your page is located in the current web site, type a relative URL or click Browse to locate the page. 

   • Date   Specify the format in which to display the date the article was submitted.
   • Time   Specify the format in which to display the time the article was submitted.
   • Remote computer name   Select this to insert the name of the computer from which the article was submitted.
   • User name   Select this to insert the author's user name.

Note   You must publish your web site to a web server that has the FrontPage Server Extensions or SharePointTeam Services from Microsoft installed. Ask your web administrator or Internet Service Provider whether this software is installed on your web server. Once the web site is published, click Preview in Browser  to test the discussion group.