Table of Contents
Introduction to Templates
What are Templates
A HelpStudio template is a set of configuration information that defines the style of a particular type of content in your project. Templates are saved and edited independently of any project, which is useful because you can create a custom template and use it in multiple projects.
Template Types
The HelpStudio offers a variety of templates designed for different types of project outputs, such as Topics, , Booklet, Web, and more. You can select templates for specific output types through the 'Templates' page within the Build Profile editor.
| Template Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Topic |
This template is applied to any conceptual topic page (and Glossary) that is generated HelpStudio. |
| Booklet | This template is used for the format and style of the Table of Contents, Index, and heading of the Booklet output. |
| Web Help | This template is used to define the layout and style of the web frame and navigation bar in the plain HTML web output. |
Anatomy of a Template
Each template consists of several different aspects which collectively define the content and style of the template.
| Page Types |
Page Types are HTML documents that define the structure and style of each type of generated page. |
| Scraps |
Scraps are re-usable snippets of HTML that are inserted into Page Types. |
| Phrases |
Phrases are static pieces of localizable text that are defined in a template and can be used in both template and project content e.g. "Table of Contents", "See Also". Phrases can be referenced by using the <!--DXMETADATA start type="Phrase" name="PhraseName"--> <!--DXMETADATA end--> element in template content, and PhraseName in project content. |
| Properties |
The template editor contains a Property List that allows you to define template level property that can then be overriden at the Project or Build Profile level. |
| Metadata Elements |
Metadata elements are dynamic pieces of content generated by HelpStudio and can be inserted into Page Types and Scraps. More information on metadata elements can be found here: Metadata Elements. |
| Other Files | A template may contain one or more additional files that are used throughout the template e.g. images, javascript, stylesheets. |
| Widgets | Globally defined Widgets can be overriden at the template level. |