4.11. Lifecycles

Lifecycles define the start and end publishing dates of a content item. If a content item is not assigned a lifecycle, it never gets published.

Lifecycles consist of at least one phase, which controls its start delay and duration. The start delay determines the amount of time between when a user with publish privileges publishes a content item and when the item is displayed on the website. The duration determines how long the item remains on the website.

To manage lifecycles, use the Lifecycles tab. The screen uses a split pane, with the list of lifecycles on the left. When you select an existing lifecycle or create a new one, the Lifecycle Details are displayed on the right. Use the Lifecycle Details pane to:

• Edit the lifecycle name and description.

• Delete the lifecycle.

• Create and modify the phases.

The default lifecycle contains one phase and publishes items immediately, with no expiration date

To publish items immediately, type 0 in the Days, Hours, and Minutes fields or leave them blank. To keep items on the website indefinitely, leave the three fields blank. The Lifecycles tab includes the phase names, description, delay, and duration.

While the default lifecycle functionality lets you control when an item gets published to and removed from the website, you can programmatically add more functionality. For example, you could create phases that publish the item for one week, move the item to a different area of the website after that week, and then move it again after a month. For more information, refer to Red Hat Content Management System Developer Guide.

While there is no required order for initially entering information into the CMS, you must define a lifecycle so that it can be applied before you can publish a content item.