6 Configuring a Layout
Introduction
Layout in Communication Cloud Service helps you to arrange and organize Content within a Document by defining how elements such as headers, footers, text, images, tables, and lists are positioned and displayed. These elements are grouped into manageable blocks, grids, or lists in the Document. This helps you to define or design the structure of the Document.
As an administrator at your financial institution, you can use Communication Layout to design the structure of documents, such as a welcome communications to your new customers or relationship statements to your existing customers. For example, if you want to send out a relationship statement to your customers every month, you can configure Layout and structure it using Block, Grid, and List, to enhance the clarity and presentation. Use Block layouts for the header, Body and footer, which will include the bank logo, greeting, and contact details. With the Grid layout you can display the customer and account information side by side. Finally, use a List layout to present information in lists form.
In Communication Cloud Service, during Package configuration, the Rule defines which Documents must be included in the final output, and each Document specifies the Layouts to be used. These Layouts can be reused across multiple Documents, ensuring consistency in design. The User Defined Data Structure association under Layout configuration determines the relation between the Layout and associated Content configuration which processes the relevant information to determine the corresponding output and automatically places them in the appropriate sections. Additionally, associating Styles with the Layout defines the visual appearance.
Functionalities
Following are the functionalities of a Layout:
- Content Organization: Layouts control the visual arrangement of Content, such as text, images, tables, and lists in an aesthetically pleasing manner. This includes organizing Content in blocks, grids, or lists to meet specific communication requirements.
- Multi-Document Support: Layouts can be mapped to multiple Documents, allowing the same Content to be dynamically placed depending on the Document. This enables the creation of complex Documents that combine various types of information, such as reports or offers in a single communication output.
- Responsive Layouts: Layouts are designed to automatically adapt to different screen sizes using responsive design principles, ensuring optimal viewing across desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
Types of Layout:
The following are the different types of Layout and the functionalities:
| Layout Type | Key Functionalities |
|---|---|
| Block Layout | Block layout supports simple content stacking, mobile-friendly, easy personalization, linear content flow, and responsive design. It displays content in a vertical flow, with each module of Content stacked on top of the other. It is suitable for simple or linear Documents. |
| Grid Layout | Grid layout supports complex content organization through clear sectioning. It divides the page into named areas (for example, header, sidebar, main content), allowing precise placement of Content for structured and organized Documents. This is ideal for Documents that need to organize Content into multiple, distinct sections (for example, a complex statement with several different categories of information). |
| List Layout | List layout is used to display Content in a structured list format such as checklists, bullet points, or step-by-step instructions, ensuring clarity and simplicity while supporting dynamic personalization. |
Example
- Logo: Company logo, statement title
- Billing Information: Customer name and account details
- Access the Oracle Financial Services Cloud application.
- Create a Style configurations:
- Header Grid: Define grid areas corresponding to the statement sections. Like, ‘Logo’ and ‘Customer And Title’ as two grid areas to be appeared side by side.
- List Appearance: Define the list styling configurations.
- Create the required Layouts (Block or List Layout):
- Company Logo: Type ‘Block’ Layout.
- Customer And Statement Title: Type ‘Block’ Layout.
- Header Info: Type ‘Grid’ layout.
- Transactions Information: Type ‘Block’ layout
- Total Summary: Type ‘List’ layout.
- Footer Information: Type ‘Block’ layout for page number.
- Associate Content to include the following:
- In ‘Company Logo’ layout, associate contents having company logo.
- In ‘Customer And Statement Title’ layout, associate content having customer and statement title details.
- In ‘Header Info’ layout, associate the ‘Header Grid’ style and ‘Company Logo’ and ‘Customer And Statement Title’ layouts along with defining the style area.
- Set Layout Area Name = Logo for ‘Company Logo’ layout
- Layout Area Name = Customer And Title for ‘Customer And Statement Title’ layout
- (Optional) Assign appropriate style classes (for branding, fonts, spacing).
- Aways Triggered = True for all to ensure all the sections appear.
- In ‘Transactions Information’ layout, associate a table content having a configuration for listing the transactions in a tabular format.
- In ‘Total Summary’ layout, associate contents having each list related statement as a separate Content.
- Associate the ‘List Appearance’ Style by defining a Style Class under Layout.
- Associate the Style Class for every Content belonging to this Layout.
- In ‘Footer Info’ Layout, associate a content having page number details.
- Associate the below Layouts to the Document
- Header Info
- Customer And Statement Title
- Transactions Info
- Total Summary
- Footer Info
Here is the illustration of the example:
Configuration Movement
Configuring a Layout follows the configuration movement process; that is, if you configure a Layout in one tenancy (non-production), you can move the configuration to different tenancies (pre-production and production) sequentially.
For more information refer, Understanding Configuration Movement topic.