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| Overview |
| Why Use Templates |
| Dreamweaver and Templates |
| Creating Template Regions |
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An HTML template is really a reusable file that separates form from content. It incorporates non-editable elements common to a whole website, as well as editable regions for content that changes. Most pages within a website for a travel agency, for example, would look similar and function in basically the same way. The page layout for a Cairns holiday package page would be very similar to the one for Great Britain. Both would display the same logo, navigation and search facility. One page, however, would describe sunny beaches and display a photo of a tropical fish, while the other would describe Trafalgar Square and show Buckingham Palace. A template designed for this site would include
common elements that would be non-editable: in this case the logo,
navigation and search facility. It would also include editable regions
containing placeholders for content specific to each page: the main
text, the photograph and the heading. |
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Using web templates is all about consistency, efficiency and economy. As web pages based on a template will inherit the template's properties, you can have confidence that common page elements will display exactly as intended on all pages throughout a site. Inconsistencies in layout, graphics, text and links, in the non-editable elements, can be eliminated. The result is a more professional-looking site where the user will experience the same look and feel no matter where they are. This is especially important when you are dealing with a large, or potentially large, website. Development time can be cut dramatically when page creation is simply a matter of inserting content into a pre-constructed file. This can be particularly useful when there is an urgent deadline. Using templates not only saves time at the development stage, but also has the potential to reduce work in the quality assurance or testing phase. As each page is essentially a copy of an original it is only necessary to test the editable content of each page. Cross-platform and browser issues can be resolved in the initial stages of development. As long as the template is bug-free you can relax knowing that any pages based on it will probably also be bug free. Some maintenance procedures can be simplified
by the use of templates. If, for example, your client wants the
company logo updated, it is only necessary to make the change once:
in the template. The logo will then change throughout the entire
site. This is far easier and cheaper than altering every page. |
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About Defining Template Regions A template determines the basic structure for a document and contains elements such as text, images, page layout, styles, and editable regions. Dreamweaver automatically locks most regions of a document when you save the document as a template. As a template author you define which regions of a template-based document will be editable by inserting editable regions or editable parameters in the template. As you create the template, you can make changes to both editable and locked regions. In a document based on the template, however, a template user can make changes only in the editable regions; the locked regions can't be modified. There are four types of template regions: editable regions, repeating regions, optional regions, and editable tag attributes. You can create a template through the New Document dialog box (File >New) provides several options for creating new templates, and creating template-based pages. Dreamweaver saves templates with the file extension .dwt. Templates are saved in a special Templates folder in the local root folder of the site. If the Templates folder does not already exist in the site, Dreamweaver automatically creates it when you save a new template. Note: Do not move your templates out of the Templates folder, or put any non-template files in the Templates folder. Also, do not move the Templates folder out of your local root folder. Doing so causes errors in paths in the templates. |
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How to Create Dreamweaver Template Regions An editable region is an unlocked region in a template-based document; a section a template user can edit. A template author can define any area of a template as editable. For a template to be effective, it should contain at least one editable region; otherwise, pages based on the template can't be edited. For information about inserting an editable region Inserting an Editable Region Before you insert an editable region, you should save the document you are working in as a template. If you insert an editable region in a document rather than a template file, Dreamweaver warns you that the document will automatically be saved as a template. To define an editable template region:
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