To create or edit a template definition, open the Definitions section of iCM Management, then double-click on Templates.
Double click on an existing template definition to edit it, or click "Create a template" in the actions panel to create a new one.
Creating a new template definition is something that is generally done by a developer when designing a brand new template. If you are installing a GOSS product into your iCM, you should import the definition that was created with the template.
A template definition is divided into five sections.
Properties
Name
The name of this definition. This is the display name that will be used throughout iCM and visible in the article editor and various lists and menus.
Don't rename a template definition supplied by us at GOSS. When we release new versions of templates the names of the old and new versions have to match for the import and update process to work.
Note that if the display name contains the word "default" you will not be able to delete the definition. This is to ensure that the standard default template cannot be deleted by accident. If you do need to delete the default template, rename it first.
Directory
The name of the directory in which the template code resides. It is possible for multiple definitions to use the same directory.
Template Type
This will be either .NET, Java or perhaps ColdFusion depending upon the technology your site is built with.
WYSIWYG Markers
For .NET and Java sites this will always be "Template" and cannot be edited.
Article Extension
Use the "Select" button to pick the private form from the iCM Forms Library that will provide the "Extra" tab of articles that use this template.
Article extras add functionality to, and provide configuration for, articles using this template. For example, the article extras of the List Template let you configure which items will appear in the list.
If a template doesn't have an article extension form, the "Extra" tab will not appear in the article editor.
Assets
The assets section of the definition defines the type of iCM content (ie articles, media, forms, features etc) that can be related to articles using this template. Each asset also sets up any constraints (requirements) for items of that type.
When you create a new template definition it will, be default, have every available asset assigned to it, without any constraints. The text asset will have a single _DEFAULT block, which allows a user to enter the main body text of the article.
Assets and constraints are a useful way to guide, prompt and restrict what your iCM users can do. They also help simplify the iCM interface.
For example, if your new template will never be used to display an iCM form, you could remove the "Forms" asset from your template. That way the forms directory won't appear in the list of items in the article's related content tab. Similarly if your new template had to have a form related to it, you could set up a constraint that wouldn't let a user submit an article using the template without a form being related to it.
Settings
The settings section of a definition is rarely used, as if left blank most will fall back to those set in the subsite definition, or site-wide in iCM Settings. However this section does give you the ability to fine tune how your template behaves when users select it in the iCM article editor.
Text
The text you enter into the description field will be visible to users in the "Change template" dialogue box in the article editor.
Contributor Help
This text will be displayed to users who select your template in the article editor and click on "Open template help". You might like to use this to explain any functionality your template has, or requirements that aren't immediately obvious.
Images
Images added here are displayed to users in the "Change template" dialogue box in the article editor. They could be used to provide a prompt for users before they select your template.
Display
The display section overrides much of what can be set at a subsite or enterprise level. In most instances you should set this section to use the defaults.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Stylesheet | If, for some reason, your template should use a stylesheet in the article editor that is different to the site's standard stylesheet, select it here |
| WYSIWYG editing | If you'd like to enable or disable WYSIWYG editing for this template. This might be useful if your template performs some utility type function that is not designed to be viewed on the site (and therefor doesn't preview) |
| Preview Modes | If you have created custom preview modes for your template, define them here. This will involve the use of ColdFusion scripts in the iCM custom folder and is very rarely used, and probably best ignored |
| Article Validators | You can define Article Validators just for this template if you really want to |
Document Import
You can use these settings to override the standard document import settings. If you don't set any those set in the subsite definition will be used. If none are set in the subsite definition, those set in the iCM wide system settings will be used.
Subsite Settings
This tab lets you override any of the settings you created in the previous tab on a subsite by subsite basis.
Security
This tabs lists the iCM groups and users who are able to use this template in the article editor. You can add or revoke access using the "Select" and "Remove" buttons.
The information here is another view of the content roots assigned to iCM users via their iCM Content Roots
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