Who can view the directory?¶

Only those who are displayed in the directory can view the directory. Logging in will be required to view it. Exception: A user with the Admin role is required to set up this directory and can view it even if not included.

How to Create the Directory¶

1. Create a Search Builder search for all Members of the church and whatever other conditions you want.

2. Save the search as a Status Flag. Name the search something like Picture Directory. Status Flags are automatically updated each morning, so people will be included or excluded from the directory based on that Status Flag update.

3. Go to Admin > Advanced > Settings > System > Administration and enter the Status Flag name you used (for example, Picture Directory) in the PictureDirectorySelector setting. This requires the Admin role.

4. View your directory at https://yourchurch.tpsdb.com/PictureDirectory where yourchurch is your church domain.

Church-wide Directory¶

For a church-wide directory, you would create a Status Flag search including only those with a Member Status of Member and whatever other criteria you wish to include, such as an age or resident code. The URL link for that directory could be posted anywhere on the church website, so that it is easily accessible by your church members.

Exclusions from Directory¶

If someone does not want to be included in this online directory, they cannot opt out themselves. You can handle this by creating an Extra Value named something such as DoNotIncludeInDirectory with a value of true. Then exclude anyone with that Extra Value in your Status Flag search, so that only those without that EV will be included in the search results.

Customizing the Directory¶

There is an associated SQL Script and Template that will automatically get added to your database when you run the directory for the first time. Go to Admin > Advanced > Special Content > SQL Scripts and you will see a script named PictureDirectorySql. This script will be the same for every database.

Next go to Admin > Advanced > Special Content > Text Content where you will see a file named PictureDirectoryTemplate. This template can be changed based on the specific information you want to include/exclude from your online directory.

The code for the default template is in the Templates article.

If you are using the default Template, then you are ready to make the directory available.

Using the Directory: Search, Sort, View, and Active Links¶

Search

You can search by part or all of a name by entering it in the text box labeled Part of Name and pressing Search or by hitting Enter on your keyboard. Only those matching the text you entered will be displayed.

Press the Clear button to return to the full directory after searching or to return to the normal sort order after changing the sort.

Sort

All families are kept together even if the last names are different. The default sort is by last name, first name of the Head of Household with his/her family members listed below that name. If you sort by the Birthday header and want to return to the default sort, click the Name header.

If your church is displaying the date of birth, you can click the Birthday heading to sort by the month and day to find those with upcoming birthdays. It will not sort starting with January, but by anyone who has a birthday on the current day or later. This is designed to help you acknowledge someone’s birthday, not to compile a birthday list.

View Photo

Small images of the person’s individual photo will display. Click the image to view the full version. Click again to return.

Links

In the default template, the email address is a link for anyone viewing the directory. Clicking it will open an email in the viewer’s default email client.

The person link (the person’s name) will be active only if the person viewing the directory has the Access role. Clicking the link will open that person’s people record in a new tab. Normal record security still applies when the record opens.

Combined the QuickStart and Examples and Details articles into one article, and corrected who can view the directory, the menu location, the Setting value example, and when the name and email links are active.