Site Presentation Files Separation of Site Presentation and Content

3-2 Oracle Fusion Middleware Users Guide for Site Studio Designer

3.1 Managed Web Sites

What differentiates Web sites created and managed using Site Studio from other, conventional sites is that all files associated with the site are stored and managed in a central repository the content server. This server provides advanced content management features such as library services check-in, check-out, and the like, versioning, workflow, content conversion, and more. The files associated with a Web site include files that are used to directly control the visual presentation of the site page templates, cascading style sheets, and the like, and the actual content on the web pages the information. In addition, there are several control and configuration files that work behind the scenes to ensure that the site works as it should. Since all files associated with a Web site are stored together, they are much easier to control and maintain. For example, it is very easy to back up a complete site or replicate it for deployment. Also, if multiple sites are stored on the content server, then the different assets of the sites can all be maintained in a single location, but be used and reused across all company Web sites.

3.2 Separation of Site Presentation and Content

One thing that makes Site Studio a valuable tool is that it allows Web site content to be completely separate from Web site presentation. This way, different people can manage and be responsible for the information on a Web site without inadvertently affecting the layout, design, or look-and-feel of the site. In addition, the people assigned to manage the site content can make changes as necessary without having to send them to someone else to complete the task. This removes an important bottleneck that exists in many site management scenarios, where all site changes must be handled by a very limited number of site administrators. With separation of site presentation and content in mind, the files associated with a Web site can be divided into three main categories: ■ Site Presentation Files ■ Site Content Files ■ Site Control and Configuration Files

3.2.1 Site Presentation Files

A number of the files associated with a Site Studio Web site are used to define what the site looks like in terms of page layout and formatting. They provide the design framework within which the site content is displayed. Any changes to these files typically affect the entire site or large portions of it, and they are usually created and managed by dedicated site designers. Site Studio uses the following files for site presentation: ■ Page templates: Fully-formed HTML files that define the layout and high-level look-and-feel of web pages, including the placement of contribution regions that is, editable areas on the page, navigation aids in the form of fragments and site-wide images banners and the like. Page templates are the highest-level site design object. See Page Templates on page 3-20 for more information. ■ Region templates: Partial HTML files that is, without head and body sections that define the layout and look-and-feel of the data in contribution regions within web pages. See Region Templates and Region Definitions on page 3-14 for more information. Understanding Site Studio Web Sites 3-3 ■ Subtemplates: Partial HTML files that is, without head and body sections that can be inserted into placeholders on page templates to divide them into further smaller, reusable areas with their own placeholders and contribution regions. See Subtemplates on page 3-19 for more information. ■ Cascading style sheets CSS: Files that provide control over how page content is displayed more specifically, how different HTML elements, such as headers and links, appear on the page. Links to CSS files are often embedded in page templates, so their formatting rules apply to all web pages based on these templates. See Cascading Style Sheets on page 3-24 for more information. In addition to these files, which directly affect the site presentation, there are also several files that work behind the scenes and also have an impact on what a Site Studio Web site looks like. See Site Control and Configuration Files on page 3-3 for more information.

3.2.2 Site Content Files