SharePoint 2010 Master Pages

The master pages SharePoint 2010 utilizes are features from ASP.NET 2.0. They provide the ability to lay out the framework of a rendered page separate from the page containing the content. While master page customizations were an essential feature in the previous version of SharePoint as well, there have been many notable and important changes from 2007 to 2010. This article attempts to:

• Consolidate some of the basics of working with SharePoint 2010 master pages
• Highlight some of the changes between the previous version and the new version 
• Provide insight into some of the more common and useful customizations

Types of SharePoint 2010 Master Pages 

v4.master 
Default team site master page. Provides ribbon bar and other UI changes.

Characteristics

·         Site actions are updated for 2010 and appear on left.
·         Ribbon bar is available

default.master 
Sites upgraded from SharePoint 2007 use this unless they are changed to use a v4 version.

Characteristics·         Site actions on right side and are same as SharePoint 2007 version
·         No ribbon bar.

minimal.masterMaster page contains almost nothing. It is used by the Search Center and Office Web Applications. This master should not be confused with minimal master pages from 2007 which were trimmed down custom master pages developed by users. The minimal.master is now an out-of-the box master page. These trimmed-down custom master pages are commonly referred to as Starter Master Pages in SharePoint 2010.

Characteristics of minimal.masterNo navigation included

Starter Master PagesCommonly referred to as “minimal master pages” in SharePoint 2007, these quick start pages are created by developers to better enhance their ability to quickly create and customize a functional master.

Sources for Starter Master Pages
Starter Master Pages for SharePoint 2010 by Randy Drisgrill

simple.masterThis master is used by login and error pages. To customize these pages, a replacement page must be created and stored in the _layouts directory on the server. For more information see Default Master Pages in SharePoint  on MSDN.
Pages using simple.master·
          Login.aspx
·         SignOut.aspx
·         Error.aspx
·         ReqAcc.aspx
·         Confirmation.aspx
·         WebDeleted.aspx
·         AccessDenied.aspx
Other Master PagesOther miscellaneous master pages are generally not manipulated when branding a site.
 These include:
·         application.master
·         applicationv4.master
·         dialog.master
·         layouts.master
·         layoutsv3.master
·         pickerdialog.master
·         rtedialog.master
·         simple.master
·         simplev4.master
·         mwsdefault.master
·         mwsdefaultv4.master
·         admin.master
·         popup.master
Upgrading a Master Page to a SharePoint 2010 Master Page 
This section draws from the MSDN article at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee539981.aspx.
Many of the commands previously found in menus and toolbars now exist inside of the Ribbon. As a result, if the existing master page does not contain the Ribbon, many commands will be unavailable.
Controls on the Server Ribbon
These controls have been relocated into the Ribbon in SharePoint 2010:
·         Publishing Console -
·         Site Actions Menu -
·         Sign-in and Log-in Control (if using a custom login, it can be moved into the Ribbon).
Required Content Placeholders

Placeholder Control	Description	New
	Top of the Quick Launch menu.	Yes
	Bottom of the Quick Launch menu.	Yes
	Title of the site.	No
	Placeholder in the head section of the page used to add extra components such as ECMAScript (JavaScript, JScript) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to the page.	No
	The class of the body area.	No
	Control used for additional page editing controls.	No
	Name of the site where the current page resides.	No
	Title of the page, which appears in the title area on the page.	No
	Description of the current page.	No
	Section of the page for the search controls.	No
	Breadcrumb control on the page.	No
	Breadcrumb text for the breadcrumb control.	No
	List of subsites and sibling sites in the global navigation on the page.	No
	Container used to hold the top navigation bar.	No
	The navigation menu that is inside the top navigation bar.	No
	The placement of the data source used to populate the left navigation bar.	No
	Date picker used when a calendar is visible on the page.	No
	Top section of the left navigation bar.	No
	Quick Launch bar.	No
	Additional objects above the Quick Launch bar.	No
	Main content of the page.	No
	Container where the page form digest control is stored.	No
	Additional content at the bottom of the page. This is outside of the form tag.	No
	The class for the title area (now in the head tag). Customizations that add a WebPartZone in a content tag to this placeholder will cause an error.	No
	Not part of the UI, present for backward compatibility.	No
	Not part of the UI, present for backward compatibility.	No
	Not part of the UI, present for backward compatibility.	No
	Not part of the UI, present for backward compatibility.	No
	Not part of the UI, present for backward compatibility.	No
	Not part of the UI, present for backward compatibility.	No
	Not part of the UI, present for backward compatibility.	No
	Not part of the UI, present for backward compatibility.	No
	Not part of the UI, present for backward compatibility.	No

refer by http://blog.allyis.com/blog/bid/48102/Working-with-SharePoint-2010-Master-Pages