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Introduction on Signification and Intention of Micro Templates

You already got to know the Portalsuite template conception as well as HTML templates, the Portalsuite template functions and the configuration sets along with it.

With the templates you control the output of the website, with the template functions data like articles, pictures, categories etc. are dynamically generated from the Portalsuite data base, and the configuration sets enable you to configure the template functions as you like. But there are only parameters in the configuration sets which affect only data, but do not affect the output. The so-called micro templates, which build the fourth and last block of the Portalsuite template conception, are responsible for the output configuration.

The micro templates define the way of output for the Portalsuite template functions. Like the normal article overview templates, article view templates and the implemented sub templates, the micro templates are based on HTML as well as on PHP-based code. The PHP code in the micro templates is already much more complex, since at least case discriminations as well as application of object-oriented programming is necessary. Pure HTML knowledge is not sufficient for creating and administering micro templates. We recommend strongly that non-PHP programmers, who want to work in the micro template technology of the Portunity Portalsuite, learn PHP first ! On the other hand professionals have full control of the output of those template Portalsuite functions, using the micro templates.

For that also beginners and non-PHP programmers do not fail in building websites or at the template conception and quick success is achievable, Portunity provides micro templates - so-called micro templates - in the Portalsuite. Those are the micro templates which make sure that reasonable outputs have been gained already during your first steps and applications.

Now the micro template-configuration options in the configuration sets become plain: With the dropdown-selection fields you can set up which micro templates shall be used for which part of the output. The dropdown-selection fields offer the default micro templates as well as the micro templates you defined yourself, for selection. In the configuration sets is defined which micro templates shall be used for output of the corresponding template function. But this also implicates that you also need a configuration set if you merely want to define your own micro templates without changing the default settings.

The concept of micro templates is continuously used in the Portalsuite 2002, both in the Portalsuite Light and in the Advanced and Enterprise version. But the option to create and use your own micro templates is implemented in the Advanced and higher versions only. In the Light version merely the default micro templates are available.

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