Render Settings

Note

Create list views for backend and frontend; add and activate attributes

Introduction

“Render settings” define the basic parameters for listing and displaying records both for the backend and for the frontend — separately for each. The individual records stored in a MetaModel are also referred to as “items”.

In the backend, items must be listed for further input or changes, and in the frontend for display or output. Although various aspects differ between backend and frontend, many things are similar, so the settings are summarized in the “Render settings” component.

Every MetaModel requires a render setting for the backend, since only through render settings can an input form for data entry and changes be accessed.

For the frontend, render settings only need to be created for MetaModels whose items are to be listed or displayed as such. MetaModels connected to another MetaModel via a relation (attributes “Select” or “Tags/Multi-select”) therefore do not necessarily require a render setting for the frontend.

In addition to different requirements for backend and frontend, render settings can also cover further requirements. Any number of different render settings can be created for each MetaModel, for example to produce differentiated outputs. So one render setting could prepare a list with basic information and another render setting a detail view (a detail view is “a list with one item”). Furthermore, individual render settings can be granted access for user and/or member groups via Input/Render Assignments.

Once a render setting has been created and the basic settings have been entered, the attributes must be activated for the setting as a further step. More about this under “Procedure”. As a further option, an individual template can be selected for each attribute in a render setting (if it has been created beforehand) and a custom CSS class, e.g. for highlighting in the backend.

Options

Name
The name can be freely chosen; for better distinction, the abbreviations “BE” and “FE” for backend and frontend are often placed before the name, e.g. “BE list”, “BE entry” or “FE full list”
Template
Here a template is selected in which all items are output in a loop; the template is very easy to override in the Contao-typical way; note that templates for the backend must not be created in a template subdirectory; the template receives all attributes in “raw” type and only the active attributes in “html” and “text” types
Output format
Possible selections are HTML5 and Text; unless there are special requirements, the selection can be left empty; the XHTML format is no longer supported with MM 2.2
Redirect page
The redirect page with page selection and filter is only for frontend output, e.g. to link to a detail page; a list element with an appropriate filter should be present on the detail page; for multilingual MetaModels there is a setting for page selection and filter per language
Hide empty entries
Empty attribute entries are skipped — important when attribute labels are also output
Hide labels
The attribute names are not output as “labels”
Additional CSS/JavaScript files
CSS and/or JavaScript files can be output with the list for output formatting and interaction; they are only included if at least one item is output in the list

Procedure

A new render setting is created via “ img_new New”. After all necessary options have been entered or selected, the setting is saved and appears in the list of existing render settings for a MetaModel.

In addition to the “ img_edit pencil icon”, there is the icon for the “ img_rendersetting Render settings of the attributes”. Clicking on the icon opens a list of attributes activated for the render settings. If no attributes are present or need to be added, this can be done via the “ img_rendersettings_add Add all” icon — alternatively via “ img_new New”. The “Add all” route requires confirmation twice.

The attributes of the render setting are then available and may need to be activated, or only those that should be displayed in the list view should be activated.

For individual attributes, the template to be used can be changed and/or a special CSS class entered (” img_edit Edit”).