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Create templates with system-asset:local blocks

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John

13 Nov, 2015 10:39 PM

We have a central site that we use to store common templates. When we create a new site we use the templates from the central site. It works really nice to keep things organized when changing a template.

The problem I have right now is that when I create a new site, because of the way or navigation works, I have to create a folder index block for the site itself. Then in the template for some of the outputs I have to set the block to be the folder index block I created for the new site. I'm wondering if there is a way for me to either have a central folder index block that automatically adjust for whatever the current site is, or if there is a way to set the default outputs for the template to use the local folder index block for the current site.

Thanks and hope I did a good job explaining this problem.

1. 1 Posted by Wing Ming Chan on 14 Nov, 2015 05:59 PM

   

   Hi John,

   I don't think that either of your options is possible. For example, if you need a site map, you do need an anchored index block for the site. Non-anchored index blocks can only start indexing from the calling page.

   At Upstate, I use the same approach: centralizing templates, config sets and content types. I use web services to create new sites. Therefore, the setup is automatic.

   I never attach blocks/formats specific to sites (e.g., the index blocks used to generate site maps, menu bars, etc.) to any regions at any level. Instead, they are picked up by indexing, using a global index block.

   I talked about this approach in the presentations of 2013 and 2015. I also documented everything I have been doing in my site. Let me know if you need more information.

   Wing

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2. 2 Posted by John on 16 Nov, 2015 03:29 PM

   

   Hi Wing,

   Thanks for the comment.

   From my understanding, a global index block will only working if it is indexing from the calling page. So to make an index block that indexes from the base folder of a site it has to be attached to the folder in the site.

   Thanks

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3. 3 Posted by Wing Ming Chan on 16 Nov, 2015 03:43 PM

   

   Yes and no. You need an anchored index if you want to get information of the entire site or the entire folder. You need a non-anchored index block if you just need to look upward to use ancestors and sideway to use siblings.

   For site information like look-and-feel, general configurations, and so on, I can use what I call configuration blocks to store the information and use the global index block to pick them up. For site map, site-specific menu bar and so on, they are anchored to the site. But still, they are not attached to any region. That's how I can use a single template, a single configuration set, and a single content type to generate multiple sites.
   That is to say, the need for site-specific index blocks (anchored index blocks) and the need to attach them to regions are two different things. You can have the site-specific index blocks without having to attach them anywhere. This is how you can free up your templates and so on, without tying them to any site.

   Wing

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4. Tim closed this discussion on 17 Dec, 2015 07:22 PM.