Container modules

Container modules help you control the layout when you build complex modules or pages out of small component modules. For example, a container module might be a header, footer, or buy box module that has nested modules inside it.

Container modules can define "slots" that are exposed to template authors. You can think of slots as regions inside the container module. Page authors can configure which modules go into each slot. The code of the container module is responsible for the HTML layout of the slots.

Configuration settings can also be exposed to page authors. In this way, page authors can do additional configuration of the layout of container modules. The container module is responsible for building a responsive design, to help guarantee that the module will look good at any size, regardless of whether it's viewed on a mobile device screen or in a full web browser.

Container modules are created just like regular modules. However, in the MODULE_NAME.definition.json file, you must change the $type value as shown in the following example.

"$type": "containerModule"

There are two types of container modules: layout container modules and page container modules.

Layout container modules

Layout container modules are useful when you must make a complex module out of multiple simple modules, and you want to control the layout of those simple modules. For example, you can use a header layout container module that is made up of required or optional sub-modules, such as search, sign-in, and navigation modules. The purpose of the layout container is to provide an adaptive layout.

For more information, see Create a layout container module.

Page container modules

Page container modules contain the core structure for page authoring. For example, you can create a page container where slots are defined for the header area, main content area, and footer area. A page container is just a module that controls the layout of a set of named slots, and that can be embedded only at the root of a page. Each page must have only one page container. This page container is added to a template in the authoring tools.

Like layout container modules, page container modules can define named slots that are exposed to template authors. Page authors can configure which modules go into each slot, and the rendering code for the container controls the layout of those slots. Configuration settings can also be exposed to page authors, so that they can do additional configuration of the layout.

For more information, see Create a page container module.

Additional resources

Create a new module

Clone a module library module

Add module configuration fields

Preview and debug a module

Test modules by using module mocks

Test modules by using page mocks

Localize a module