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Page layouts help to define the overall look and feel of a Web page.

Overview

Create a page layout

Overview

You can create a new page layout based on a content type (content type: A reusable group of settings for a category of content. Use content types to manage the metadata, templates, and behaviors of items and documents consistently. Content types are defined at the site level and used on lists and libraries.) you create, and then edit the page layout to suit your needs.

A page layout relies on a content type to determine the kind of content that can be stored on pages that use the page layout. Content for the page is stored in fields on the page. When you view or edit a page, the content is displayed in field controls.

The content type associated with a page layout defines the specific set of columns that will be available in a page layout and the type of content the column can contain, such as a single line or text, a hyperlink, or a picture. Content types are first defined centrally in the Site Content Type Gallery for a site. Content types that are defined at the site level are called site content types.

A content type may have several different page layouts. If enabled by the administrator of a site, a user can choose from several page layouts for any specific content type if multiple page layouts are defined for that content type.

Your page layout must be compatible with the master page that is associated with the page layout. The master page may be either hard-coded to a specific master page, or to a master page that can use a specific syntax to determine the master page that should be used at run time.

Page layouts and master pages work together to create the presentation for a Web page. Page layouts contain field controls and Web Parts (Web Part: A modular unit of information that consists of a title bar, a frame, and content. Web Parts are the basic building blocks of a Web Part Page.). Master pages contain controls that are shared across multiple page layouts, such as navigation, search, or language-preference for multilingual sites.

All page layouts and master pages are stored at the top-level SharePoint site for a site collection in a document library called the Master Page and Page Layout Gallery. This document library supports versioning and workflows, so you can, for example, establish workflows for page layout and master page approval.

 Note    By default, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 creates a master page gallery for every site; however, you can only create new pages with the page layouts stored in the master page gallery of the top-level site in the site collection.

Create a page layout

1. On the Site Actions menu , point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
2. On the Site Settings page, in the Galleries section, click Master Page and Page Layout Gallery.
3. On the Master Page Gallery page, click the arrow next to New, and then click Page Layout.
4. In the Associated Content Type section, in the Content Type Group box, select the group on which you want to base this new page layout.
5. In the Content Type Name box, select a name for the content type you want to associate with the page layout.

 Note    The list of content type names differ depending on the option that you selected in the Content Type Group box.

6. You can create a new content type to associate with this page layout.

How?

1. In the Associated Content Type section, click Create a new site content type.
2. In the Name and Description section, type a name and optionally a description for the new site content type.
3. In the Select parent content type from box, select the group on which you want to base this new content type.

    Note    The Special Content Types group contains content types that change the behavior of your list or library when added.

4. In the Parent Content Type box, select the parent content type on which you want to base your content type.

   When you create a new content type to associate to a page layout, you may want to create a new content type that is a child of the Page content type, or a child of a content type that derives from the Page content type.

 Note    The list of parent content types differs depending on the option that you selected in the previous step.

5. In the Group section, choose whether to store this new site content type in an existing group or a new group.
6. Click OK.

The Site Content Type: Your new content type name page appears. You can choose options on this page to further define your new content type.

7. In the Page Layout Title and Description section, type the URL name, title, and description for this page layout.
8. In the Variation Labels section, select the variation label for which the page layout is intended.

How?

1. In the Available Labels box, click the variation label that you want to associate with the page layout.
2. Click Add.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you have selected all of the variation labels that you want to associate with the new page layout.
9. Click OK.

 Note    If you want to edit a page layout, you can do so by using a Web authoring tool compatible with Windows SharePoint Services, such as Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007. For more information, see Office SharePoint Designer 2007 Help.