Building A SiteCore Template To Insert JavaScript

Question

I am trying to build a basic tag management solution in SiteCore.

I have created a folder called Tag Management under Templates. Under the Tag Management folder I created a template called Google Analytics. This tag has a few attributes that are used as parameters for the tag.

If I create a content item that inherits this template, I see the attribute fields.

What I need to know, is where -- as best practice -- would I would write my code that generates the script tag. I looked in the SiteCore source project, and do not see any folders for Template code.

UPDATE: Based on the Feedback and this Url: http://andyuzick.arke.com/2013/02/as-web-marketers-great-deal-of-our.html , I have implemented a new class library with the following:

Settings.cs

namespace TagManagement
{
    public class Settings
    {
        public const string DEFAULT_GLOBAL_TAG_FOLDER = "/sitecore/content/Global/TagManagement";
        public static string GlobalTagFolder
        {
            get
            {
                return Sitecore.Configuration.Settings.GetSetting("TagManagement.GlobalTagFolder", DEFAULT_GLOBAL_TAG_FOLDER);
            }
        }
    }
}

WebControl.cs

using Sitecore.Data.Items;
using Sitecore.Diagnostics;
using System;
using System.Text;
using System.Web.UI;

namespace TagManagement
{
    public class TagManagmentControl: Sitecore.Web.UI.WebControl
    {
        System.Web.UI.WebControls.Literal container;

        public string TagItem { get; set; }

        protected override void OnInit(EventArgs e)
        {
            base.OnInit(e);
            container = new System.Web.UI.WebControls.Literal();
        }

        protected override void CreateChildControls()
        {
            Assert.IsNotNullOrEmpty(TagItem, "tag item");
            Item item = Sitecore.Context.Database.GetItem(TagItem);
            StringBuilder tagToOutput = new StringBuilder();
            string templateName = item.TemplateName;
            switch (templateName)
            {
                case "Google Analytics":
                    tagToOutput.AppendLine("<script>");
                    tagToOutput.AppendLine("    (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){");
                    tagToOutput.AppendLine("    (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),");
                    tagToOutput.AppendLine("    m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)");
                    tagToOutput.AppendLine("    })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');");
                    tagToOutput.AppendLine("    ga('create', '" + item.Fields["Tracking ID"].Value + "', '" + item.Fields["Domain"].Value + "');");
                    if (item.Fields["Enable Demographics and Interest Reports"].Value == "1") 
                    {
                        tagToOutput.AppendLine("    ga('require', 'displayfeatures');");
                    }
                    tagToOutput.AppendLine("    ga('send', 'pageview');");
                    tagToOutput.AppendLine("</script>");
                    tagToOutput.AppendLine();
                    break;
                case "HTML Tracking Tag":
                    tagToOutput.AppendLine(item.Fields["Markup"].Value);
                    break;
            }
            container.Text = tagToOutput.ToString();
        }

        protected override void DoRender(HtmlTextWriter output)
        {
            EnsureChildControls();
            container.RenderControl(output);
        }

        protected override string GetCachingID()
        {
            return this.GetType().FullName;
        }
    }

}

PipelineProcessor.cs

using Sitecore.Data.Items;
using Sitecore.Diagnostics;
using Sitecore.Layouts;
using Sitecore.Pipelines.InsertRenderings;

namespace TagManagement
{
    public class InsertTags
    {
        public void Process(InsertRenderingsArgs args)
        {
            Assert.ArgumentNotNull(args, "args");

            if (Sitecore.Context.Site.Name == "shell")
            {
                return;
            }

            Item globalTagFolder = Sitecore.Context.Database.GetItem(Settings.GlobalTagFolder);
            Profiler.StartOperation("Tag Management: Adding Tags...");

            foreach (Item globalTagItem in globalTagFolder.Children)
            {
                TagManagement.TagManagmentControl control = new TagManagement.TagManagmentControl();
                if (control != null)
                {
                    control.TagItem = globalTagItem.ID.ToGuid().ToString();
                    control.Cacheable = true;
                    control.VaryByData = true;
                    RenderingReference reference = new RenderingReference(control);
                    reference.AddToFormIfUnused = true;
                    args.Renderings.Add(reference);
                    Tracer.Info(string.Concat("Tag Management: Added: '", globalTagItem.Name, "'"));
                }
            }

            Profiler.EndOperation();
        }
    }
}

I would appreciate any constructive feedback from the SiteCore experts in the room!

RobertoBr · Accepted Answer · 2014-04-03 17:55:48Z

I believe you're pretty much in the right direction.

I can think in three ways to render those tags contents.

1) Add it in your main layout code behind (it is the easiest but I really dont like that option, your code will be dependent on the mainlayout)

2) Build a sublayout and add it in a specific placeholder in your head tag, give to the sublayout code the responsability to render the tags (also don`t like it too much)

3) Create a Process in the "renderLayout" pipeline that does the job for you (the best option, it is decoupled and can be easily turned on and off via config files) *The Caveat, your tag needs to be runat server.

This is how would look like your process:

namespace YourNamespace
{
    public class PrintTags
    {
        public void Process(RenderLayoutArgs args)
        {
            //put here validation you may require

            var head = WebUtil.FindControlOfType(Sitecore.Context.Page.Page, typeof(System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlHead));

            if (head != null)
            {
                //add any content in the head
                head.Controls.Add(new Literal(" CONTENT "));
            }
            else
            {
                //make sure to not break the app instead just log the error.
                Sitecore.Diagnostics.Log.Error("Error - The HEAD element must be runat=server", this);
            }
        }
    }
}

.Config:

<configuration>
  <sitecore>
    <pipelines>
      <renderLayout>
        <processor type="YourNamespace.PrintTags, YourAssembly" />
      </renderLayout>
    </pipelines>
  </sitecore>
</configuration>

Hope it helps..

cheers

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