Assigning a Secondary Page

Each section in the site hierarchy, including the root of the site needs a secondary page if contributors are allowed to add new files (data files or native documents) to the Web site. The secondary page acts like a backdrop for the new content added to the site by a contributor.

Both primary and secondary pages provide true scalability for a growing Web site. You can manage the "look and feel" of your entire site, regardless of its size, with just a few page templates.

The secondary page in each section, if you decide to use one, is the template for the pages that can have dynamically placed content. A secondary page acts like a backdrop for new files added to the site by a contributor. The page template is reused for each new data file or native document added to the site, and therefore you do not have to create multiple web pages in each section; just one primary page and one secondary page.

To assign a page template to use as the secondary page for a section, perform these tasks:

1. In the Site Hierarchy pane, right-click the desired section (or the root) and choose Select Secondary Page.

2. In the Select (Secondary) Page Template dialog (see Select (Secondary) Page Template Dialog), choose how you want to create the secondary page for this section:

   • Create a new page template: A new page template is created, checked into the content server, and associated with this section. Choose hcsp, jsp, or asp as the file extension. The available extension depends on the site type that you chose when creating the site.

   • Select existing page template from the content server: An existing page template in the content server is associated with this section. Select the page template in the menu or select <Choose From Server> to browse to it in the content server when this dialog closes.

   • Create a new page template from an existing one: A new HCSP, JSP, or ASP page is created based on another page template, checked into the content server, and associated with this section. The page template that is used to create the new one can come from one of two sources:

     • stored in the content server: A page template stored on the content server is used. Select it from the menu (if the page template is one you created recently); if not, select <Choose From Server> to browse to it in the content server when this dialog closes.

     • stored on the file system: A page template stored on the file system is used. This option can be useful if you've created a page template on your file system (perhaps using a third-party editor) and want to use that design for this page template. The file must have the appropriate file extension (hcsp, jsp, or asp).

3. If you want to use this same secondary page in every section of the Web site below this one, check the box Apply recursively to all subsections. (This performs the same action as if you're reusing a page template throughout the site hierarchy.)

4. Click OK to close the Select (Secondary) Page Template dialog.

   Depending on your choices above, you may be taken to the content server screen to select an existing page template or assign metadata to a new page template.