Create a component template in a project

When you're working in a project and need to create a component as a template, you can do it right from the Projects tab. Keep in mind that Inspire provides built-in templates that you can use and edit. Identifying a component as a template adds it to the Available Templates list that users see when creating components.

You must have permission to create templates.

  • Only users with the following permissions can create templates:
    • Administrator permissions.
    • Access to the Content Browser module, and listed as a user for the can_create_template property.
    • Access to the Content Browser module, and belonging to a role that listed for the can_create_template property.
  • Even if you don't have permissions to create a template, you can still access a component's Details and add or remove the Template property.
  • If you are an administrator, to grant permissions, refer to Allow users to create a template.

To create a component template in a project:

  1. Click Projects_TopMenuOpt Projects.
  2. On the Project Management tab, select the project and double-click it.
    You can also open a project by:
    • Right-clicking the project and then selecting Open.
    • Clicking Action_Menu the Options menu and then selecting Open.
  3. In the Content pane, select the folder where you want to create a component template and do one of the following:
    • Select the Component list and click Create Component.
    • Select the Options menu and click Create Component.

    Results: The Create Component screen opens.

  4. In Target Folder, by default, you see the project's system folder.

    To change the location where the component will be stored, use the dropdown arrow to select a new folder.

  5. In Available Templates, select what type of content is in this component.

    The template type defines the component's XML structure and which elements can be included.

    • For example, the XML structure differs between a Concept and a Task, because DITA uses different topic shells for each information type.
    • A concept and a task aren’t just stylistic variations; they have different root elements, different allowed children, and different required structures.
  6. In New Component Name, enter a title for the component in 100 or fewer characters.
    You can easily change a component's name after creating it.
  7. In Language, by default, it's set to the English language. To change the default, select the language in which the content is written.
    When you open this component for editing, Inspire loads the spelling dictionary for the language you choose. For example, if you choose the French language, when you're editing this component and turn on spell check, correctly spelled English words will be underlined in red as a warning of a misspelling. French words spelled correctly won't be underlined in red.

    Notes:

    • The language you select is applied to the root level element in the xml:lang attribute.
    • To ensure content that is read from Right-to-Left displays correctly in Oxygen, Inspire may set the Reading property.
      • For the language you choose, if the language Reading property is rtl (Right-to-Left) and it doesn't exist yet, Inspire sets it.
      • For example, <concept id="concept_guid" xml:lang="ar-Ar" dir="rtl">
      • Inspire makes no changes if the language Reading property is ltr (Left-to-Right)
    • If necessary, an administrator can change the language after you create the component.
  8. Select Create as Template.
    Only users with the following permissions can create templates when creating a component:
    • Administrator permissions
    • Access to the Content Browser module, and listed as a user for the can_create_template property.
    • Access to the Content Browser module, and belonging to a role that is listed for the can_create_template property.
    • Even if you don't have permissions to create a template, you can still access a component's Details and add or remove the Template property.
    • If you are an administrator, to grant permissions, refer to Allow users to create a template.
  9. In Number of copies, the default is set to 1. To create multiple components at once with the same settings, use the up and down arrows to set the number of components you want to create.

    If this number is greater than 1:

    • Inspire creates multiple components of the same type in the same place.
    • Inspire appends a suffix of (1), (2), (3) to the end of each component's New Component Name.
  10. Optionally, you can create a File Name that is different from the Component Name by selecting Override File Name.

    By default, the File Name is the same as the component Name, except with underscores instead of spaces. This makes it easier for Web services, scripts, and plugins to process. Inspire will add a GUID and a file extension to the file name after you click Create.

    1. Edit the File Name using underscores instead of spaces. (File names must be 150 or fewer characters.)

      For more information on the different types of names that Inspire uses, read How to name a component.

  11. Click Create.
    • The component template appears in the selected folder of the project.
    • The component template appears in the selected target folder in the Components browser.
    • The next time a user creates a component, they can select your template in Available Templates.