Documentation Center

Guidelines for item naming

Give Content Manager items meaningful names, to help users predict what will happen when they select them from a list.

Naming Components

The user sees a list of Component names when accessing the Library to perform one of the following tasks:

  • Editing a Component Link
  • Adding an existing Component

Because the Component name is the only clue to the contents that will be linked to or added, the name should describe the contents. Preferably, the name should be identical to whatever Component field corresponds to a title.

The Component name also appears whenever the user sees Component properties.

Naming Multimedia Components

The user sees a list of Multimedia Component names when accessing the Library to perform one of the following tasks:

  • Inserting or editing an image in a Format Area
  • Inserting or editing a link to a Multimedia Component in a Format Area
  • Editing a Multimedia Component Link
  • Adding an existing Component

If the Multimedia Component name is an image, the user sees the Multimedia Component name and a thumbnail. If the Multimedia Component name is not an image, the only user sees the Multimedia Component name. In both cases, but especially in the latter case, the name should describe the contents.

The Multimedia Component name also appears whenever the user sees Multimedia Component properties.

Naming Schemas

If the user interface is configured to generate Content Types automatically, the user sees a list of Schema names (displayed as Content Types) in the Library when the user creates a Component to add to the Web page.

Automatic Content Type generation examines which Component Presentations are already on the Web page, and generates Content Types based on those Component Presentations. For example, if a Web page contains press releases, automatic Content Type generation generates a 'press release' Content Type.

The names of these generated Content Types are identical to the names of the Schemas used by the Component Presentations. Because of this, the Schema name should describe the type of content represented by the Schema, such as "Press release" or "Product description".

The name of a Schema also appears as additional information whenever a user sees Component properties.

Naming Component Templates

The uses sees a gallery of Component Templates, including names, when the user selects a Component and then accesses the Layout tab of the ribbon toolbar. In addition to the Component Template names, you can also create icons to represent the layout of the resulting Component Presentation as a thumbnail.

Component Template names should describe the way in which the template code visualizes the content. Good names are "Title only", "Full content", "Summary", and so on.

Naming Page Templates

The uses sees a gallery of Page Templates, including names, when the user selects the Page border and then accesses the Layout tab of the ribbon toolbar. In addition to the Page Template names, you can also create icons to represent the layout of the resulting Component Presentation as a thumbnail.

Page Template names should describe the way in which the template code visualizes the content. Good names are "Two-column content area", "Sidebar left", and so on.

Naming Pages

If you defined one or more Pages as Page Types, the user sees that name in the list of Page Type names in the Library when creating a Page. Because the Page Type offers the only clue to the type of Web page that will be created, or what the Web page will look like, the Page Type name (which is the same as the Page name) should attempt to describe both the purpose and the look-and-feel of the resulting Web page.

The name of a Page that is not used as a Page Type also appears whenever a users sees Page properties.

Naming custom Content Types

In addition to generating Content Types automatically, you can also define custom Content Types on the Publication level. The names of these Content Types appear in the Library whenever the user creates a Component to add to the Web page. Because of this, the Content Type name should describe the type of content being created, as well as its visualization, such as "Blue press release" or "Product description - summary".

Naming Workflow Process Definitions

Especially if the same user works with multiple workflow processes, give each Workflow Process Definition a name that helps that user to tell them apart.

Naming and describing Activities

Activity title

The Activity title should accurately describe which task should be performed on the Content Manager item at that step of the Workflow Process. For example, "Review content" or "Legal check".

The title of an Activity appears when users do one of the following:

  • Viewing Component properties
  • Viewing Page properties
  • Finishing Activity
Activity description

The Activity description should explain in more detail what work is involved in the task to be performed on the Content Manager item at this step of the Workflow Process. For example, the Activity called "Review content" might have a description "Check the content and correct language mistakes and spelling mistakes only. Reject the content in case of any content problems."

The description of an Activity appears when users do one of the following:

  • Viewing Component properties
  • Viewing Page properties

Content Manager URIs

Content Manager URIs, which uniquely identify Content Manager items, are generated by SDL Tridion Sites and cannot be changed. They are only displayed to facilitate the identification of items for users who also use the Content Manager Explorer interface.

Content Manager URIs appear when users perform the following tasks:

  • Viewing Component Properties (Component URI and Schema URI appear)
  • Viewing Page Properties (Page URI appears)