eZ Layout Speed Tips
A few notes to get the layouts started on the right foot.
Do not use folders for initial tier1 (site itself is zero tier) site layout, use front pages.
- Folders are fast to lay up, and seem to be the logical content type for the first tier of the site. But they never hold up as the site progresses. Inevitably front pages are the only way to get the site laid out to suit.
- Moving contents from folders to front pages is a lot of work on a site of any size. To save time, just start off with front pages. Then, if folders are needed to structure the site, add the folders.
- **Side Note** As of eZ 411, link to folders within site structure is automatic in Item List template, impossible in 3 Items manual template. To reference folders nested within site structure - use an Item List - period.
Decide upon a standard front page layout for use at each tier of the site.
- Uniformity in the user interface is enhanced.
- Changing layouts, requires re-inputting content, is time consuming after-the-fact.
Leave the global zone design element in place when deleting default site content. It has many uses, will need to be re-created later as the site progresses, better just to leave it in from the beginning.
Work a single prototype tier structure complete from top to bottom to satisfaction of all before including all the elements at any given tier. For example, if working on states->Countiies->Cities-Addresses, AL->County->Birmingham->Address, complete the layouts for each tier before moving on to AK.
- It is tempting to add in all the elements at each tier, enhancing the appearance of progress.
- Much better to eschew the appearance of progress at this point and work on hammering out the layouts for each tier.
- Layouts will get kicked around a lot at the prototype stage. Better to only have to do this once at each level of the tier structure, than go back and change the structure on 50 prototypes.
- Flesh the layout out from tier down to tier down to tier until a single top to bottom structure is in place.
- Then can just copy that entire tier structure for each new top level element and retain a uniform site structure.
New in eZ 4.1.1 version, can switch layouts of similar pattern, like 3 panes layout 1, to 3 panes layout 2, and retain the contents within the layouts.
