Moderators have control over the layout of each page and can specify which "discussion elements" appear on each page. Possible "discussion elements" include an announcement message, a list of threads, a "start new thread" button or link, an about message, messages, and an "Add a Message" form. Although the moderator can technically specify the arrangement in 2⁶=64 ways, some combinations do not make sense (such as an "Add a Message" form with no messages).

We have found that many beginners enable all six discussion elements. However, this is unattractive within the board unless there are actually an "Announcement Message, subtopics, an "About Message," and messages on the page, which is very rare.

The page layout is specified by selecting elements to be displayed in the page layout selection table. To include a particular element on a page, check the checkbox next to the appropriate element. When the desired elements have been selected, click on the "Save Page Layout" button to finalize the layout.

There are also four common layouts defined in the page layout selection table. Checking the radio button next to any of these four common layouts automatically updates the discussion elements column. You may also define a custom layout by manually checking or un-checking discussion elements.

Important: These layouts control only the page layout, which means they control what discussion elements appear on a page. The layout you select has nothing to do with access privileges or posting privileges within a topic (access privileges are set up in Access Manager). For example, do not assume that because you have chosen "Private Index" that this somehow is going to prevent unregistered guests from reading your topics.

• Private Index: Contains only a list of threads. The index is private in the sense that the users of the board cannot add new threads here. New threads can be added only by moderators through the administration program.

• Public Index: Contains only a list of threads and a link/button for users to start new threads. The index is public in the sense that non-moderators can add threads here. A person who has access to post in the topic can start a new thread through the user interface, and moderators can add new threads through the administration program.

• Message Page: Contains messages and an "Add a Message" box. New posts are accepted through the user interface by anyone who has access to post in the topic.

• Closed Thread: Contains messages only, but no "Add a Message" box. The thread is closed in the sense that it does not accept new messages posted through the user interface. Moderators can add new messages via the Page Manager.

• Custom Layout: This box is automatically checked when the pattern of "Discussion Elements" chosen does not match one of the other pre-defined page types.

When a page is created through a Discus Pro archiving operation (see Archive Manager), it is marked as an archive. This has special meaning to the program, affecting the icon that is displayed and preventing the page from being re-archived. It is possible to modify the archive status of a page by checking or unchecking the "Is an archive" box under discussion elements. This is intended for advanced users only and is unsupported by DiscusWare.

Discus Pro has the ability to open and close subtopics in bulk, without individually navigating to each subtopic, saving and changing its layout, navigating to the next subtopic, etc. When you choose this option, it will affect many pages: both the page you are editing AND all of that page's children, grandchildren, etc. Thus, be careful when using this option!

The following actions are available:

• Close Message Pages: Turns off the "Add a Message" box on any page that currently has an "Add a Message" box turned on.

• Open Message Pages: Turns on the "Add a Message" box on any page that already contains 1 or more messages.

• Close Subtopic Lists: Turns off the "Start New Thread" link or button on any page that currently has that link or button turned on.

• Open Subtopic Lists: Turns on the "Start New Thread" link or button on any page that already contains 1 or more threads.

• Open subtopic lists except those only listing archives: Turns on the "Start New Thread" link or button on any page that already contains 1 or more threads, EXCEPT in the case when all of those listed threads are archives.

• Close subtopic lists only listing archives: Turns off the "Start New Thread" link or button on any page that lists only threads that are archives.

• Turn off subtopics list where list is empty: Removes subtopic lists when there are not any threads listed there, and turns off the "Start New Thread" link or button as necessary. Lists of threads that aren't empty are not affected by this.

It is possible to perform these operations only on non-archives, only on archives, or on both archives and non-archives, by selecting the appropriate choice for the "Archives" setting.