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Simple layout manager (SLM) derives power and flexability from using templates to deliver different content to users based on the values in the person object. However, once a user changes their this or her layout a copy is stored and the template is no longer used. So any changes to the template after the user has personalized their his or her layout do not appear unless the user rests resets to the default. Likewise, any change of mapping from user to template user (i.e., cahnges the the value of the template user person attribute for a given person) has no effect once the user has his or her very own copy of layout by having personalized. Since both aggregated layout manager (ALM) and distributed layout manager (DLM) have better mechanisms for pushing content to users, templates can be minimized or eliminated entirely when simple layout manager is not used.
When the template mapping changes
Any given user is either linked to a template user or unlinked from the template and using his or her very own layout. Users start out linked to their template user. They become unlinked by means of making a layout personalization, e.g. adding, moving, or deleting a channel. On personalization, uPortal copies the template layout content into a new personal layout for this user, and forevermore this user is "unlinked" from the template (until and unless the user resets layout.)
If a user is unlinked from the template layout, then neither changes to the content of the template layout nor changes to the user attribute that determined to which template the user is mapped, have any effect.
If a user is linked to a template layout, then when this user's linked template user's layout changes, those changes are reflected in the perceived layout of the user. Since the user didn't have a layout of his or her own, he or she is using the template user's layout, and so experiences updates to that template on next login.
But what happens when the user's template attribute itself changes, for example the value changes from "student" to "faculty"? The portal will display the new template user layout (in this case, faculty), delete this user from all the modifiable groups in which he or she presently resides, and place this user in the new groups associated with the faculty template user.
To restate, providing the user does not customize his or her layout, when the user's portal template attribute values changes, the portal will present the new layout and pull the user out of all past groups that it can (cannot modify read-only groups such as PAGS groups) and place this user into the new groups affiliated with the new template user, whereas in the event that a user modifies his or her layout and thereby breaks association with the template user, then even if the portal template attribute changes, the user will not receive a new layout nor will she change group membership.