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There is no universally accepted definition of a template.
| • | ‘Pattern’ certainly is a succinct way of defining the term, but that doesn’t satisfactorily convey the various uses of templates in the world of document assembly. |
| • | A ‘template’ as defined by most other document assembly programs is a complete document that contains every term that possibly might be included in the final document, and then some. By answering questions that you have to build into the template, or using an ancillary file, you pare away the text in the template that doesn’t fit the need. |
This is how Pathagoras defines 'template':
| • | A Pathagoras template is an ordinary Word '.dot' file that provides the basic shape to the documents that are built upon it. |
| • | A Pathagoras template provides the styles, fonts, headers and footers, the background colors, etc. |
| • | A Pathagoras template is typically void of any substantive text. However, introductory text, letterheads, page numbers and the like are frequently part of the template. |
When you activate a document assembly session, the template that you have associated with a particular book is first laid out. (If no template is associated with the book, the template associated with the first document assembled is presented.)
The clauses you selected in the Clause Selection Screen are then quickly ‘poured’ into that template.
If the style names of the source template and the receiving template are identical, then the style rules of the receiving document will control. So, if the 'body text' style in the source document calls for 'single spacing between paragraphs' and the 'body text' style in the receiving document calls for double spacing, double spacing will occur.
If the assembled document does not have the style you expected, it is because of this 'rule.' To 'fix' the problem, you need to put this rule to your advantage. Do so by creating a template that contains the styles that you want, and associate that template with the book or books of clauses that you want to follow that style.
The next sections describes the process.
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 Pathagoras recommends that your regular source text (your boilerplate language and your assortment of alternative clauses be stored in regular Word documents. That is, a ".doc" (or ".docx" for 2007) file. They are easier for you to save where you want them saved. (If you change a ".doc" to a ".doc" file, Word automatically changes the default save location to your templates folder. Just save your substantive text in standard files. Store them where they make the most sense to you. Pathagoras can handle the rest. See Also: ".doc vs. .dot"
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