Steps for creating a blueprint that maintains a persistent connection wherever it is used.

Live Blueprints were introduced with Blueprint Maker 2.0+ and can be a sophisticated way to present similarly-formed content while maintaining a connection to the source form. Use the steps below to create a blueprint, designate it as 'live' in the JSON file, and then use the Live Blueprint Macro to embed or activate it where you see fit.

Determine your use-case

Live Blueprints are particularly useful if you have a case where:

a. You want to re-use a common 'form' of content, such as a table with similar headings but different values.

and

b. You want to be able to change that source form, from time to time, and ensure that these changes occur wherever the Blueprint is referenced.


Create a source Blueprint with your content 'form'

This page will act as the 'single source of truth' for the form of the Blueprint. Any changes to this page will 'persist' to wherever this Blueprint is referenced on the site. With this in mind, design the page with a mind towards how it will be used and reused in different places.

( Tip: Brikit typically recommends putting all of your site's Live Blueprint pages in one dedicated space (e.g. with space key of LIVEBLUEPRINTS). This makes it easy to find them again and also to manage permissions for the appropriate editors).


Add substitution fields

As with Page Blueprints and Space Blueprints, Live Blueprints can use substitution fields in places where content will be different in each use of the blueprint. Simply add them wherever it makes sense to do so. Remember that part of the power of Live Blueprints is that they allow content to maintain an identical form while having their individual instances include different on-page content (or data). Substitution fields facilitate this possibility.


<SCREENSHOT of the Live Blueprint Page. There is an example here (on Confluence 72 with some wonky styling though...): https://confluence72.brikit.com/display/BlueprintPages/Expert+Profile+Plus+Live+Blueprint>


Navigate to the Blueprint Definitions Page

Now that the source Blueprint has been drafted, it is time to 'define' it as a Blueprint. This is done on the Blueprint Definitions Page.  To access this page, do the following:


Confluence header → Gear icon → General Configuration → Blueprint Definitions


Edit and save the JSON file

On the Blueprint Definitions Page, click the 'Download Blueprints' button to retrieve the JSON file. Under the "PageBlueprints" array, add a new object to define your Blueprint. The fields are all the same for defining Page Blueprints as they are for defining Live Blueprints, except for one: this is the "type" field. Be sure to set the value of "type" to "live" (note: the default value is "page").

For example:

		{
			"name"				: "Expert Profile",
			"description"		: "A Live Blueprint for generating a common-form Expert Profile.",
			"spaceKey"			: "LIVEBLUEPRINTS",
			"pageTitle"			: "Expert Profile Live Blueprint",
			"BlueprintFields"	: [ "expert-name", "username", "pillar-name", "phone-number", "geographic-location", "building-name", "expert-title" ],
			"type"				: "live"
		},

Learn more about Accessing and Editing the JSON File.


Upload the JSON file

On the Blueprints Definition Page, click the "Upload Blueprints" button and upload your JSON File. Unless there is an error (common errors include missing a comma or quote), then you should receive a success message. The Blueprint Definitions Page will refresh to show that a new Page Blueprint of type 'Live' has been added.


Reference the Live Blueprint

Now that the Blueprint has been created and defined, it's time to use it. Navigate to, or create, a page where you want to use (AKA 'reference' or 'activate') this Live Blueprint. Edit the page and insert the Live Blueprints Macro.

<SCREENSHOT of the Edit page (or block) window and inserting the Live Blueprint Macro. There is an example here (on Confluence 72, again with some wonky styling though...): https://confluence72.brikit.com/display/ANDY/Our+Experts>


Set the macro parameters

Click the Live Blueprint Macro and select "Edit". In the first parameter, include the name of the Live Blueprint (this is the "name" field in your JSON file). You may also skip this parameter and point to the page title of the Live Blueprint, but it is more precise to use the Blueprint name. For example, the "name" of the Live Blueprint in the code above is "Expert Profile" and the "page title" is "Expert Profile Live Blueprint".

You may also add or change other parameter values now too. To learn more about these parameters, read about the Live Blueprint Macro Parameters and Key.

Save the macro edit screen.


Add substitution field values in the Live Blueprint Macro body

The unique values for this instance of the Blueprint are added into the body of the Live Blueprint Macro. This requires a specific syntax, as follows:

substitution-field-name= value
substitution-field-name= value

Enter the substitution field name followed by an equals sign ("=") and then a space and the value, terminated with a new line.

For example,

phone-number= (123) 555-1234 
geographic-location= St. Louis 
pillar-name= SB-13 
building-name= Milligan-23 
expert-title= System Analyst 
expert-name= Jane Smith 
username= jane.smith

Note that the order of the substitution fields is unimportant. You can update these values at any time by editing this macro body.

Save the edit page screen.


Or, if you have Theme Press installed, use the "Edit Blueprint" button

For users who also have Brikit Theme Press, you may skip the above step and enter the values using a special modal window on the page itself.

Save the edit page screen and return to your page. The area where you added your Live Blueprint Macro should appear as it does on the Live Blueprint Page itself (i.e. showing the substitution fields in brackets). 

Press the "x" key to toggle block editing mode. Under the Live Blueprint Macro, you will see a button that says "Edit Blueprint". Click it.

<SCREENSHOT of the Edit Blueprint button during toggle mode page. There is an example here (on Confluence 72, again with some wonky styling though...): https://confluence72.brikit.com/display/ANDY/Our+Experts>

A modal window opens that resembles the Blueprint Wizard screen. Here you can type in your unique values for each of the substitution fields.

<SCREENSHOT of the modal window after clicking 'Edit Blueprint'. There is an example here (on Confluence 72, again with some wonky styling though...): https://confluence72.brikit.com/display/ANDY/Our+Experts>

Save your changes. You can update these values at any time by repeating this step.


Repeat as you see fit

You can insert the Live Blueprint Macro on the page as many times and in as many places as you see fit, each referencing the same source Live Blueprint. Each 'instance' can have their own unique values, meaning you now have the power to replicate a content form over and over while maintaining a single source. Any changes to the source Live Blueprint will propagate to each of these instances.


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