silva document layout enhancement

[Andy Altepeter]

 We've noticed that it is difficult to get "advanced" layouts for a silva-based web pages. Sure, you can use a code source and embed documents, positioning with CSS and such, but a non-technical person isn't capable of such things. Most of the content in our CMS is generated by non-technical folks. They stick to what they know: one page with simple top to bottom text and rarely any graphics.

Here's a proposal for Silva (document) to transform to have more control over document layout:

1) the web design team, while creating the identity/look/layout for the site, also specifies a few "standard" page layouts (e.g. full-page, two-column, floating box on the right, content on top, then two column below, etc) Each section of the page is a separate "page section"
2) Someone with access to the ZMI adds the code for these layouts to a service in the ZMI
3) When you create a Silva Document, you are prompted to choose what document layout to use for the page. The default is "full-page". (note that this isn't the same as choosing a different page layout/template when using SilvaLayout...SL is for the template, this proposal is for document layout of the content of a page)
4) When you edit the document, kupu edits the first document section.
5) There is a tool in kupu that shows which section you are editing, and allows you to edit a different document section. I wonder if we can store all the content in one Silva Document somehow, maybe with section tags.
6) There is also a facility to change your document layout to one of the other pre-defined ones. This isn't exactly a "preview", as it could be the case that new document sections need to be created, or existing ones moved around (e.g. news panel on right / left of main content)
7) It would be neat if there was an "advanced" layout that you could use to create your own custom layout.

[Sylvain Viollon (thefunny)]

This is the new silva.app.page extension.