Variations - Authoring Fragment Content

Last update: March 14, 2024

Topics:
Content Fragments

CREATED FOR:

User

Variations are a significant feature of AEM’s content fragments, as they let you create and edit copies of the master content for use on specific channels, and/or scenarios, making headless content delivery even more flexible.

From the Variations tab you can do the following:

Enter the content for your fragment,
Create and manage variations of the Master content,

Perform a range of other actions depending on the data type being edited; for example:

Insert visual assets into your fragment (images)
Select between Rich Text, Plain Text, and Markdown for editing
Upload Content
View key statistics (about multi-line text)
Summarize Text
Synchronize variations with Master content

CAUTION

After a fragment has been published and/or referenced, AEM displays a warning when an author opens the fragment for editing again. This is to warn that changes to the fragment affect the referenced pages, too.

Authoring your Content

When you open your content fragment for editing, the Variations tab is opened by default. Here you can author the content, for Master or any variations you have. The structured fragment contains various fields of various data types that were defined in the content model.

For example:

full screen editor

You can:

Make edits to your content directly in the Variations tab; each data type provides different editing options, for example:
- for Multi line text fields, you can also open the full-screen editor to:
  - select the Format
  - see more editing options (for Rich Text format)
  - access a range of actions
- For Fragment Reference fields, the Edit Content Fragment option can be available, depending on the model definition.
Assign Tags to the current variation; the tags can be added, updated, and removed
- Tags are powerful when organizing your fragments as they can be used for content classification and taxonomy. Tags can be used for finding content (by tags) and applying bulk operations.
  - Searches for a tag return the fragment, with the tag variation highlighted.
  - Variation tags can also be used to group variations for a specific Content Delivery Network (CDN) profile (for CDN caching), instead of using the variation name.
  For example, you can tag relevant fragments as “Christmas launch” to allow browsing only these as a subset, or to copy them for use with another future launch in a new folder.
NOTE
Tags can also be added (to the Master variation) as part of the Metadata
Create and manage variations of the Master content.

Full Screen Editor

When editing a multi-line text field you can open the full screen editor; click within the actual text, then select the following action icon:

full screen editor icon

This opens the full-screen text editor:

full screen editor

The full-screen text editor provides:

Access to various actions
Depending on the format, additional formatting options (Rich Text)

Actions

The following actions are also available (for all the formats) when the full-screen editor (that is, multi-line text) is open:

Select the format (Rich Text, Plain Text, Markdown)
Upload content
Show Text Statistics
Synchronize with Master (when editing a variation)
Summarize Text

Formats

The options for editing multi-line text depend on the format selected:

Rich Text
Plain Text
Markdown

The format can be selected when the full-screen editor.

Rich Text

Rich text editing lets you format:

Bold
Italic
Underline
Alignment: left, center, right
Bulleted list
Numbered list
Indentation: increase, decrease
Create/Break hyperlinks
Paste Text/from Word
Insert a table
Paragraph style: Paragraph, Heading 1/2/3
Insert asset
Open the full-screen editor, where the following formatting options are available:
- Search
- Find/Replace
- Spellchecker
- Annotations
Insert Content Fragment; available when your Multi line text field is configured with Allow Fragment Reference.

The actions are also accessible from the full-screen editor.

Plain Text

Plain Text allows for rapid entry of content without formatting or markdown information. You can also open the full-screen editor for further actions.

CAUTION

If you select Plain Text, you might lose any formatting, markdown, and/or assets that you have inserted in either Rich Text or Markdown.

Markdown

NOTE

For full information, see the Markdown documentation.

This lets you format your text using markdown. You can define:

Headings
Paragraphs and Line Breaks
Links
Images
Block Quotes
Lists
Emphasis
Code Blocks
Backslash Escapes

You can also open the full-screen editor for further actions.

CAUTION

If you switch between Rich Text and Markdown you might experience unexpected effects with Block Quotes and Code Blocks, as these two formats can have differences in how they are handled.

Fragment References

If the Content Fragment Model contains Fragment References, your fragment authors may have additional options:

Edit Content Fragment
New Content Fragment

Fragment References

Edit Content Fragment

The option Edit Content Fragment opens that fragment in a new window tab.

New Content Fragment

The option New Content Fragment lets you create a fragment. To achieve this, a variation of the create content fragment wizard opens in the editor.

You can then create a fragment by:

Navigating to, and selecting the required folder.
Selecting Next.
Specifying properties; for example, Title.
Selecting Create.
Finally:
1. Done returns (to the original fragment) and references the new fragment.
2. Open references the new fragment and opens the new fragment for editing in a new browser tab.

Viewing Key Statistics

When the full-screen editor is open, the action Text Statistics displays a range of information about the text.

For example:

statistics

Uploading Content

To ease the process of authoring content fragments, you can upload text, prepared in an external editor, and add it directly to the fragment.

Summarizing Text

Summarizing text is designed to help users reduce the length of their text to a predefined number of words, while keeping the key points and overall meaning.

NOTE

On a more technical level, the system keeps the sentences which it rates as providing the best ratio of information density and uniqueness according to specific algorithms.

CAUTION

The content fragment must have a valid language folder (ISO Code) as an ancestor; this is used to determine the language model to be used.

For example, en/ as in the following path:

/content/dam/my-brand/en/path-down/my-content-fragment

CAUTION

English is available out-of-the-box.

Other languages are available as Language Model Packages from Package Share:

Select Master or the required variation.
Open the full-screen editor.
Select Summarize text from the toolbar.
Specify the target number of words and select Start:
The original text is displayed side-by-side with the proposed summarization:
- Any sentences to be eliminated are highlighted in red, with strike-through.
- Click any highlighted sentence if you want to keep it in the summarized content.
- Click any non-highlighted sentence if you want to eliminate it.
Select Summarize to confirm the changes.
The original text is displayed side-by-side with the proposed summarization:
- Any sentences to be eliminated are highlighted in red, with strike-through.
- Click any highlighted sentence if you want to keep it in the summarized content.
- Click any non-highlighted sentence if you want to eliminate it.
- The summarization statistics are shown: Actual and Target-
- You can Preview the changes.

Annotating a Content Fragment

To annotate a fragment:

Select Master or the required variation.
Open the full-screen editor.
The Annotate icon is available in the top toolbar. You can select some text, if necessary.
A dialog box opens. Here you can enter your annotation.
Select Apply on the dialog box.

If the annotation was applied to selected text, then that text remains highlighted.
Close the full-screen editor, annotations are still highlighted. If selected, a dialog box opens so that you can edit the annotation further.
Select Save.
Close the full-screen editor, annotations are still highlighted. If selected, a dialog box opens so that you can edit the annotation further.

Viewing, Editing, Deleting Annotations

Annotations:

Are indicated by the highlight on the text, in both full-screen and normal mode of the editor. Full details of an annotation can then be viewed, edited, and/or deleted, by clicking the highlighted text, which reopens the dialog box.

NOTE
A drop-down selector is provided if multiple annotations have been applied to one piece of text.
When you delete the entire text to which the annotation was applied, the annotation is deleted as well.
Can be listed, and deleted, by selecting the Annotations tab in the fragment editor.
Can be viewed, and deleted, in the Timeline for the selected fragment.

Inserting Assets into your Fragment

To ease the process of authoring content fragments, you can add Assets (images) directly to the fragment.

They are added to the paragraph sequence of the fragment without any formatting; formatting can be done when the fragment is used/referenced on a page.

CAUTION

These assets cannot be moved or deleted on a referencing page, this must be done in the fragment editor.

However, formatting of the asset (for example, size) must be done in the page editor. The representation of the asset in the fragment editor is purely for authoring the content flow.

NOTE

There are various methods of adding images to the fragment and/or page.

Position the cursor at the position that you want to add the image.
Use the Insert Asset icon to open the search dialog.
In the dialog box, you can either:
- navigate to the required asset in the DAM
- search for the asset in the DAM
Once located, select the required asset by clicking the thumbnail.
Use Select to add the asset to the paragraph system of your content fragment at the current location.
CAUTION
If you change the format after adding as asset to:
Plain Text: the asset is lost from the fragment.

Markdown: the asset is not visible, but is still here when you return to Rich Text.

Inserting a Content Fragment into your Fragment

To ease the process of authoring content fragments, you can also add another Content Fragment to your fragment.

They are added as a reference, in your current location in your fragment.

NOTE

This option is available when your Multi line text is configured with Allow Fragment Reference.

CAUTION

These assets cannot be moved or deleted on a referencing page, this must be done in the fragment editor.

However, formatting of the asset (for example, size) must be done in the page editor. The representation of the asset in the fragment editor is purely for authoring the content flow.

NOTE

There are various methods of adding images to the fragment and/or page.

Position the cursor at the position that you want to add the fragment.
Use the Insert Content Fragment icon to open the search dialog.
In the dialog, you can either:
- navigate to the required fragment in the Assets folder
- search for the fragment
Once located, select the required fragment by clicking the thumbnail.
Use Select to add a reference to the selected Content Fragment to your current content fragment (at the current location).
CAUTION
If you change the format, after adding a reference to another fragment, to:
Plain Text: the reference is lost from the fragment.

Markdown: the reference remains.

Managing Variations

Creating a Variation

Variations let you take the Master content and vary it according to purpose (if necessary).

To create a variation:

Open your fragment and ensure that the side panel is visible.
Select Variations from the icon bar in the side panel.
Select Create Variation.
A dialog box opens, specify the Title and Description for the new variation.
Select Add; the fragment Master is copied to the new variation, which is now open for editing.

NOTE
When creating a variation, it is always the Master that is copied, not the variation that is open.

NOTE
When you create a variation, all Tags currently assigned to the Master variation are copied to your new variation.

Editing a Variation

Change the variation content after either:

Creating your variation.
Opening an existing fragment, then selecting the required variation from the side panel.

editing a variation

Renaming a Variation

To rename an existing variation:

Open your fragment and select Variations from the side panel.
Select the required variation.
Select Rename from the Actions drop-down.
Enter the new Title and/or Description in the resulting dialog box.
Confirm the Rename action.

NOTE

This only affects the variation Title.

Deleting a Variation

To delete an existing variation:

Open your fragment and select Variations from the side panel.
Select the required variation.
Select Delete from the Actions drop-down.
Confirm the Delete action in the dialog.

NOTE

You cannot delete Master.

Synchronizing with Master

Master is a part of a content fragment and, by definition, it holds the master copy of the content, whereas the variations hold the individual updated and tailored versions of that content. When the Master is updated, it is possible that these changes are also relevant to the variations and, therefore, must be propagated to them.

When editing a variation, you have access to the action for synchronizing the current element of the variation with Master. This lets you automatically copy changes made to Master to the required variation.

CAUTION

Synchronization is only available to copy changes from Master to the variation.

Only the current element of the variation is synchronized.

Synchronization only works on the Multi line text data type.

Transferring changes from a variation to Master is not available as an option.

Open your content fragment in the fragment editor. Ensure that the Master has been edited.
Select a specific variation, then the appropriate synchronization action from either:
- the Actions drop-down selector - Sync current element with master
- the toolbar of the full-screen editor - Sync with master
Master and the variation are shown side-by-side:
- green indicates that content added (to the variation)
- red indicates content removed (from the variation)
- blue indicates replaced text
Select Synchronize, the variation is updated and shown.