Good way of creating auto updating template - is preparing two topics - model and actual template proper

Is my way of creating templates good or should I try something else?

Issue

I would like to create a template which I will be able to update easily by modifying one topic only. For example, to change color which is used to display description, I would like to modify it in one place, not in every topic which I created using my template.

First of all, I create ModelTopic which consist of:


<!-- 
   * Set NOWYSIWYG = 1
-->

<noautolink>

---+!! %variable1%

---++ Short description

%IMAGE{"%variable2%" type="frame" align="right" caption="%variable3%"}%

%IF{"defined variable4" then="$percntINCLUDE{%variable4%}$percnt"}%

%IF{"defined variable5" then="%variable5%"}%

</noautolink>

In second step, I create another, topic (with "template" suffix) where I set variables and then include ModelTopic .


<!-- 
   * Set variable1 = Some text
   * Set variable2 = %ATTACHURL%/test.jpg
   * Set variable3 = Another text
   * Set variable4 = Some topic
   * Set variable5 = |*key*|*value*|
     |wow|wow|
-->

%INCLUDE{ModelTopic}%

Having this, editing topic is equal to modifying variables values.

However is it a correct/good way of creating templates in Foswiki? My concern is that in such case I'm not allowed to use WYSIWYG editor, since it may crash setting variables.

-- MateuszKDzior - 29 Sep 2015

One of the more powerful capabilities of Foswiki is SkinTemplates combined with DataForms. Move data that you want treated in a template into a data form, and then format the topic with the view template. We use this several places on foswiki.org.

Foswiki security alerts
- Support.SecurityAlert-CVE-2014-7237 - Raw topic
- Support.SecurityAlertViewTemplate - View template
- Support.SecurityAlert-CVE-2014-7237 - in use
Foswiki release notifications
- Download.FoswikiRelease02x00x00 Raw topic
- Download.FoswikiReleaseViewTemplate - View template
- Download.FoswikiRelease02x00x00 - in use

-- GeorgeClark - 30 Sep 2015

GeorgeClark, thank you for answer, but is it possible to insert a table or call macro within DataForms? The allowed data types seems to be static text - textarea or text.

-- MateuszKDzior - 30 Sep 2015