Understanding Template Types
Each portal template is either page-based, frame-based, or inline frame-based (iframe-based), and each template is either static or dynamic. Template types come in five possible combinations:
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Page-based static templates.
These are content references with a usage type of HTML template and a storage type of Local (in HTML Catalog).
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Page-based dynamic templates.
These are content references with a usage type of HTML template and a storage type of Remote by URL.
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Frame-based static templates.
These are content references with a usage type of Frame template and a storage type of Local (in HTML Catalog).
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Frame-based dynamic templates.
These are content references with a usage type of Frame template and a storage type of Remote by URL.
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iFrame-based dynamic templates.
These are content references with a usage type of Inline frame template and a storage type of Remote by URL.
A page-based template uses HTML tables to generate a page. Content is placed in each table cell that is defined by the template. The portal servlet uses the page-assembly process to retrieve documents for each cell. The assembled page is then sent as a single unit to the user’s browser.
A frame-based template uses frames, rather than HTML tables, to divide the page into parts. The portal servlet constructs the appropriate URL for each frame (<src> tag in the frameset) and sends the entire frameset to the browser. The browser then retrieves the content for each frame.
An iframe-based template uses HTML with embedded inline frames to divide the page into parts. The portal servlet constructs the appropriate URL for each section of the page and sends the HTML to the browser. The browser then retrieves the content for each section and each inline frame.
A static template is based on HTML code that is entered into the HTML area of a template content reference (a content reference that exists in the Portal Objects\Templates folder of the portal registry). Bind variables cannot be used within the HTML area. The HTML includes any HTML that is required for the template itself, plus tags that specify the URLs for template pagelets. You can view and update the contents of a static template on the portal administration pages.
A dynamic template is retrieved from the web in real time, as part of the page-assembly process, rather than stored in the database with the content reference. A dynamic template can use bind variables. You cannot view the HTML contents of the dynamic template directly on the portal administration pages. Instead, the portal administration pages enable you to identify the URL that points to the resource that provides the template content. If the dynamic template is implemented by an iScript, you can use PeopleSoft Application Designer to navigate to the record and field where the iScript exists. The content provided by the URL is the HTML that is used for the dynamic template at runtime.