All templates have a corresponding edit page. Many of the items on these pages are specific to only one type of template; however, there are a number of sections in the edit pages that are common to most types of templates.

Page Template Identification

The first common section is the Template Identification section. Here, you provide a unique descriptive name for the template as well as select the theme to which the template belongs. Additionally, in this section you specify the template class for the template and select whether the template is translatable (which has to do with deploying a template in multiple languages). See Chapter 7 for more details on deploying applications in multiple languages.

Template Subscription

The next section is the Template Subscription section. This section lists details about subscriptions. Was this template copied from another template? Is this template subscribed to another template? Does this template have any subscribers? 

The first line contains a pick list for a master template. If the template was copied from another template, it will have a meaningless reference number listed in the pick list field, as previously shown. Otherwise, it will be empty, as shown next. In either case, you can select another template from the pick list and then refresh this template from the selected template. In instances where there already is a master (as in the previous example), you would click on the Refresh Template button. If this template never had a master template, like in the following example, a Refresh check box will appear next to the pick list. If this is checked and you apply changes to the page, it will refresh from the master.

The section then displays where the template was copied from and a list of templates that are subscribed to it. If the template is subscribed to another template, you’ll see a Refresh Template button. Clicking that button recopies from the subscribing template, overwriting everything. If this template has other templates that subscribe to it, you’ll see a Publish Template button. Clicking the Publish Template button will copy the current template out to all templates that are subscribed to it, overwriting any changes that may have been made to them.

Configuration Management

This section contains a single field to select the build option for this template. Build options are used to include or exclude certain components of an application. There can be any number of build options. You will have a pick list that includes a selection for each build option and a {Not} selection for each build option. Refer to Chapter 4 for more details on build options.

Comments

The last common section is the Comments section. This section allows the developer to enter any pertinent comments about a template. Comments should be used to document anything that is done out of the ordinary.