Placeholder Definitions

When you insert a placeholder on a page template, it is simply a named marker where content displays. The placeholder definition controls how the data displays in the placeholder. Placeholder definitions also control if the contributor can approve or reject the assets in workflow, if the contributor can view web reports, if the contributor can edit the assets in the placeholder, and more.

The relationship between the placeholder name and the placeholder definition is called the mapping. These mappings are used to determine the placeholder definition used as the default when you create a new placeholder.

The mappings can be done in four ways. A default mapping is defined in the Web site properties under the Default Placeholder Definition. If a mapping is made here, then it is the one used between a placeholder definition and a placeholder name if none of the other three mappings have been defined.

A global mapping, made in the Placeholder Definition Mappings dialog (see Placeholder Definition Mappings Dialog), establishes a default mapping for the placeholder name throughout the site. The placeholder name can be used on multiple templates in multiple sections, and the same mapping applies.

A section property mapping is defined in the section properties under the Primary Page Placeholder Definition Mappings and Secondary Page Placeholder Definition Mappings. The section this is done in now uses a different mapping from any other section where the placeholder is used. The section property mapping overrides a global mapping and a default mapping, but not a mapping in a tag.

The fourth method of creating a mapping is by defining the mapping in the placeholder tag itself. This type of mapping overrides all other mappings, including global mappings. When you define a mapping in the placeholder tag, you are making a change to the placeholder tag in source view. When you use a mapping this way, this means that every time the page template is used, the placeholder on the template always uses the specified placeholder definition regardless of where in the Web site the page template is used.

This section covers the following topics:

• Specifying a Default Placeholder Definition

• Creating a Global Placeholder Definition Mapping

• Creating a Section Property Placeholder Definition Mapping

• Specifying a Placeholder Definition Directly in the Placeholder Tag

• Associating a Placeholder with a Global Placeholder Definition

• Adding a Region Definition to a Placeholder Definition

• Associating a Region Template with a Placeholder Definition

• Associating a Subtemplate with a Placeholder Definition

Specifying a Default Placeholder Definition

The default placeholder definition is the placeholder definition used when no other mappings apply. It is considered more of a "catch-all."

To specify a default placeholder definition, follow these steps:

1. In the Web Site Properties, click in the Default Placeholder Definition.

2. Click the additional information icon that appears.

   A content server search displays, showing the available placeholder definitions.

3. Select the placeholder definition to use as the default.

4. The default placeholder definition appears in the Web site properties.

Creating a Global Placeholder Definition Mapping

The list of available global placeholder mappings are defined on the Placeholder Definition Mappings dialog (see Placeholder Definition Mappings Dialog), which is available by selecting Tools from the menu bar, then selecting Define Placeholder Definition Mappings. The placeholder mappings allow a placeholder to have a different definition depending on whether the placeholder is used on a primary or a secondary page. The mappings are stored in the project file for the Web site.

The global placeholder definition mapping overrides the mapping created as the default placeholder definition in the Web site properties (seeSpecifying a Default Placeholder Definition).

To create a global placeholder mapping, follow these steps:

1. From the menu bar, select Tools, and then Define Placeholder Definition Mappings.

   The Placeholder Mappings dialog opens (see Placeholder Definition Mappings Dialog).

2. Click Add to create a new mapping.

   The Define Placeholder Definition Mapping dialog opens (see Define Placeholder Definition Mapping Dialog).

3. Enter a placeholder name that is easy to recognize, and also helps you understand what the mapping does. In the two menus, enter a placeholder definition that the placeholder uses on a primary page and on a secondary page. You can enter for either a primary page or a secondary page, or both.

4. Click OK.

5. Your placeholder definitions now display in the Placeholder Mappings dialog, and are available to select when you insert a placeholder.

Creating a Section Property Placeholder Definition Mapping

The section property placeholder definition mapping lists the mapping between a placeholder name and a placeholder definition. The section this mapping is in uses a different mapping from any other section where the placeholder is used.

The section property placeholder definition mapping overrides the global placeholder definition mapping and the default placeholder definition.

There are two ways to make this section property, by using a dialog, and by entering the placeholder name and placeholder definition directly in the section properties. The dialog uses a friendlier user interface.

To create a section property placeholder definition mapping using the dialog, follow these steps:

1. Right-click a page template within the appropriate section in the hierarchy. In the menu, select Placeholder Section Properties...

   The Placeholder Section Properties dialog opens (see Placeholder Section Properties Dialog).

2. Click Add.

   The Edit Placeholder Section Properties dialog opens (see Edit Placeholder Section Properties Dialog).

3. Enter the Name, and the placeholder definition ID . If you want to include a region template, subtemplate, or contributor data file in the section property, add those as well.

4. Click OK to close the Edit Placeholder Section Properties dialog.

   The section property placeholder name mapping is created.

5. Click OK to close the Placeholder Section Properties dialog.

To create a section property placeholder definition mapping directly in the section properties, follow these steps:

1. View the section properties for the section you want to create the mapping in.

2. In the Primary Page Placeholder Definition Mappings, enter the placeholder name and placeholder definition in this format:

   name=contentID
   

   where the name is the placeholder name, and the content ID is the content ID of the placeholder definition. To enter multiple placeholder names and placeholder definitions, use an ampersand ('&') between each pairing, in this manner:

   name1=contentID1&name2=contentID2&name3=contentID3
   

3. For the secondary pages, enter a placeholder name and placeholder definition for the Secondary Page Placeholder Definition Mappings. Multiple name and definition pairings are allowed just as in the Primary Page Placeholder Definition Mappings.

4. The Primary and Secondary Page Placeholder Definition Mappings display in the section properties.

Specifying a Placeholder Definition Directly in the Placeholder Tag

The placeholder tag can be written so that the placeholder definition is specified exp[licitly in the placeholder tag. This direct specification is used each time the page template is used.

This method of correlating a placeholder definition and a placeholder tag overrides all other placeholder definition mappings.

To specify the placeholder definition directly in the placeholder tag, follow these steps:

1. Open the page template that contains the placeholder.

2. Click the Source View tab.

3. In the placeholder tag, enter the mapping in this manner:

   <!--$wcmPlaceholder("Sales", "placeholderDefinitionDocName=placedef_salescontact")-->
   

   In this example, the placeholder name is Sales, and the placeholder definition content ID is placedef_salescontact.

4. The mapping is now created in the tag.

You can also assign a placeholder definition to be written in the tag from the Define Placeholder dialog (see Define Placeholder Dialog):

1. Open the page template that contains the placeholder.

2. Double-click the placeholder.

   The Define Placeholder dialog opens.

   You can also do this by inserting a new placeholder.

3. The name in the menu is the name of the placeholder you selected (unless the placeholder is new). Check the Optionally specify the placeholder definition on the template check box.

   The dialog expands. Select the placeholder definition to map in the placeholder tag from the menu.

4. The mapping is now created in the tag.

Associating a Placeholder with a Global Placeholder Definition

When you have created the placeholder mappings, the placeholder definition is associated to placeholders you create according to the mappings.

By using a different placeholder definition in a placeholder, you can use different subtemplates, region templates, or allow for some instances of a placeholder to be available to contributors for editing, or any other aspect that has been defined in your placeholder definition.

To associate a placeholder with a global placeholder definition, follow these steps:

1. Insert the placeholder on the page template (see Inserting Placeholders)

2. As you insert the placeholder, the Define Placeholder dialog (see Define Placeholder Dialog) opens. Select a placeholder name.

3. Click OK.

4. The placeholder definition is now associated with the placeholder.

Adding a Region Definition to a Placeholder Definition

The placeholder definitions list the region definitions, region templates, and subtemplates associated (and thus available to use) with the placeholder. Adding a region definition to, or removing a region definition from, a placeholder definition is a very simple task.

When a region definition is associated with a placeholder, then only those elements that are associated with that region definition are available to use in Contributor. This is especially important to remember in those cases where you might give a contributor access to switch the region content or the region template.

To associate a region definition with a placeholder definition, follow these steps:

1. Open the placeholder definition from the Site Assets pane.

   The Placeholder Definition dialog (see Placeholder Definition Dialog) appears.

2. In the Allowed Region Definitions pane, click Add.

   The Select a Region Definition Dialog appears.

3. Select a region definition, and click OK.

4. The region definition is now associated with the placeholder definition.

When you have added a region definition, you may want to add a region template to associate with the definition.

To remove a region definition from a placeholder definition, follow these steps:

1. Open the placeholder definition from the Site Assets pane.

   The Placeholder Definition dialog (see Placeholder Definition Dialog) appears.

2. In the Allowed Region Definitions pane, select a region definition.

3. Click Remove.

4. The region definition is now removed from the placeholder definition.

Associating a Region Template with a Placeholder Definition

The placeholder definition lists the region definitions, region templates, and subtemplates associated (and thus available to use) with the placeholder. Adding a region definition to, or removing a region definition from, a placeholder definition is a very simple task.

When a region template is associated with a placeholder, then the region template along with the region definition used, can define the element definitions which displays the data and be available in Contributor. Region templates are used to define a specific layout of elements; when a region template is added, it must be associated with a region definition already in the placeholder definition.

To associate a region template with a placeholder definition, follow these steps:

1. Open the placeholder definition from the Site Assets pane.

   The Placeholder Definition dialog (see Placeholder Definition Dialog) appears.

2. In the Allowed Region Definitions pane, select a region definition that the region template is used with.

3. In the Allowed Region Templates pane, click Add.

   The Select a Region Template Dialog appears.

4. Select a region definition, and click OK.

5. The region definition is now associated with the placeholder definition.

Only those region templates that are associated to a region definition displays in the Select Region Template dialog. The association between a region template and a region definition is stored as metadata on the region template.

To make a region template the default, complete these steps:

1. Open the placeholder definition from the Site Assets pane.

   The Placeholder Definition dialog (see Placeholder Definition Dialog) appears.

2. In the Allowed Region Definitions pane, select a region definition.

   The Allowed Region Templates pane displays the associated region templates.

3. In the Allowed Region Templates pane, select a region definition.

4. Click Make Default.

5. The region template is now the default template for the selected region definition within this placeholder definition.

To remove a region template from a placeholder definition, follow these steps:

1. Open the placeholder definition from the Site Assets pane.

   The Placeholder Definition dialog (see Placeholder Definition Dialog) appears.

2. In the Allowed Region Templates pane, select a region template.

3. Click Remove.

4. The region template is now removed from the placeholder definition.

Associating a Subtemplate with a Placeholder Definition

The placeholder definition lists the region definitions, region templates, and subtemplates associated (and thus available to use) with the placeholder. Adding a subtemplate to, or removing a subtemplate from, a placeholder definition is a very simple task.

When you use a subtemplate associated with a placeholder, the site assets, and any placeholders on the subtemplate, appears on the final web page. It is not necessary to use a subtemplate.

A subtemplate can be any section of HTML comprised of static assets and placeholders, each with their own definitions. This is especially important to remember in those cases where you might give a contributor access to switch the region content or the region template.

To associate a subtemplate with a placeholder definition, follow these steps:

1. Open the placeholder definition from the Site Assets pane.

   The Placeholder Definition dialog (see Placeholder Definition Dialog) appears.

2. In the Allowed Subtemplates pane, click Add.

   The Select a Subtemplate dialog appears.

3. Select a subtemplate, and click OK.

4. The subtemplate is now associated with the placeholder.

To remove a subtemplate from a placeholder definition, follow these steps:

1. Open the placeholder definition from the Site Assets pane.

   The Placeholder Definition dialog (see Placeholder Definition Dialog) appears.

2. In the Allowed Subtemplates pane, select a subtemplate.

3. Click Remove.

4. The subtemplate is now removed from the placeholder definition.