The overall goal of the templating system is to provide the publishing team with a set of tools for simplifying the development and maintenance of the user interface. In particular:
-A common solution. Programmers and designers should only -have to learn a single system that serves as a UI substrate for all -the functionally specific modules used on a site. The system should -not make any assumptions about how pages should look or function. -Designers should be able to change the default presentation of any -module using a single metholodogy with minimal exposure to -code.
-Separation of code (Tcl, Java and SQL) and layout (HTML). -Programmers should be able to specify the data sources and other -properties of the template independently of the HTML template used -to present the data. HTML authors should be able to write templates -that reference the data sources and properties without further -intervention from the programmer to produce a finished page.
-Separation of page components. There should be provisions -so that pages can be broken into discrete components to simplify -maintenance of the HTML code and allow for reuse in different -contexts. Examples of common page components include a navigation -bar, a search box, or a section of a report or story. Another -common example is a portal page that allows the user to choose from -a palette of features to display.
-Global control over presentation. There should be a way -to define one or more standard master templates used by most pages -on a site, so that changes to the overall look and feel of a site -can be made in one place.
-Dynamic selection of presentation style. Given that the -same data may be presented in many different ways, there should be -a general mechanism for selecting a specific presentation +A common solution. Programmers and designers +should only have to learn a single system that serves as a UI +substrate for all the functionally specific modules used on a site. +The system should not make any assumptions about how pages should +look or function. Designers should be able to change the default +presentation of any module using a single metholodogy with minimal +exposure to code.
+Separation of code (Tcl, Java and SQL) and layout +(HTML). Programmers should be able to specify the data +sources and other properties of the template independently of the +HTML template used to present the data. HTML authors should be able +to write templates that reference the data sources and properties +without further intervention from the programmer to produce a +finished page.
+Separation of page components. There should be +provisions so that pages can be broken into discrete components to +simplify maintenance of the HTML code and allow for reuse in +different contexts. Examples of common page components include a +navigation bar, a search box, or a section of a report or story. +Another common example is a portal page that allows the user to +choose from a palette of features to display.
+Global control over presentation. There should +be a way to define one or more standard master templates used by +most pages on a site, so that changes to the overall look and feel +of a site can be made in one place.
+Dynamic selection of presentation style. Given +that the same data may be presented in many different ways, there +should be a general mechanism for selecting a specific presentation (including file format, layout, character set and language) for each page request, depending on characteristics such as user preference, location, browser type and/or device.
-Usability. Programmers should be able to develop template -specifications using their standard tools for writing and -maintaining code on the server. HTML authors should be able to -access information about template specifications and work on -templates remotely without needing shell access to the server.