A container element is different from a paragraph. Unlike
paragraphs, containers have no footprint in the output document. So
you can define conditions, perform calculations, or identify data
on a group of elements without affecting the formatting of the output.
About this task
When using an iterator, you can use it within the container.
An iterator helps to change the formatting element easily and also
makes the template more uniform. For tables, the advantage is that
you can avoid seeing empty rows in the output when you put a condition
in the row based on the attributes of the parent container. You can
also avoid seeing rows with uneven number of cells.
When tables
are being used, you can put the query in containers that host rows
or in containers inside cells, depending on where you must iterate.
When you are not using tables, you can put all queries on containers
and then inside those containers, you can put the rendering elements,
such as paragraphs, hyperlinks, and text.
The following list
includes the tasks that can be performed in the container element
and also some restrictions:
- You can:
- Drag a container into another container when that container includes
only elements that are allowed in a container. For example, you can
drag a container into another container that is in a row element.
However, if the container has a paragraph element in it, it cannot
be dragged into another container that is in a row element because
rows cannot contain paragraphs.
- Drag a container into another container limited by queries. For
example, you can drag a container in another container at the root
of the template or drag a container in a container inside a paragraph.
- Drag a container into a list. For example, you can define a container
inside a list and then drag it into another container in the same
list or another list. You can also define a container inside a list
and then drag it into another list.
- Drag a containers into a table. For example, you can define a
container inside a table and then drag it in another container in
the same table or another table. You can also define a container inside
a table and then drag it in another table.
- Drag a container into a row. For example, you can define a container
inside a row and then drag it in another row container in the same
row or another row.
- You cannot:
- Drag containers into any other element other than containers,
lists, tables, or rows. For example, you cannot drag a container into
a text element.
- Drag a container included in another element outside of that element.
For example, if a row has a container element in it, the container
element cannot be moved to a different row in the table.
Procedure
- Add a container element to the template content editor
by one of the following methods:
- From the Palette view, drag a
Container element
into the template content editor.
- In the editor area, right-click and select .
- In the Outline view, right-click Content and
select .
- Select the container element.
- In the Properties view, modify the
properties of the container.
- Click or click the Save icon.
What to do next
Note: A Loop function adds the do
while loop capabilities to IBM® Rational® Publishing Engine,
which enables actions to be executed repeatedly. You can set the do
while property of the container to true and
the container, and all of its children, are evaluated again.