(Document) Templates

Templates in fact have two components, one mandatory, and one optional:

1. One structural template, created based on Content Elements (CE) (see Content Elements (CE)). Here you define the base content types (e.g. text, images, ...) and functionality; and you define the layout for the document edit interface for the editor.
2. One or more HTML templates per structural template.  The HTML template can add functionality or configuration of content elements defined in the structural template (this is the case e.g. for forms, search, overviews, ...) and defines the "look & feel" of a document. It is not mandatory to have an HTML template - but at least if you want to display the content of a document within that same document, you will usually have a HTML template. In addition, some CE really require additional configuration on the level of HTML template if not only a base functionality should be available.

There are not only document templates in conceptcms, but also so called menu item templates (see HTML Menu Item Templates). Similar to document templates, they also can define the "look & feel" of the Website and add functionality (like automatically generated navigation bars). The main difference is that document templates basically refer to the way we handle content, as the main administration entity for content is the document, meanwhile menu item templates are more related to navigation and the general structure of a Website. By having two different entities, we gain flexibility regarding display and functionality as well on document as on menu item level.