A web template is a tool used to separate content from presentation in web design, and for mass-production of web documents. It is a basic component of a web template system.
Web templates can be used to set up any type of website. In its simplest sense, a web template operates similarly to a form letter for use in setting up a website.
Content from a database, and “presentation specifications” in a web template, are combined through the template engine to mass-produce web documents.
Web templates can be used by any individual or organization to set up their website. Once a template is purchased or downloaded, the user will replace all generic information included in the web template with his/her own personal, organizational or product information. Templates can be used to:
- Display personal information or daily activities as in a blog.
- Sell products on-line.
- Display information about a company or organization.
- Display a gallery of photos.
- Place music files such as MP3 files on-line for play through a web browser.
- Place videos on-line for public viewing.
- To set up a private login area on-line.
A common goal among experienced web developers is to develop and deploy applications that are flexible and easily maintainable. An important consideration in reaching this goal is the separation of business logic from presentation logic. Developers use web template systems to maintain this separation.
One major rationale behind “effective separation” is the need for maximum flexibility in the code and resources dedicated to the presentation logic. Client demands, changing customer preferences and desire to present a “fresh face” for pre-existing content often result in the need to dramatically modify the public appearance of web content while disrupting the underlying infrastructure as little as possible.
A web template system is composed of [citation needed] :
- A Template engine: the primary processing element of the system;
- Content resource: any of various kinds of input data streams, such as from a relational database, XML files, LDAP directory, and other kinds of local or networked data;
- Template resource: web templates specified according to a Template language;
The template and content resources are processed and combined by the template engine to mass-produce web documents.
Various agencies and organizations use web template systems for mass-production of content when slower production alternatives prove unfeasible.
There are many public software and commercial packages promoted as being web templates and template engines, but there are a high diversity of disperse kinds of solutions. To select and group them in a systematic way, the first step is to characterize them as template systems.
Web templates can be used to set up any type of website. In its simplest sense, a web template operates similarly to a form letter for use in setting up a website.