In this first installment in a three-part webinar series about content editing and reuse in Cascade Server, Bryce Roberts of Stoneridge Corporation discusses one way to set up flexible layouts for your site.

1. By Bryce Roberts, MS, MSPH
StoneRidge Corporation
Bryce@stoneridge.net
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation

2. • Block Based Content – 3/5
• Configurable Layouts – 3/12
• In-context Editing – 3/19
These are technical presentations on advance
development for Cascade Server, let‟s dive in …
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3. Dynamic page layouts through
data definitions and formats
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4.  Basic understanding of user-configurable
layout compared to template layout
 General benefits of user-configurable layout
 How user-configurable layout supports block
based content
 Limitations of user-configurable layout
implementations
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation

5. Regions, regions, and more
<system-region name=“more”/>
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6.  If all content is in a single WYSIWYG for the
page, you only need one region (default
region)
 If content is block based, you need one
region per block included on the page
◦ Template creep
◦ Fixed layout
◦ Better with inline-block regions
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation

7.  Hard-coded layouts with rows, columns, and
regions
◦ Maintainer‟s nightmare
◦ Fixed layout
BUT, Cascade Server has an elegant solution …
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8. Template with Multiple Content Regions
Example of a page that has many content system-region for main content.
This example has 15 regions for main content.
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9. User-Configurable Content
Layouts
</hassle>
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10.  Go back to page content as a single, giant
WYSIWYG block
◦ Step backwards! – Not ideal!
◦ Why?
 Just add more regions
◦ Harder to maintain and support
◦ Requires more training for users
◦ Requires users to edit configuration sets
…
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation

11.  Flexible layouts
◦ Flexible implementation
◦ Intuitive for most end-users
◦ Supports separation of layout and content
◦ Allows Cascade‟s agile nature to shine
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12.  Data definition based
◦ Row  Column  Block
◦ Can be nested
◦ Highly configurable
 Lego®-like building of page
 Supports grid systems!
 Supports content classing and configuration
by users
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation

13.  Solution
◦ Page level flexible layouts
 Unlimited rows
 Up to two columns
 Can add style class to column
 Unlimited blocks
◦ Velocity based format
◦ Supports responsive design
◦ Validation (processed only know block types)
 Example – Emory Interior Page
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14. Flexible Layout - Data Definition
Structure data multiple sections, columns, and blocks.
In addition, it includes class configuration on the column.
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15. Flexible Layout – Velocity Format
Format transform for into an arbitrary number of rows, with up to two columns,
and an arbitrary number of blocks. The columns are classed for type, style and
position automatically.
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16. Validation – “Wrong Block Type Selected”
This is an example of how to alert a user about a misconfiguration on the page.
The alert is only visible inside Cascade Server and is not published
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17. How do we get here?
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18.  Identify types of layouts needed and
configuration options
 Decide if page-level layouts or block-level
layouts are needed … or both
 Identify types of blocks needed
◦ Examples: Set of links, WYSIWYG, Call to Action, RSS
feed, Accordion, Tab, etc.
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19.  Create intuitive, supportive data definitions
 Include an non-editable auto-type fields
◦ Type = „layout‟
 Use consistent structures
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21. <system-data-structure>
<text identifier="type"
label="Block Type"
restrict-to-groups="hidden"
default=“layout" required="true"/>
<text identifier="title" label="Title"/>
<group identifier=“row" label=“Row" multiple="true">
<group identifier=“column"
label=“column" multiple="true">
<asset type=“block" identifier=“block"
label=“Content Block” multiple=“true” />
</group>
</group>
</system-data-structure>
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation

22. <system-data-structure>
<text identifier="type"
label="Block Type"
restrict-to-groups="hidden"
default=“layout" required="true"/>
<text identifier="title" label="Title"/>
<group identifier=“row" label=“Row" multiple="true">
<group identifier=“column"
label=“column" multiple="true">
<asset type=“block" identifier=“block"
label=“Content Block” multiple=“true” />
</group>
</group>
</system-data-structure>
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation

23. <system-data-structure>
<text identifier="type"
label="Block Type"
restrict-to-groups="hidden"
default=“layout" required="true"/>
<text identifier="title" label="Title"/>
<group identifier=“row" label=“Row" multiple="true">
<group identifier=“column"
label=“column" multiple="true">
<asset type=“block" identifier=“block"
label=“Content Block” multiple=“true” />
</group>
</group>
</system-data-structure>
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation

24.  Check block type
◦ Notify user of errors in block type choice
◦ Validate both as a layout and as correct content blocks
 Formats must be designed to process multiple
types of blocks with one format (or import if
using XSLT)
 Output should reflect block content – Can include
semantic identification and layout information
◦ If the input block is a link set, then output a link set.
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32.  It is all about organization!
 XSLT
◦ Use import to keep the parts of your code separate
 Modularity
◦ Tools are your friend – write components!
◦ More verbose that Velocity
 Velocity
◦ Used macros
◦ Test often. It can and will output noncompliant XML
value, making it harder to debug
◦ Terse procedural syntax – embrace the style
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33. Having your cake and having
to eat it too
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34.  Page layouts are completely configurable!
 Better support for editors!
 Validation is possible!
 Like Lego® blocks, you can build almost
anything with flexible, user-configurable
layouts
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation

35.  More steps in the creation of a page
 Less intuitive for editing content
◦ Block is not on page
◦ Layout is separate from content
 More initial planning on site setup
 Lose Cascade‟s in-context support
◦ But … just wait until next week.
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation

36. I wouldn‟t be here without you
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation

37.  Emory University
◦ For being a great client whose challenging needs
and great ideas drive great solutions
 Hannon Hill
◦ For continuing to develop and add wonderful
features to Cascade Server
◦ For nurturing a wonderfully vibrant user community
 John, Kat and Holly
◦ For making this presentation possible and for all
your support of the series
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation

38. Bryce Roberts, MS, MSPH
StoneRidge Corporation
1050 E Piedmont Rd.
Suite E-222
Marietta GA, 30062
678-391-6173
Bryce@stoneridge.net
www.stoneridge.net
© 2013 – StoneRidge Corporation