Include new page layout in the page lauout drop down

Question

I have created a page layout using module and aspx page

MyLayout.aspx

<%@ Assembly Name="$SharePoint.Project.AssemblyFullName$" %>
<%@ Register TagPrefix="SharePoint" Namespace="Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls" Assembly="Microsoft.SharePoint, Version=15.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c" %>
<%@ Register TagPrefix="Utilities" Namespace="Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities" Assembly="Microsoft.SharePoint, Version=15.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c" %>
<%@ Register TagPrefix="asp" Namespace="System.Web.UI" Assembly="System.Web.Extensions, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" %>
<%@ Assembly Name="Microsoft.Web.CommandUI, Version=15.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c" %>

<%@ Page Inherits="Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.WebPartPage" MasterPageFile="~masterurl/default.master" %>

<%@ Register TagPrefix="WebPartPages" Namespace="Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages" Assembly="Microsoft.SharePoint, Version=15.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c" %>

<asp:Content ID="Main" ContentPlaceHolderID="PlaceHolderMain" runat="server">
    <div>
        <div style="float: left; width: 70%">
            <WebPartPages:WebPartZone
                ID="ActivityStream" runat="server"
                FrameType="TitleBarOnly"
                Title="First Web Part Zone" />
        </div>
        <div style="float: right; width: 30%">
            <div>
                <WebPartPages:WebPartZone
                    ID="Announcements" runat="server"
                    FrameType="TitleBarOnly"
                    Title="Second Web Part Zone" />
            </div>
            <div>
                <WebPartPages:WebPartZone
                    ID="Birthdays" runat="server"
                    FrameType="TitleBarOnly"
                    Title="Third Web Part Zone" />
            </div>
            <div>
                <WebPartPages:WebPartZone
                    ID="PopularPosts" runat="server"
                    FrameType="TitleBarOnly"
                    Title="Fourth Web Part Zone" />
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</asp:Content>

Module - Element.xml code

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
  <Module Name="MyModule" RootWebOnly="TRUE" Url="Pages">
    <File Path="MyModule\MyLayout.aspx" Url="MyModule\MyLayout.aspx" Type="GhostableInLibrary" />
  </Module>
</Elements>

The above code runs successfully when I change Url in the above Element.xml file to _catalogs/masterpage it doesn't deploy properly.

I also want to include this page layout in the pageLayout dropdown.

Answer 1

You are using RootWebOnly="TRUE" which will only show the page layout on the top level site of the Site Collection. Also it looks like you are missing some values from your elements file. This is an example from my elements file (your PublishingAssociatedContentType would be different):

<Module Name="Branding" Url="_catalogs/masterpage" List="116">

    <File Path="Branding\Home.aspx" Url="Home.aspx" Type="GhostableInLibrary" Level="Published" ReplaceContent="true">
      <!-- Page Layout Options -->
      <Property Name="ContentTypeId" Value="0x01010007FF3E057FA8AB4AA42FCB67B453FFC100E214EEE741181F4E9F7ACC43278EE81100B432574477BA904292DFD58D26CE0E24" />
      <Property Name="UIVersion" Value="15" />
      <Property Name="ContentType" Value="Page Layout" />
      <Property Name="_ModerationStatus" Value="0" />
      <Property Name="FSObjType" Value="0" />
      <Property Name="PublishingAssociatedContentType" Value=";#HomePage;#0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900242457EFB8B24247815D688C526CD44D006C1FE3D72BB549E4BD955E452EE10409;#" />
      <!-- Specific Options -->
      <Property Name="Title"
                Value="Home" />
      <Property Name="MasterPageDescription"
                Value="Home Page Layout" />
      <Property Name="PublishingPreviewImage"
                Value="~SiteCollection/_catalogs/masterpage/en-US/Preview Images/ArticleBodyOnly.png, ~SiteCollection/_catalogs/masterpage/en-US/Preview Images/ArticleBodyOnly.png" />
    </File>