Concrete5 Page Type Default Modifications Explained

I have been working with Concrete5 Page Type defaults and wondering how changing them affects existing pages under different circumstances.  From experimenting with Concrete5 version 5.6.0.2, this is what I came up with.  Hope it helps.

The Basics:  Adding to Page Type Defaults

If you add a block to a Page Type’s defaults, that addition will be included on any newly created page assign that Page Type.

If you want that newly added block, (or edited block), to your Page Type’s defaults to be added to existing pages already using that Page Type, then you need to click “Setup on Child Pages”.  (Once you add or edit a block in the Page Type default’s, and have left edit mode for that block, you would then click again on that block and then click “Setup on Child Pages” which is the last option in the pop-up of options. You will then have options to specify which specific child pages, (those that already use that Page Type), you want to assign the block changes to.)

Editing a Page After Setting Page Type Defaults

If, after adding or editing a block in a Page Type’s defaults, you edit that block on a specific page that is using that Page Type, (ie. the About Page), the result of editing that block on the About Page is that the block now becomes disconnected from the defaults for that Page Type. Being disconnected in this way means that if you make any future changes to that block from the Page Type defaults for that page, then those new changes to the Page Type defaults will not apply to that block on the About Page, in my example.

Also, if you do make a change to that block on the Page Type defaults, and choose to “Setup on Child Pages”, and select the About Page, in our example, this will result in that newly edited block being added again to that About Page, exactly as it is on the Page Type defaults. So this action of using “Setup on Child Pages” for a page that has been disconnected now results in the About Page having two of those blocks, one that is the block that was modified on the About Page and disconnected from the defaults, and one that was newly added from the newly edited defaults.

Advanced Block Permission Changes to Page Type Defaults

Although I was surprised that when I changed Advanced Permissions to a block in my Page Type default, those changes did not carry over to the existing pages that had that block in place, even after using “Setup on Child Pages” – what I do realize is that there is a setting for every page’s Permission settings that lets you specify:

Assign Permissions:  Manually (the default setting), From Page Type Defaults, By Area of Site (Hierarchy).

So I assume this is how you could set yourself up if you wanted to the specify permissions from the Page Type defaults.

Moving Newly Added Blocks to a Page Type’s Defaults

Also sadly in my testing, I noticed that when you add a new block to a Page Type’s defaults, and then move it, (ie. up above some other default blocks on that page), and then click “Setup on Child Pages”, the new block is added, but not moved to where it should be – requiring me to go to every page that has that default and move them individually.

If you have any additions, modifications, appreciations – share below.