Talking points: Exponential Layouts
This page is for advocates who show editors and designers how pages are built. Exponential Layouts is "a visual page builder for Exponential. It brings the concept of the upstream layouts packages to the Exponential kernel: a layout is a saved arrangement of blocks in zones, and a rule decides which pages get it" (Exponential Layouts).
Contents
The concepts in plain words
| Word | Plain meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | A saved arrangement of a page | The layouts editor, Layouts, zones and blocks |
| Zone | An area of the page, such as header, main or sidebar | same |
| Block | One piece in a zone: a title, a list, a gallery, some text | same |
| Mapping | The rule that decides which pages use a layout: a location, a subtree, a content type or a siteaccess | Which pages use a layout |
| Shared layout | A layout, such as header and footer, that other layouts link to instead of copying | Demo scripts, Part 2 |
The points
| Say | Source |
|---|---|
| "Editors arrange pages themselves, without template work." | Exponential Layouts |
| "You drag blocks into zones and configure each block on the right." | The layouts editor |
| "Layouts have drafts: publish, keep the draft, or throw it away." | Publish, keep or throw away |
| "Header and footer live in one shared layout; other layouts link to it." | Demo scripts, Part 2 |
| "A mapping decides which pages use a layout: a location, a subtree, a content type or a siteaccess." | Which pages use a layout |
| "It is required by the kernel since 6.0.15, so new installations have it." | Exponential Layouts |
| "Exponential Platform Nexus ships the layouts editor on the Symfony side; DXP does not." | Knowing the product family |
A one-minute demo
On an installation you control:
- Layouts tab, Layouts, Open a layout.
- Add a block, drag a Title block into a zone, type a title.
- Drag the block to another zone.
- Point at a linked zone: "This comes from the shared header and footer."
- Discard and confirm: "Nothing changed on the site."
Longer: Demo scripts, Part 4: layouts, end to end.
Credit where it is due
Exponential Layouts is a port of the concept of the upstream layouts packages to the Exponential kernel. When you present it, say so: "It brings the concept of the upstream layouts packages to Exponential." Crediting the work of others is part of the project's practice (How the project grows, Respecting other projects and companies).
Do not call it "Netgen Layouts for Exponential": it has its own name (Brand and naming rules, Do and Don't).
Do not say
- "Editors never need a developer again." Developers still build block templates and the design.
- "It works the same on every distribution." DXP ships no layouts editor.
- "Any page can be changed by anyone." Roles decide who may edit layouts.
Related pages
- The layouts editor
- Talking points for editors
- Feature highlights, Editors build pages themselves
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
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