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Template prototype is like a master page template. Anything you configure in the prototype is applied to all page templates. The prototype makes configuration efficient as you only need to do it once. For example, add an area to the prototype to make it available on all pages. You can override the prototype at the page definition level if needed.
Best practice
Put commonly used things in the template prototype. If most pages on your site have the same areas then define those areas in the prototype.
Do I need a prototype?
No, it is not necessary to use a prototype. You can configure a separate page definition for each page template instead. This works fine if you have a small number of templates that are very different from each other.
Prototype is an optional templating mechanism that offers a number of benefits:
Ensures uniformity across templates
Avoids repeating and duplicating configuration
Creates similar templates quickly
Prerequisites
Site module. You need to install the Site module and configure a site definition in order create a prototype.
While it is not possible to configure a site definition completely in YAML, you can configure the prototype in YAML and reference it in the site definition. The prototype definition can reside in any module.
To configure the prototype in YAML:
In the site definition in /<site name>/templates :
Set the:
class property to info.magnolia.module.site.templates.ReferencingPrototypeTemplateSettings . This class allows you to use a prototype defined in YAML.
prototypeId to the location of the YAML prototype definition in the <module name>:<relative path to definition> format, for example, travel-demo:pages/prototype .
Create the prototype YAML file in the location defined in the prototypeId property and set the class property to info.magnolia.module.site.templates.PrototypeTemplateDefinition (or a subclass).
Prototype is a TemplateDefinition which means it supports the same properties as page definition, including common template properties. However, typically you don't use them all. Here are the typical use cases:
areas
optional
Common areas such as footer or navigation that are used on most pages. Each child node is an area definition. Define the areas in the prototype so you don't have to repeat them in each page definition.
templateScript
optional
The templateScript property allows you to define a common page template script for the whole site. For a page to inherit its template script from the prototype you must also define renderType=site in the template definition.
A page template script typically starts with an opening <html> element and ends with the closing </html> element when rendering HTML output. See main.ftl in the Travel Demo.
Example: The travel demo demo defines a template script in the prototype. This common script is used for all pages. It is also the reason why no YAML page definition in the demo has an explicit templateScript property. The page definitions set renderType=site to inherit the script from the prototype, see home.yaml for example.
class
optional
A custom definition class which extends ConfiguredTemplateDefinition, an implementation of TemplateDefinition. You only need a custom class if you want to add your own nodes and properties in the prototype. Implement corresponding methods to operate on those properties in the definition class.
Example: PageTemplateDefinition (Git) is a custom definition class used in the Travel Demo. It adds support for a jsFiles node which allows you to define JavaScript files in the prototype the same way a theme defines them.
Merging a prototype with a page definition
When a user requests a page Magnolia merges the prototype with a page definition. The result is a merged template definition which is then used to render the page.
The merged definition is virtual. You won't find its configuration anywhere. It is created dynamically at the time of rendering. However, you can access the merged definition in a template script using the defrendering context object.
Example: Merging a prototype (configured in JCR) with a home page definition (configured in YAML)
Prototype defines the mainarea type as list . Page definition adds availableComponents for the area. The result contains both.
Prototype defines a templateScript . Page definition says nothing about script. The result is that the home page uses the script defined in the prototype.
Prototype defines the footer area as not editable. Page definition overrides this decision by allowing footer editing on the home page. The result is that the footer can be edited on the home page only.
I'm trying to use a yaml prototype with a page template definition but I'm missing something thus getting an error message on trying to edit the home page.
and actually there is a thing with which I"m not sure if is right in my prototype main.yaml file I have a `dialog: mte:pages/pageProperties` It is a CE bundle but until changing it to be in accordance with the samples here it has its own dialog file created with the cli. But both ways it gives the template error: No template script defined for the template definition
- using class info.magnolia.module.site.templates.ReferencingPrototypeTemplateSettings in Site Module that's right - using enableAll true with availability and empty templates content node I don't have enableAll as neither has this documentation - using class: info.magnolia.module.site.templates.PrototypeTemplateDefinition and renderType:site in prototype template that's right - using class: info.magnolia.module.site.templates.PageTemplateDefinition in Page template definition with renderType: site I wasn't using class as the home.yaml here doesn't uses it neither, tried with it, didn't make difference - when switching from JCR setup to Yaml setup, don't forget to delete the Prototype node I wasn't using JCR setup, no prototype node
Please see the comments on Site definition , where my question was if there is only one (the first) content node it will be considered to contain the site definition... So having a top node is error if not in multisite mode?
Exactly, when the multisite module is not installed there is no need for that top node. This node config:/modules/site/config/site is your top level node. Configure off of that.
first I tried to just move every node out of `capitaly` and delete the `capitaly` node, that way no template was found, then moved all the nodes inside a `site` content node, so no I have the same error as I had before. I guess it doesn't matter what name it has that single top content node - but it did cause some confusion for me too.
If you are using CE it expects to find the site configuration off the site node. It must be called site. If you configure another node, such as capitaly, in between the site node and your configuration the system will not load the configuration. Have a look here. You can see the path is mentioned there.
If you are still having an issue, I would say it's related to template availability.
Richard Gange I've moved the items from the config:/modules/site/config/site/capitaly cn into the config:/modules/site/config/site cn and this way it does not see any page definition: when going to the pages app it alerts that none are found. When putting them inside the cn config:/modules/site/config/site/capitaly or config:/modules/site/config/site/site it works. Revisiting the source code that you've linked it should be working from config:/modules/site/config/site as you said... weird issue.
In both case in the resource files app I see my light module and its template files to be registered.
12 Comments
Obeliksz
I'm trying to use a yaml prototype with a page template definition but I'm missing something thus getting an error message on trying to edit the home page.
Here are the related yaml files and the error messages: https://pastebin.com/4YYatYd5
Here the site definition:
Christoph Meier
Can you enlarge that screenshot in width? I'd like to see the values of
/capitaly/templates@class/capitaly/templates@prototypeIdObeliksz
Christoph Meier, sure:
and actually there is a thing with which I"m not sure if is right in my prototype main.yaml file I have a `dialog: mte:pages/pageProperties` It is a CE bundle but until changing it to be in accordance with the samples here it has its own dialog file created with the cli. But both ways it gives the template error: No template script defined for the template definition
Have found a trace of others having this same issue, and Stef te Winkel 's proposed solution was:
- using class info.magnolia.module.site.templates.ReferencingPrototypeTemplateSettings in Site Module
that's right
- using enableAll true with availability and empty templates content node
I don't have enableAll as neither has this documentation
- using class: info.magnolia.module.site.templates.PrototypeTemplateDefinition and renderType:site in prototype template
that's right
- using class: info.magnolia.module.site.templates.PageTemplateDefinition in Page template definition with renderType: site
I wasn't using class as the home.yaml here doesn't uses it neither, tried with it, didn't make difference
- when switching from JCR setup to Yaml setup, don't forget to delete the Prototype node
I wasn't using JCR setup, no prototype node
So I still couldn't solve it.
Christoph Meier
Obeliksz - Note that you will have a bigger audience when asking questions at the Magnolia google groups
Obeliksz
Right, have posted there.
Richard Gange
I'm confused here. The CE bundle only allows for a single site definition. So having the node
capitalywould be incorrect.Obeliksz
Please see the comments on Site definition , where my question was if there is only one (the first) content node it will be considered to contain the site definition... So having a top node is error if not in multisite mode?
Richard Gange
Exactly, when the multisite module is not installed there is no need for that top node. This node
config:/modules/site/config/siteis your top level node. Configure off of that.Obeliksz
first I tried to just move every node out of `capitaly` and delete the `capitaly` node, that way no template was found, then moved all the nodes inside a `site` content node, so no I have the same error as I had before. I guess it doesn't matter what name it has that single top content node - but it did cause some confusion for me too.
Richard Gange
If you are using CE it expects to find the site configuration off the site node. It must be called site. If you configure another node, such as capitaly, in between the site node and your configuration the system will not load the configuration. Have a look here. You can see the path is mentioned there.
If you are still having an issue, I would say it's related to template availability.
Obeliksz
Richard Gange I've moved the items from the
config:/modules/site/config/site/capitalycn into theconfig:/modules/site/config/sitecn and this way it does not see any page definition: when going to the pages app it alerts that none are found. When putting them inside the cnconfig:/modules/site/config/site/capitalyorconfig:/modules/site/config/site/siteit works. Revisiting the source code that you've linked it should be working fromconfig:/modules/site/config/siteas you said... weird issue.In both case in the resource files app I see my light module and its template files to be registered.
Obeliksz
Have started it all over from scratch and it works now...