Golden words - fully support and agree!

Hello!

I am studying the basic guide, and I have one question. Here https://tutorials.coffeecup.com/site-designer/styles-pane-layout.html, everything is thoroughly explained on how to create a layout, and I followed the instructions precisely without encountering any problems or errors. Then, in this section https://tutorials.coffeecup.com/site-designer/content-pane-components.html, I read about components, and I want to use this excellent menu. So here's my question: if I use a component, do I still need to create a layout? Or is the layout already included in the component? Also, regarding semantics, in the case of a layout, it's clear: I create a layout in the part designated for the menu, insert a NAV div, and then create the menu within it. How does it work when using a component? Does the component already include semantics, or do I need to create a NAV container and define the menu component inside it?"

Some few components may have a layout included, but most of them do not. They are meant to be inserted into a layout that the users have created themselves, or into a template created by CC.

As for my own components: https://mock-up/coffeecup.com , they don't always follow the semantics, mainly because the ones from the same framework are wrapped into a 'parent' project, and I needed to avoid having clashing class names and IDs that have different style rules from one component to the next. The site has been created and developed over several years (since 2018), and I don't remember how I styled e.g. the class .main back then if I need another class .main.

Any user interested in my components may of course rename classes to suit their own ideas.

Hi
You can change the semantic tag name of an existing element to another tag simply by opening the semantic tag menu and choosing whichever one you want. It doesn't effect any styling applied to that element.

By the way Inger semantic elements shouldn't have class names like .main, something like .main-page-wrapper, is better and doesn't cause any issues or clashes with html semantics.
The semantic tag has nothing to do with class names.

Thank you for the response!
So, if I insert the component into the NAV container of the layout, there shouldn't be any conflicts. And if there are any, I can rename the tag, or alternatively, not nest the component in the NAV container and use it directly, is that correct?

Wow, all those answers appeared while I was typing the following in answer to the first post in this thread, but I'll post it anyway. By the way, the answer to the latest post is in my view 'Yes'.

Components vary considerably.

One may create a component by selecting, for example, a container element that has within it various elements. That selecting can be either on the canvas or in the Elements Tree. One right-clicks on it and chooses 'Create Component'. That is extremely useful for items that one may need on other pages of the project. One can even use that created component in other projects if one uploads it to the library in Content > Components. To do this one expands the component item there by clicking on the top line of that component entry and that reveals three buttons in that top line. One clicks on the first of those buttons.

When creating pages in projects I regularly start by creating a container (I use the class name 'whole-page') and use that to contain everything that is on the page. That means that, if ever I decide to use that page in another project, I can make a component of the whole-page container, and upload it to the library for use in other projects.

Some pre-built components are little more than such as one can make above, but they may also include some items in the Project Resources box, or the Head Code, Footer Code etc. boxes.

Other pre-built components may include more elaborate items with some layout matters - rather like the whole page components as above.

The answer to the query is therefore that it is best to try out any component in a new blank template and examine what it does. Some you may find are easily incorporated in pages you've already created, and others may have the layout already done for the page and allow you to add further content.

Frank

Yes, certainly. I didn't intend to deviate from the syntax. I just want to understand the interaction of components with their layout. I really like the idea of components, and I would like to use them to their full extent.

Thank you for the response. Yes, most likely, I will install the component and analyze it.

Is it possible to achieve, without using PHP, a scenario where, upon each website load, three random excerpts from articles with a 'read more' link appear in specified locations? How is this implemented in blog platforms with features like 'latest 4 posts' or 'latest 10 comments'? Across different pages of the website, say I have 30 pages, so that it randomly selects, for instance, 4 articles and displays them on the first page of the site.