Creating a Layout

Introduction

Create a Layout in Communication Cloud Service defines how Content is structured and visually presented in a Document. Associating Content with specific Layout sections (for example, headers, body, footers) ensures the right information is displayed in the appropriate section. Styles control visual elements, such as fonts, colors, and backgrounds, ensuring consistency and adherence to branding guidelines. For Grid Layouts, associating Layout to another Layouts enables flexible and responsive design, allowing Content to adapt seamlessly across devices. Once configured, Layouts can be reused across multiple Documents, ensuring consistent design and branding.

Prerequisites

Following are the prerequisites to consider before creating a Layout in Communication Cloud Service.

Note:

Ensure that you complete the prerequisite before proceeding.
Prerequisites Details
Set the Config ID Config ID must be Active.

Ensure that all dependent configurations and associations are part of the same open Config ID.

See Creating Config ID for creating a Config ID.
Configure Entitlements Ensure that you have the required entitlements to create a Layout.
Create Contents Ensure that you have created the Contents that need to be associated to the Layouts. See Content Configuration.
Create Styles Ensure that you have created the Styles that need to be associated to the Layouts. This is optional. See Configuring Styles.
Create Layouts Ensure that you have created the required Layouts that need to be associated to the Layouts.
Create Style Class Ensure that you have created the Style Class for a Style that is associated to a Document, that needs to be used in the Layout or the Contents of a Layout. This is optional.

See Adding Style Classes.

Before creating a Layout in Communication Cloud Service, it is important for you to understand the communication objectives, how the document needs to be structured, and where the Layouts need to be placed. This includes determining the Content sections, such as headers, body, and footers, and how they should be organized and presented. You also need to decide on the layout types (Block, Grid, or List) based on the Content and the desired user experience. Additionally, identifying the Styles is required to ensure the Layout aligns with your organization's design standards. Once these elements are defined, the Layout can be configured to provide a clear, consistent, and personalized communication output.

Components involved in creating the Layout:

Creating the Layout involves some key components that enable the positioning of the Content in the communications. These components include Contents, Styles, Layouts, and Style Class, which can be reused across various configurations, ensuring efficiency and consistency in the communication output.

  1. Layout Types

    The Layout Type defines how Content is structured within a Document. The Block layout displays Content in distinct, separate sections, making it suitable for clear segmentation of information. The Grid layout organizes Content into rows and columns, allowing for structured, side-by-side presentation of related data. The List layout presents Content in a linear, vertically aligned format, commonly used for bullet points or numbered lists to convey steps or grouped items clearly.

  2. Layout Configuration

    Layouts can be associated to one another to create a more flexible and modular design structure. This is applicable for Grid layout. It allows different Layout types such as, Block or List Layouts, to be placed in specific grid areas, ensuring that Content is displayed in an organized and structured manner. For example, a Layout for a header can be associated to a Layout for the body of a Document. Associating Layouts to one another also ensures that the Content adapts to different document types, making it easier to manage and maintain a consistent visual experience across various communication outputs.

  3. Content Configuration

    Contents define the information to be displayed within the Layout, such as text, images, tables, and images. These Contents can be associated to particular sections of the Layout, such as headers, footers, or the body of the Document. This association ensures that the right information is placed in the appropriate section, maintaining consistency and accuracy in the final communication output.

    See Content Configuration for more details.

  4. Style Configuration

    Association of Layout to Styles defines the visual appearance of the communication. It allows you to set design elements like fonts, colors, backgrounds, and text formatting to maintain consistency across multiple communication outputs.

    See Configuring Styles for more details.

Creating a Layout

Creating a Layout in Communication Cloud Service includes the following:
  1. Providing basic information, selecting Layout Type and Style Class
  2. Associating Layouts, Contents and Styles
To create a Layout, follow these steps:
  1. Access the Oracle Financial Services Cloud application.
  2. From Menu, select Communication and then select Layout.
  3. On the Communication Layout landing page, select Create.
  4. In Basic Information section, enter the Name, Long Name and Description (optional), to identify the Layout.
  5. From Type, select Block, Grid, or List to identify the type of Layout you want to configure. By default, Block is selected.

    Note:

    You cannot modify Type after you create the Layout configuration.
  6. In Style Class Name, select one or more style classes in which you want your content information to be styled and presented in the communication output. This is optional. You can also search with the Style Class name which was created at a Document level, where the Layout can be associated to.

    Note:

    If there is no Style Class defined previously, then you cannot select values under Style Class Name in Create Communication Layout page.
  7. In Status section, under Active Date, the date is set to the current date when the Layout is created. You can modify it to a future date, but you cannot leave it blank.
  8. Select Save to save the details and add the association, or Save & Exit to save the details and return to the landing page.

Associating Layouts, Contents and Styles

Association in a Layout is essential to ensure that Content is seamlessly integrated to generate the desired communication output. By associating Content with specific Layouts and linking them to layout types (Block, Grid, or List), you can organize information effectively and maintain consistency across different communication outputs. Additionally, associating Layouts to Styles ensures that the styling for the Contents of a Layout is uniform.

Associating Contents

Associating Layout to the Contents is applicable only for Block and List Layout types. You can associate a Layout to one or more Contents.

Note:

If Content is associated to a List type, the entire information of that content is displayed as a single list item using the applied style.
To associate Contents to the Layout, follow these steps:
  1. In Update Communication Layout page, under Associations, select Add next to Contents.
  2. Select the Content that you want to associate. You can select multiple Contents.
  3. In Content Attributes page, select Edit icon to set the Content Always Triggered to either True or False. This allows you to control whether the Content needs to be always included in the communication output. By default, in all the selected Contents, the Content Always Triggered is set to True. If you are setting Content Always Triggered to False, then you need to explicitly define the condition for this Content in the Assembly Template during Package configuration
  4. After editing, select check mark to save the changes or cross mark to discard the changes.
  5. To change the sequence, select the Content, and drag it to your preferred position. This ensures that each Content is used in the specified order during Layout preparation, for a structured and consistent presentation of the information.
  6. Select Done to return to Update Communication Layout page.
  7. Select Save to save the association.

Associating Styles

You can optionally associate a Layout to one or more Styles. Styles applied to Layout using Style Class can be overridden by direct Style associations. While defining a Layout, you can select and apply a Style Class from a predefined list of Style Classes available at a Document level where the Layout can be associated to.

To associate a Layout to Styles, follow these steps:
  1. In Update Communication Layout page, under Associations, select Add next to Styles.
  2. Select the Style that you want to associate. You can select multiple Styles.
  3. In Style Attributes page, select edit icon to enter the Style Class Name. This is optional. Enter the name of the Style Class to apply the corresponding style attributes. When a Style Class is defined, its attributes are inherited and applied to the Layouts and its Contents that use the Style Class. If no Style Class name is provided, the style attributes will be applied directly to the Layouts and Contents.
  4. After editing, select check mark to save the changes or cross mark to discard the changes.
  5. To change the sequence, select the Style, and drag it to your preferred position. This ensures that each Style is applied in the specified order, maintaining consistent formatting and appearance across the Layout where Style are being used.
  6. Select Done to return to Update Communication Layout page.
  7. Select Save to save the association.

Note:

If the Layout Type is set to List or Grid, then you need to associate the Layout to the Styles that define List-specific attributes.

Associating Layouts

Associating Layout to another Layout is applicable only for Grid Layout types. You can associate a Layout to more than one Layouts.

To associate Layouts to one or more Layouts, follow these steps:
  1. In Update Communication Layout page, under Associations, select Add next to Layouts.
  2. Select the Layouts that you want to associate.
  3. In Layout Attributes page, select edit icon to set the Layout Always Triggered to either True or False. This allows you to control whether the Layout needs to be always included in the communication output. By default, in all the selected Layouts, the Layout Always Triggered is set to True. If you are setting Layout Always Triggered to False, then you need to explicitly define the condition for this Layout in the Assembly Template during Package configuration.
  4. For Grid type, you need to provide Layout Area Name, that is, Area Name that you have provided in the Grid Template Area during Style configuration. The Style for the Grid that you have defined during the Style configuration will be applied in the Layout.
  5. After editing, select check mark to save the changes or cross mark to discard the changes.
  6. To change the sequence, select the Layout, and drag it to your preferred position. This ensures that each Layout is used in the specified order, for a structured and consistent presentation of the information.
  7. Select Done to return to Update Communication Layout page.
  8. Select Save to save the association.