Reusing Elements

Prerequisites

Overview

Some elements (profiles, galleries, news items, and more) can be reused throughout the site.

Why Reuse Elements?

When we reuse elements and something changes (like a phone number in a profile element), we only have to make the change once on the original element, and the rest will be updated automatically. 

Some elements have special renderhandlers that only display a portion of the data, and link back to the original, full-size element. This is true for profiles, photo galleries, and more.

Step 1: Embed the Element

1. Choose the area that you would like to put the element.
2. Insert the element, just like you would if you were creating a new one. If you would like to reuse profile information, insert a 'profiles' element.

Step 2: Reuse Existing Data

Rendering Mode Tab

1. Click on the  icon in the top-left corner of this element.
2. Click on Render Mode.
3. Select Display existing element data (content reuse).
4. Select Manually select data to render.

Filter Tab

This is where you find the element you want to reuse.

1. Select Show subset of records.
2. Here you can narrow the search results based on any of the element's fields.
3. 1. If I am looking for a specific person's profile, I might say Field 'Last Name' Equals 'Smith'
3. The Sort Order section allows you to sort the results.
4. Press the Update button to see the results of this filter.

Select Data Tab

1. Check the box next to the result you would like to use.
2. Press OK (you will often have to scroll to the right to see this).

Step 3: Review & Submit

1. You should now have an element showing the same data as the original. If you make a change to the original, it will be reflected here.
2. If this is the element you wanted, submit it to be published.
3. You may want to show the element in a different view. If this is the case, explore the element's other render handlers.