The eDirectory application utilizes design frameworks known as listing templates for the Detail View of Showcase listings. They hold style definitions for font, border, and background color as well as the layout for the content placeholders. The templates also hold the input field definitions for the content of the listings.

eDirectory includes premade templates or the Site Manager may create his/her own. Existing templates may also be customized so that the Site Manager may make a universal change to the listings that use them.

If the existing template background is color blue, it may be changed to green. Once the template is changed, the application automatically pushes that change out to all listings with this template.

The premade templates span a range of format with a variety of business concepts. There are templates for Auto Part Supplier, Dentist, Doctor, Golf Course, Hotel, Lawyer, Real Estate, and Restaurant. They vary on the input fields they use. Additional templates may be created when the Site Manager wants to provide more relevant fields to what the Members normally post in their listings.

You may want to create a special template for Members who sell computers in the directory site.  By this, you will be able to provide fields such as Manufacturer, Processor, Hard Drive, and Memory to Members who create listings of this type.

To create a listing template, do the following:

1. In the left navigation panel, click on Listings (under Modules). After doing this, a page will appear like the one shown below:

   

2. Click on the Templates sub-menu on the top of this page. After doing this, a new page will appear like the one shown below:

   

3. Click on the Add sub-menu on the top of this page.
4. In the Listing Template – Information area (image shown below), do the following:

   

   1. In the Title box, type the name of the template that you are adding. Most often, it is a business field name (e.g., Real Estate). After doing this, the Page Name box will be automatically filled out.

      Page Name is text that appears in the browser as the template’s friendly URL. Friendly URL is the feature available in eDirectory which allows Site Manager and Members to create search engine URLs.

      
      The Template “Real Estate” with Page Name “real-estate” will be available through the URL: http://demodirectory.com/listing/type/real-estate

   2. Select the Enabled status to make the template available to Members.
   3. If you don’t want to make the template free of charge, type the price in the Additional Price box. Otherwise, leave the box blank.
5. In the Listing Template – Detail Layout area (image shown below), select the layout that you want to apply to the listings that will use the template.

   

6. In the Listing Template – Colors area (image shown below), type the color code (also known as hex) that you want to use for the Background, Border, Label, Text, Title Background, Title Border, and Title Text of the listings that will use the template.

   

   
   You can use image editors like Adobe Photoshop to get the color codes or hex that you need.

In eDirectory version 7.0.15, a color picker is added in this exact area (image shown here). This new feature helps the Site Manager pick a color easily without having the need to copy and paste the color value. Just click on the color picker icon beside the text box and it will automatically place the color value.

7. Select the categories that will be available for this template in the area provided (image shown below).

   

   
   Listings that will use this template can only select from the categories you pick here. If you do not select any categories, all categories will be available to them.

8. In the Common Fields area (image shown below), the text that you want to use as substitute for the field names displayed in the Field column. You can also provide some tool tips to help the Members know what data they should input in those boxes.

   

   
   Tool tip usually appears on the left of a textbox.

9. In the Extra Checkbox Fields, Extra Dropdown Fields, Extra Text Fields, Extra Short Description Fields, and Extra Long Description Fields areas, type the input fields that you want to add in the existing form. Examples of the input fields that can be added are shown below:

   

   
   The input fields in the image above are part of the form that Members fill out when adding a listing with Auto Part Supplier template.

10. Click on the Submit button.

Editing is necessary when there is something in the listing template that you want to change. Any change you make will be automatically applied to all listings that use the template.

To edit a listing template, do the following:

1. In the left navigation panel, click on Listings (under Modules).
2. Click on the Templates sub-menu on the top of the page.
3. Click on the icon of the corresponding template that you want to edit.
4. Do Steps 4 to 10 of the procedure that you perform when creating a template. (Refer to the previous How To)