4.3. Template Definition Files
The template definition files store the name and description of the template as well as components and options for that template.
templates/cart
templates/fullwidth
templates/leftonly
templates/leftright
templates/foundation/cart
templates/foundation/fullwidth
templates/foundation/leftonly
templates/foundation/leftright
templates/foundation/simple
4.3.1. Template Walkthrough -- leftonly
This section is best read while viewing the file CATROOT/templates/leftonly and the 'Edit Page' page in the Content Editor of the Interchange Administration Tool.
Looking at the example template definition file, all lines located between the [comment] and [/comment] tags (lines 1 and 53) control what is available in the Edit Page screen of the Administration Tool.
Lines 2-5: Template specification
2 ui_template: Yes
3 ui_template_name: leftonly
4 ui_template_layout: LEFTONLY_TOP, UI_CONTENT, LEFTONLY_BOTTOM
5 ui_template_description: Page with top/left areas.
Line 2 indicates that this file is a template for the user interface. Line 3 names the template, while Line 4 indicates the regions that comprise the template and that will eventually make up the new page that is created from the template. Line 5 provides a description used to identify the template when it appears in a Select Template pull-down menu on the Edit Page of the Administration Tool. This description can be changed or modified to better describe a new template or a template that is created from the stock templates provided with Interchange.
Lines 7-8: Break
7 break:
8 widget: break
This code creates a separation line in the Edit Page between sets of options. In the default Interchange installation the line is grey, but the color can be changed. Note -- Changing this color applies the change to any catalog served by Interchange.
Lines 10-11: Page Title
10 page_title:
11 description: Page title
This code tells Interchange to display a text field on the Edit Page for entering the page title ('Title of New Page' in this example). The value entered is assigned to the scratch variable page_title and is set as a default value at the bottom of the template definition file using the following ITL:
54 [set page_title][set]
which, in turn, sets the scratch variable on the new page using the tag
[set page_title]Title of New Page[set]
The scratch variable page_title is parsed by the following code in the region template specified in the template definition file and called in the new page:
<title>[scratch page_title]</title>
Lines 13-15: Page Banner
13 page_banner:
14 description: Page banner
15 help: Defaults to page title
Assigns a textual title for the page to the scratch variable page_banner, which is assigned by the following ITL:
55 [set page_banner][set]
The scratch variable page_banner is set on the new page using the tag
[set page_banner]Banner of New Page[set]
The scratch variable can be parsed in the region template by this code:
[either]
[scratch page_banner]
[or]
[scratch page_title]
[/either]
This results in the page banner being displayed if defined. Otherwise, the page title is used.
Lines 17-20: Members Only
17 members_only:
18 options: 1=Yes,0=No*
19 widget: radio
20 description: Members only
This creates a radio-button form element on the Edit Page with the user can specify whether the page can be accessed if a visitor is logged in (Yes) or not (No). The default is indicated by an asterisk.
The scratch variable members_only is assigned by the ITL code
56 [set members_only][set]
and set on the new page using the tag
[set members_only]0[/set]
if the page can be accessed without logging in or
[set members_only]1[/set]
if it can not.
The members_only function is handled by the following code within each region template file:
[if scratch members_only]
[set members_only][/set]
[if !session logged_in]
[set mv_successpage]@@MV_PAGE@@[/set]
[bounce page=login]
[/if]
[/if]
This code says that if "members only" is set to yes, and the visitor is logged in, to display the page. Otherwise, redirect the visitor to the login page.
Lines 22-23: Break
22 break1:
23 widget: break
Another separation line.
Lines 25-28: Horizontal Before Component
25 component_before:
26 options: =none, best_horizontal=Best Sellers, \
cross_horizontal=Cross sell, \
promo_horizontal=Promotion, \
random_horizontal=Random items, \
upsell_horizontal=Upsell
27 widget: select
28 description: Component before content
This allows the inclusion of a defined component (included in the CATROOT/templates/components directory) to be displayed before, or above, the page's content. It provides a pull-down menu on the Edit Page displaying the available components. The components, identified here on line 26, can be assigned a name via the value=name convention.
The scratch variable component_before is assigned in the template definition file by the ITL code
57 [set component_before][set]
It is called with the following code within the LEFTRIGHT_TOP, LEFTONLY_TOP, and NOLEFT_TOP region templates:
[if scratch component_before]
[include file="templates/components/[scratch component_before]"]
[/if]
Lines 30-33: Horizontal After Component
30 component_after:
31 options: =none, best_horizontal=Best Sellers, \
cross_horizontal=Cross sell, \
promo_horizontal=Promotion, \
random_horizontal=Random items, \
upsell_horizontal=Upsell
32 widget: select
33 description: Component after content
Similar to component_before, this allows the inclusion of a defined component after, or below, the page's content.
The scratch variable component_before is assigned in the template definition file by the ITL code
58 [set component_after][set]
It is called with the following code within the LEFTRIGHT_BOTTOM and LEFTONLY_BOTTOM region templates:
[if scratch component_after]
[include file="templates/components/[scratch component_after]"]
[/if]
Lines 35-38: Horizontal Item Width
35 component_hsize:
36 options: 1,2,3*
37 widget: select
38 description: Component items horizontal
This setting allows you to choose how many items the horizontal components display. For example, the horizontal best sellers component ("best_horizontal") uses this setting to randomly select the best sellers. Notice the default is 3 if nothing is defined. It is called by the following code in the promo_horizontal and random_horizontal components in the Foundation demo.
random="[either][scratch component_hsize][or]2[/either]"
Lines 40-45: Before/After Banner
40 hbanner:
41 options: =--custom--, Also see..., Best Sellers, \
New items, \
Some of our fine products, \
Specials, You might also like
42 widget: move_combo
43 width: 40
44 description: Before/after Banner
45 help: Banner for Before/after component
Allows a title for the horizontal components to be defined to be displayed in a header above the component's items. It is called with the [scratch hbanner] tag and used in the Foundation demo in the random_horizontal component.
Lines 47-51: Special Tag
47 hpromo_type:
48 options: specials=Specials, new=New items
49 widget: select
50 description: Special tag
51 help: Only for a horizontal Promotion
This setting is only viable when a promotion is used for a horizontal component. It tells the promotional component which row(s) to evaluate in the merchandising table for display within the component. This setting, used in the promo_horizontal component, typically correlates to the featured column of the merchandising table as follows:
[query arrayref=main
sql="
SELECT sku,timed_promotion,start_date,finish_date
FROM merchandising
WHERE featured = '[scratch hpromo_type]'
"]
[/query]