Creating & Attaching a Template

   A 'blank' template is in the nature of a 'clear canvas' onto which clauses selected for assembly can be poured during a document assembly session. Keep in mind that while the canvas is 'blank,' it still contains the desired document 'shape' (margins, styles, headers, footers, etc.) and styles needed to give the assemble document the desired look.

   Here is how to create a 'blank' template

Manually

(1) Display a source document that has the desired 'shape'.

(2) Press Ctrl-A to highlight all of the text.

(3) Press Delete to void the document of all text. (Don't panic, we will not lose your original, but make sure that you press SaveAs in the next step.

(4) Save this blank document out as a template. Do so by pressing 'SaveAs' from Word's 'File' toolbar item and then choose Template from the "Save as type:" list at the bottom of the screen. Name the template something meaningful (like 'MyCompany.dot') and save it in your default templates folder. (In most cases, Word will automatically switch to the proper folder when you click on Templates as the Save as type:" ) Close the template you just created.

Attach the template to a 'book:'

(5) Click the Document Assembly icon in the Pathagoras toolbar. Click <Settings>. At the right of the Setting screen, in the Templates tab, on the line parallel to the book from which you are assembling documents, type the name of the template you just created. (See figure immediately below.)

(6) Save the Settings screen, and close the Setting screen.

Automatically:

(1) Display a source document that has the desired 'shape'.

(2) Display the Templates and Styles screen. (It is found in the Pathagoras drop down features menu.) This is what you will see:

(3) Click the <Create New Template> button.

(4) Follow the prompts. (The steps outlined above in the 'Manually' section will be performed, but automatically so.

Now, and from now on, when you assemble a document from the book to which have attached the template, Pathagoras will first lay down the assigned template. (Look at this as the 'canvas' upon which the document will be painted.), Then, all clauses you selected from the Clause Selection Screen will be poured onto the canvas.

Exempting a document from the external template: There may be a document (or several) within a particular book that you want to 'exempt' from the automatic application of the template during a document assembly session. To exempt a document, call it to the editing screen. Click the File|Properties section. Click the "Custom Properties" tab. Add a new custom property entry called "Template" and assign it the value of "self." When Pathagoras sees an assembled document with that custom property, it will not attempt to apply the template assigned to the book.

There are a few additional steps to get to "Custom Properties" in Word2007. Here they are: (1) click the round Office button (upper left of the screen); (2) Click "Prepare;" (3) Click "Properties;" (4) Click the "Document Properties" drop down list (it sits just above the "Author" entry); (5) Click "Advanced Properties;" (6) Click "Custom Properties." Add a new custom property entry called "Template" and assign it the value of "self."

Headers and Footers within your new template:

   Headers and footer will remain in the template, even if the document otherwise appears blank. If the template you created had 'personalized' headers and footers (i.e., they contained the name of a specific client or customer), don't forget to replace the personal names with the appropriate bracketed variable.

   If you have taken advantage of Word's 'Different Odd & Even' and/or 'Different First Page' header/footer settings, make sure that you change all appropriate headers and footers. You may have to add a 'dummy' second page  in order to trigger the display of the second page header and footer. You can add this dummy page by pressing Ctrl-Enter.

   Sometimes an original document has 'Different Odd & Even' or 'Different First Page' header/footer settings that you simply don't want or no longer need. You should modify those settings in the Page Layout section of your template. Here are the steps:

   1. Click File|Page Setup.

   2. Click the Layout tab.

   3. Uncheck any undesirable settings.

Getting to the Page Layout screen is a little different in Word 2007, but the same number of steps. Click the Page Layout Tab and then the Page Setup button in the lower right corner. Click again the Layout tab that appears in the resulting menu.

Accessing Page Layout in Word2007.