Serving > Front Ends > Output Format

You can change the look and feel of your search and search results pages using the Page Layout Helper and by editing the XSLT Stylesheet Editor. The Page Layout Helper lets you easily make changes to global attributes (logo, fonts, header, and footer), and to the look of the Search Box and Search Results.

There are several pages and their components that you can change to show your company's look and feel.

• Starting or "front end" search page
• Search results page
• Advanced Search page
• Cached page (header only)

The search appliance supports XSLT 1.0 and XPath 1.0.

Stylesheet Changes

You may want to make only simple changes, such as replacing the search appliance logo with your company logo, changing some global components on your pages, and making the search and result pages uniquely suited to your company. To make this type of change, use the Page Layout Helper.

Then you may want to make more extensive changes, so that only the search technology itself is left, without any branding. After you make the changes you want in the Page Layout Helper and save them, you can make further changes, if you wish, in the XSLT Stylesheet Editor. The Stylesheet contains sections for various components, preceded by comments so that you know whether a section can be customized.

Important: We suggest that you preview the results of your changes in small steps and avoid saving changes until you are completely satisfied. As soon as you click the Save XSLT Code button, it updates the corresponding front end. The pages being served display after the proxy stylesheet has been reloaded, which might take 15 minutes. The preview pages are designed only for showing the output format. The links and buttons in the preview page do not function as real searches. To see the actual search or results pages, use the Test Center link in the blue bar at the top right of the page.

To return the Stylesheet to its original state, click the Restore Default button. However, restoring the defaults removes both changes to the XSLT Stylesheet and the changes you made in the Page Layout Helper.

Here is the recommended sequence:

1. Make changes using the Page Layout Helper.
2. Click Preview to view the each change you make. A new browser window opens with each preview, so you may want to close the window each time you return to the Page Layout Helper. The Preview button lets you look at each change you make before you move on. It does not save your changes, however.
3. Continue making changes in the Page Layout Helper and previewing them.
4. When finished, click the Save Page Layout Code button.
5. Click the Export button to save the XSLT Stylesheet as a backup.

   If you are satisfied with the page layout of your search and results pages, you can go to step 12 now. If you want to make more changes, go on to step 6. If you edit the XSLT Stylesheet, those edits are made in addition to the Page Layout changes. Be aware that you cannot return to the Page Layout section after editing the Stylesheet itself.

6. Click the Edit underlying XSLT code link. (The code now contains your Page Layout changes from using the Helper.)
7. Following the commented instructions, make the changes you want.
8. Click Preview to see your changes. A new browser window opens with each preview, so you may want to close the window each time you return to the Stylesheet.
9. Continue making changes in the XSLT code and previewing the changes.
10. When finished and ready to serve the changed pages, click the Save XSLT Code button.
11. Click the Export button to save the XSLT Stylesheet as a backup.
12. Test your changed search and results pages by using the Test Center link at the upper right of the page. Click the links and do some searches to make sure the pages look the way you want them to. If you are serving a collection, your changed pages are immediately served to your users.

Note: Later, you can use the Import button to use your edited Stylesheet to make further changes.

Stylesheet Language Options

You can have your users' search page and search results pages in a language other than English, the default. You also can have several languages active for your users and the search appliance will present search results for an active language based on the settings detected in the end user's computer.

The search appliance allows multiple stylesheets that present the search page, advanced search, and results pages in different languages, all associated with a single front end. The language-specific stylesheet is selected based on the Accept-language header sent from the user's browser, or the hl= query option. The stylesheet is selected from the set of languages marked "active"; if there is no match, the default language is used. A language-specific stylesheet is created when you make a language active. Each language's stylesheet can be edited and customized independently.

To make a language active using Page Layout Helper:

1. Choose the language to activate in the Language drop-down menu.
2. In the Page Layout Helper, make any format changes you like. If you are only making a language active, no changes are necessary.
3. Click the Save Page Layout Code button. In the Language drop-down menu, the language you activated will have the word "Active" next to it.

To make a language the default:

1. Choose an active language in the Language drop-down menu.
2. Click the Make this Language the Default button.

To make a language active using the XSLT Stylesheet Editor:

1. Choose the language to activate in the Language drop-down menu.
2. Click the Edit underlying XSLT code link. The text in the default stylesheet converts to that language.
3. In the XSLT Stylesheet Editor, make any format changes you like. (If you are only making a language active, no changes are necessary.)
4. Click Save XSLT Code to save as an active stylesheet.

To make a language active for a custom stylesheet using the XSLT Stylesheet Editor:

1. Choose the language to activate in the Language drop-down menu.
2. Click the Edit underlying XSLT code link. The text in the default stylesheet converts to that language.
3. In the XSLT Stylesheet Editor, make any format changes you like. (If you are only making a language active, no changes are necessary.)
4. Click Save XSLT Code to save as an active stylesheet.

To make languages active for a set of custom stylesheets using the XSLT Stylesheet Editor:

1. Customize the default language's stylesheet as desired using the Page Layout Helper or the XSLT Stylesheet Editor.
2. For each additional language, choose the language in the Language drop-down menu.
3. Click the Edit underlying XSLT code link. The text in the default stylesheet converts to that language.
4. Click the Make this Language the Default button.
5. Perform any language-specific customizations in the XSLT Stylesheet Editor. If you are only making a language active, no changes are necessary.
6. Click Save XSLT Code to save as an active stylesheet.

To remove an active language and disable the stylesheet for that language:

1. Choose the language in the Language drop-down menu.
2. Click the Remove this Language button. The stylesheet is no longer available in that language.