View mapping objects are provided for all the default asset types and properties in ATG Content Administration. For this reason, you can usually display any asset or property without needing to configure any view mappings; the View Mapping system simply uses the default items to represent your assets.
If you want to change the presentation of any of the default asset types, for example to change a property so that it uses a dropdown list instead of radio buttons as an edit control, you must configure an appropriate view mapping item.
When creating view mappings, remember that the View Mapping system acts as a hierarchy of overrides, so you only need to configure the parts of a view to differ from the default. An itemMapping declares the asset type and view mode for which it is used. If you want to change the way a single property of the asset type X is edited, you create an itemMapping for that asset type, setting the mode to edit. Then, whenever you edit an asset of type X, the new itemMapping is used. The View Mapping system renders the original, default representation of that asset, except that for setting you specifically defined in the new itemMapping, which overrides the default version of that setting.
You should always create view mapping items rather than edit the default ones, because many default items are used more than once in the ATG Business Control Center. Thus, changing an item can unintentionally affect multiple asset types or properties.
The basic process for creating items for the view mapping repository (for example, a new propertyView or itemViewMapping repository item) is the same:
Access the ACC and display the Publishing > View Mapping task window.
Note: For the View Mapping menu item to appear, your user profile must be assigned to a group that has the
Publishing: EPublishing Repositoryoption enabled in the People and Organizations > Control Center Groups window. For more information on enabling Control Center Group options, refer to the ATG Programming Guide.Specify the type of item you want to create in the List field, and then click List. Existing items of this type appear in the list of the left. It can be helpful to review these as examples.
Click New Item. The New Item dialog box appears, with fields appropriate for a new item of the type you want to create. Refer to the description of each item earlier in this chapter for information on the properties values to supply.
For an example of associating view mapping items with each other to configure asset display, see the next section, Setting Up Asset Preview.
