Creating Region Definitions

You should create region definitions before you create region templates. A definition (region definition, placeholder definition, element definition) controls which data is displayed and how the contributor interacts with the data. The template (region template, subtemplate) control how the data is displayed. The region definition, specifically, controls which elements (WYSIWYG, Image only, and so forth) open in Contributor. The region template is used to arrange the placement of the elements and how that particular data is displayed on the web page.

As you create a region template, you are asked to associate it with a region definition. If the definition is not already defined, the region template is not easily associated with the definition afterward.

The typical region definition contains multiple elements, and various combinations of these elements are used on several different region templates. That is, the region definitions are as broad and encompassing as possible. This allows multiple region templates to access the same grouping of elements (but it does not have to be the same data file) and arranging them in different ways. If you add many element definitions to a region definition, however, you should be aware that all element definitions listed in the region definition open in Contributor, even if only a few are visible on the page.

Because the region definitions limit the availability of elements in the contribution model, it is especially important to follow good naming conventions for region definitions. This helps you sort out which definitions are best suited for the different region templates you create.