Zoho Sites Help
Zoho Sites Help

Template Development

  • Are you familiar with template development? 
  • Would you like to learn how a Zoho Sites template works?


Well, you've come to the right place!

This document will tell you everything you need to know about developing templates on Zoho Sites

        

In this article:

  What is a template?

Template files are like building blocks that fit together to generate pages on your website.

  What are the benefits of a template?

  • Templates work as a branding tool by providing a distinct look throughout your site.
  • They also allow you to customize individual layouts such as pages and blog.

  What programming languages do we use?

HTML, CSS, Javascript, and FACE (a template language we've created). Check out the language reference for FACE.

  How are template files organized?

CSS, Javascript, and image files are kept in individual directories. The other files are kept in the base directory.

 Configuration files

  • template.conf

                

This file contains information about the template such as the CSS and JS files that are used in your layouts. Click here for more information.

                

  • Layout files

                

Layout files are FACE files written to render pages such as: blog lists, blog posts, and regular pages. Each layout file works according to its specific data model. For example, the output of a regular page will vary from the output of a blog list page.

For instance:

                

This layout is chosen when a regular page is rendered. It receives the page data model that every page requires.

                

This layout is chosen when a blog index page is rendered. It receives the page and blog data models.

                

This layout is chosen when a blog post page is rendered. It receives the page, blog, and blog-post data models.

                

Style sheets within the layout file will reflect the style within that face. However, style sheets outside the layout file will reflect the style throughout all the faces.

                

Note: Customized templates will no longer receive our updates.