In Sitecore, a template is a blueprint for creating items in the content tree. It defines what fields an item will have, and thus what kind of data it can store.
Sitecore comes with a variety of pre-defined system templates, which you can use directly or extend to suit your needs. Some of the commonly used system templates include:
1. Standard Template :
This is the base template for all items in Sitecore. It includes standard fields like “Created”, “Updated”, “CreatedBy”, “UpdatedBy”, “Sortorder”, and many others. It’s typically not used directly to create content items, but it is the parent for all other templates.
2. Folder Template :
This template is used to create folders in the content tree. It has no additional fields other than those in the Standard template. Folders are used purely for organization and don’t represent content themselves.
3. Layout Templates :
There are a variety of templates related to layouts, including Layout, Renderings, Sublayouts, etc. These templates are used to define how data should be presented on the page.
4. Media Templates :
These templates are used for media items like images, videos, and documents. They include fields to store the media data, and often additional metadata like dimensions for images.
In addition to these system templates, you’ll usually create custom templates specific to your project. For example, if you’re building a blog, you might create a “Blog Post” template with fields for the title, author, publish date, and body content.
Each custom template you create can inherit from one or more other templates, allowing you to build up complex data structures. For example, your “Blog Post” template might inherit from a “Page” template, which includes fields for SEO metadata, layout details, etc.
Remember, good template design is crucial in Sitecore development. It affects the flexibility and maintainability of your content, the usability of the content editor, and even the performance of your site.
