Creating strongly typed rendering parameters
In the previous recipe, you learned using additional parameters, but these are loosely typed. So, chances are that content authors may enter invalid values such as non-numeric values for the RecordsCount parameter and a style class in CssClass that does not exist, and so on, which can lead to misbehavior of the application. Now, just imagine how happier your content authors will be if they see strongly typed parameters such as checkbox, integer, droplist, and so on.
In this recipe, we will use the Integer field for RecordsCount and a Droplist field for CssClass so that we always get valid values from the input.
Getting ready
Create a Stylesheet Class template and create different items outside the Home item, as shown in the following image. We will use the CssClasses folder as a source of the droplist field.
How to do it…
We will first create a template with the required input parameters as its fields:
- Create a
List Rendering Parameterstemplate, set/sitecore/templates/System/Layout/Rendering Parameters/Standard Rendering Parametersas its base template, and create the required fields as follows:
- Select the Simple List view rendering that we created in the previous recipe. In its Parameters Template field, select the parameter template that we just created:
- Now, select the component from either the Experience Editor or Content Editor, and open component properties. You will find strongly typed parameters that we just created, as shown in the following image:
- Remove these additional parameters from component properties. Additionally, if you have changed the parameters' names here, then make sure that you update in the
ItemListmodel too. - Preview the page; you will see how your own parameters are working.