A template is a skeleton or pattern that defines how information in the WebSphere Commerce database will display on a Web page. The template determines the location and type of text and images on the page, as well as other page attributes, such as a background color. These elements are defined in templates created with JavaServer Pages (JSP) technology using HTML tags or beans that are linked to the WebSphere Commerce database.
Templates dynamically link to the database so the information that is displayed on the Web is always up-to-date. When you alter the information in the database, the information on the Web pages is automatically updated. If you have caching enabled, ensure that you purge files from the cache in order to display the latest changes from the database. For more information on caching and purging files see the Caching section in the WebSphere Commerce Administration Guide.
Templates are especially convenient for generating dynamic catalog group and catalog entry pages. They provide a simple way to achieve a consistent look for products and categories, eliminating the need to create, place, or define the same elements for each page over and over again. You can use the same template for every product in a particular store, or design a different template for specific products or groups of products.