Sitecore Presentation Details

Question

In sitecore Template manager When i apply the presentation details at standard values level then i can see the presentation details in content editor after creating the item and they are being applied and i can preview that item...

I had applied presentation details at template level itself instead of standard values level...when i create a item using that template i can't see the presentation details in content editor and in content tab but when i preview that item presentation details those i applied at template level are being applied automatically..

Without showing presentation details in item properties...presentation details are applied automatically how is that possible...

And In Template manager what is the difference if applying presentation details at template level and standard values level...

Answer 1

Anything you apply on standards value of a template will get reflected on items of that template, this includes all fields values, and since Presentation details are actually stored in "__Renderings" field, this mean the presentation details on standard value will get copied to any new item of that template.

Applying presentation details on Template level will not affect anything, and it does not make sense to apply it there, because templates will not be viewed as pages, and it will not reflect it on items of that template

Answer 2

I think this is a case of the confusion that can arise because Sitecore treats all items in its content tree in the same way. Hence everything has the button for setting presentation details, even though (as Ahmed says in his answer) it doesn't make sense to set them in some places.

You can think of the "template" item in your content tree existing for two main reasons: The first is to provide the ID that represents the template elsewhere in the system. The second is to act as a parent for the groups of fields, and the standard values item, and keep them all in a sensible structure.

When you create a new content item and say "use Template X" you can think of it as Sitecore copying the "Standard Values" item for the template you chose, in order to create your new content item.

Hence, if you make settings on the template's "Standard Values" item they get reflected in your new item. But if you make settings on the Template item they don't.