Project maps

Composable architectures focus on freeing developers from monolithic platforms, but this omits features that matter to business users, such as:

• URL management, and how nested URLs are generated, accessed, maintained, and resolved
• Deriving navigation and menus from content trees
• Generating sitemap.xml files for search engines

To better support composable architectures that include large-scale web properties or experiences with hierarchical content, Uniform includes project map management in Canvas.

Project maps can transform how to work with composable at scale, without compromising any of the underlying tools. Business users get a familiar interface to visualize a digital experience and locate their work, letting them own what matters to them. This is especially true at enterprise scale, where the lack of headless tools with structure has been a major barrier to adoption and effective implementation.

Architectural concepts#

Project maps are comprised of:

• Project map: Represents the hierarchical URL structure of the information architecture of a website or any other digital property. A project map has a name, ID and nodes. Currently only one project map per project is possible.

• Nodes: A node is an element within the project map, representing a unique URL with exactly one parent (excepting the top-level node).

  There are two types of nodes:

  • Composition node: A composition node is connected to an existing composition within your project. Within a project map a composition can only be attached to a single node.
  • Placeholder node: A placeholder node isn't connected to a composition and provides structure in the tree.

How URLs are structured#

The URL structure of a project map node is made out following parts:

1. Base URL: The base from which all full URLs of the project map nodes are derived. For website projects, this is usually is the website domain but could also point to a sub-folder or any other valid URL. The base URL is optional.
2. Path: The path is the part of the URL that comes after the base URL. The path of a node is obtained by combining its path segment with the hierarchical path segments of its parent nodes.
3. Path segment: Part of the path that's defined by an individual node. Delimited by slashes.

Nodes contain path segments that, along with segments of parent and grandparent nodes, combine to create the URL path. Only the path segment is stored with the node. When a path segment of a parent node is updated, inheritance derives the new URL.

Here is a breakdown of the individual URL parts for above example:

Use a project map#

Learn how to add, edit, and delete project maps in Uniform.

Create a project map#

1. In Uniform, navigate to Content > Project Map.

   

   Add a project map

2. Enter the following values:

   Field	Value
   Name	A descriptive name for the project map.
   Base URL (optional)	Base URL is used to create urls for the pages in project map so they can be previewed. This value can also be used for generating a sitemap.xml file.

3. Click Create project map.

4. The project map is displayed.

   

   The Uniform app after a project map has been created

Delete a project map#

1. In Uniform, navigate to Settings > Canvas Settings.
2. Scroll to the section Add project map.
3. Click the ••• button and click Delete.
4. Click OK to delete the project map.

Edit a project map#

1. In Uniform, navigate to Settings > Canvas Settings.
2. Scroll to the section Add project map.
3. Click the name of the project map.
4. Edit the fields you want to change.
5. Click Save project map.

Manage project map nodes#

Nodes represent a unique URL with exactly one parent (excepting the root node).

Add nodes to a project map#

1. In Uniform, navigate to Content > Project Map.

2. Select either the ••• or the +. If you selected •••, select "Add child node." If you selected +, a few options will expand. If you're creating a new node from the base URL, select "INTO." If you're creating a new node under the base URL, you can chose either "AFTER" or "INTO."

   • If you chose "INTO," a new node will be created as a child of the original node.
   • If you chose "AFTER," a new node will be created as a sibling of the original node.

3. After selecting the node destination, a new panel will open to select the following values:

   Field	Value
   Name	A human-friendly name for your node. If in the "Node type" settings you specified that a new composition should be created, this value is used as the name of the new composition. This field is required.
   Path segment	Select Static or Dynamic. This field is pre-populated from the name field but can be any slug-like string.
   Node type	Composition: means the node represents a composition. You'll be able to create a new composition right here or select an existing one. Placeholder: means you don't yet have any composition for your node yet and you are only setting up a project structure, or that you are creating a parent node that doesn't have any content and plays role of structural parent in your tree (for example, if you have product page urls like these /products/t-shirt and /products/jeans, but you don't have an actual /products page. However, you need a /products parent node to exist to have a valid site tree).
   Composition	If the "Node type" is set to "Composition," there are options to Create new, which creates a new composition to connect to the node, or Assign existing where you connect an existing composition to the node. You can either select from the list provided or search for the desired composition.
   Allowed query strings	If the "Node type" is set to "Composition," there is an option to add query strings to your path. Select Add query string and enter the field, the default value, and any help text you want to provide authors. Query strings can also be edited or deleted, either from the project map page or from within the composition. Configure a query string
   Location	You will choose the location for the node within the tree, whether you create a new composition or placeholder.

   

   Options for adding new nodes.

4. How you save the node depends on the "Node type" you specified. Click one of the following options:

• Save & open Canvas: Create a node and composition and redirect to newly created composition page to start creating content there.
• Save & add another: Create a node but keep the "Add node" drawer opened to create a next sibling right away.
• Save & close: Create a node but keep the "Add node" drawer opened to create a next sibling right away.

Update a node#

Click the ••• of the node you wish you edit. You'll see a list of options:

1. Edit: This option opens a menu where you can change the node type, name, and segment of the node.
2. Duplicate: Selecting this will create a new node in your project map as a sibling to the one duplicated. All attributes match the original except the path segment, which must be unique.
3. Add node before: Opens the "create node" menu to create a new node that sits above the original in the project map tree.
4. Add node after: Opens the "create node" menu to create a new node that sits below the original in the project map tree.
5. Add child node: Opens the "create node" menu to create a new node that's a child of the original.
6. Move node to...: Opens a menu that shows the selected node and options for where it should be moved. Select an option by choosing "AFTER" or "INTO" in the preferred node.
7. Delete: This deletes the selected node.

Link to nodes with the Link parameter#

Add a Link parameter to a component definition#

For managing internal links in Uniform you need to add a link parameter to a component.

1. Go to the component library in the project and choose the component that should contain the link parameter

2. Follow the steps described in Add a parameter

3. Choose a Parameter name (such as "Internal link")

   

4. Select the Link type as the parameter type

5. Define if the link parameter should be required

6. Select "Ok" to add the parameter to the component definition

   

   List of parameters of a component

7. Hit "Save and close" to save the component definition and return to the component list

Create a link#

1. Go to the Project Map section of Canvas and open a composition that has component instance with an link parameter.
2. Choose Configure link and a panel will appear so you can select the target node from the project map.
   

   Selection of a node for the link parameter
3. Click on Save and the link parameter is updated.
   

   Link parameter with a link added

Update the link#

1. Go to the Project Map and open a composition that has component instance with an link parameter.
2. On the link parameter click on Edit and a panel will appear so you can select a different target node from the project map
3. Click on Save and the link parameter is updated.

Clear the link#

1. Go to the Project Map section of Canvas and open a composition that has component instance with an link parameter.
2. On the link parameter click on Edit and a panel will appear so you can select a different target node from the project map.
3. Click on Clear and the link is removed.
4. Click outside the panel to close it.

Link to dynamic nodes using the Link parameter#

1. Go to the Project Map section of Canvas and open a composition that has component instance with an link parameter.

2. Choose Configure link and a panel will appear so you can select the target node from the project map which contains a dynamic path segment (the purple chip with a *) or a node with allowed query strings (the purple chip with a ?). Below the project map you can see a form which shows the available dynamic input parameters. Enter the desired values for the dynamic path segments or query parameters.

   

   Link parameter with a dynamic input

3. Click on Save and the link parameter is updated.