![[logo] US EPA](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090510130050im_/http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Updating Oracle Templates with Template 3
Note: These directions apply to pages generated by Oracle.
- Back Up
- Get the Template You Need
- Customize the Template for Your Area
- Do a Final Check
- Save, Compile, Commit, and Test
1. Back Up
Back up your site file(s) before switching templates. It helps if you create a test folder.
2. Get the Template You Need
Download most recent template in SQL format.
Should you download the style sheets and JavaScript files?
3. Customize the Template for Your Area
Start with the <head>
<title>
Follow the EPA standard for title tags.
Metadata Elements
Metadata elements (meta tags) generally provide additional information about the document to search engines. These metadata elements will aid in building epa.gov's information architecture and our move to a Web Content Management System.
There are a number of new metadata elements in Template 3.
Importing Local Style Sheet(s)
I have local styles. What do I do about them?
Header <div id="header">
Lozenge
Add your area name to the lozenge by editing the <div id="areaname><p>. The area name is the text at the top of the page that shows the topic of the set of pages that includes the current page. Example: For Pesticides, change this htp.p('<p>Area Name</p>'); to htp.p('<p>Pesticides</p>');
Recent Additions
Edit the Recent Additions link so it points to your Recent Additions page. If you do not have a Recent Additions page, remove the link and the vertical bar ("|") character. More on Recent Additions.
Contact Us
Edit the Contact Us link so it points to your Contact Us page. Make sure your Contact Us page meets EPA specification. Email addresses must follow standards, too.
Search
Edit the search code with information for your area.
Establish breadcrumbs
If you do not have an automatic process for generating breadcrumbs, you will need to modify them on each page. Because the breadcrumbs are part of an unordered list in the new template, the > (>) in the current template needs to be removed and replaced with<li> elements.
- Each new breadcrumb link is a separate list item
- Remove the > (>). The master style sheet inserts separators automatically
- More on breadcrumbs
Content <div id="content">
EPA Site-wide Banner Announcements
If your page will become the home page for an area or a Program Office, in Dreamweaver, detach the page from the template and change "sitewidec" to "sitewideb". If this page is not a home page, leave it as "sitewidec". (If you're editing an AA/RA home page, the banner announcement will say "sitewidea". Do not edit.)
More on site-wide announcements.
Content
Insert your SQL script(s) and content(s).
Area Footer
If you have an Area Footer, add it. If not, delete the placeholder text. More on area footers.
Left sidebar (Area Navigation) <div id="area-nav">
The area navigation holds your sidebar links. This portion of the code is at the bottom of the template, and must remain there. (It will display last when styles are disabled in a browser.) In the code, the area navigation is an unordered list. When viewed in a capable browser, the style sheet displays the area links as expected.
Add your area sidebar links:
- See the sidebar standard for required links
- Each sidebar link is a separate list item (<li>).
- Do not include line-breaks (<br />) or non-breaking spaces ( ). The style sheet automatically wraps and indents long text links.
- Use an unordered list for links under a heading.
More on what belongs in the sidebar.
Global Footer <div id="footer">
Contact Us
Edit the Contact Us link in the global footer so it points to your Contact Us page, ensuring that the link points to the same place as the Contact Us link at the top of the page.
4. Do a Final Check
Gotchas
Check your template against the list of common issues. Do not modify any code other than what is necessary to meet the specification. Editing or removing any other elements can seriously degrade the page.