How Pages are Drawn
Top  Previous  Next

Output is displayed to the users browser using a simple (yet very customizable) Template System.

The HTML that is shown to your visitors (search users, your account customers in the bidding area, even your outbound XML and Inline results) are all drawn using a combination of Full Page and Internal templates.

Full Page Templates

Full Page templates are stored on your server in the "data/templates/" directory as text files (with a .txt extension). Templates are typically named according to their use within the system. A properly created full page template will contain all of the HTML required to draw the page, including your javascript functions, style sheet definitions, images, tables, layout, etc. Within your full page templates, you will place "PLUGIN" tags, which Hyperseek will intercept and inject it's output (corresponding to the plugin) in their place.  
 
Here is a list of the basic page templates needed to operate your Hyperseek Search Engine.  
 
Hyperseek Page
Template Name
Usage Notes
Home Page
directory.txt
If not present the "default.txt" plugin is used.
Category Results Pages
default.txt

Search Results Pages
search.txt
If not present the "default.txt" plugin is used.
Add Link Page
add_url.txt

Account Login Screen
account-login.txt
Typically, this is going to be the same as your normal "accounts" template, but without links to the actual account functions. ie: You want to make this plugin look like your account center, but with just the login form and nothing else.
Account Create Screen
account-create.txt
Used only when a user is creating a new account. Similar to the login template, this one shouldn't have any links to the account functions.
Account Edit Screen
account-edit.txt
Used only when a user is editing their contact information.
Account Screens (all others)
accounts.txt
Used for all other account area functions. This template is the default template for the accounts area, so if you do not define an edit, create, or login template, this one will be used.



XML Outbound Feed
xml.txt
Must be present. Generic version shipped with Hyperseek.
Inline Results Feed
inline.txt
Must be present. Generic version shipped with Hyperseek.



Cobranded Output
cobrand.txt
This should be a very, very simple template, perhaps with just the BODY, CATEGORIES, MENU, and NAVIGATION plugins. Your affiliates that use cobranding are able to define and design their own "header" and "footer" which will wrap around the cobrand.txt template .... do don't put a <body> or <htm> tags in it ... assume that your affiliates will be doing that within their headers/footers
 
 
Hyperseek ships without the "directory.txt" and "search.txt" templates, so the "default.txt" template is used for everything until you design your own specific templates for these functions.  



Internal Templates

Internal templates are also known as "Sub Templates". Hyperseek uses internal templates to allow you to fine tune the output generated by the PLUGINS that you place in your page templates.  
 
For example, when a user runs a search, <!-- PLUGIN:BODY --> draws the list of search results. Each search result is formatted (drawn in HTML) according to an "Internal Template". This Internal Template (called "link") is designed by you, using a combination of HTML and replacement variables (eg "<<TITLE>>" injects the title of the listing into the internal template) to create the final HTML for each listing. All of the listings are run through this template, and then the full list of them is then inserted in place of <!-- PLUGIN:BODY --> in the page template.  
 
The internal template system, along with examples and explanations of their purpose and replacement variables is covered in greater detail in the "Internal Templates" section of the documetation