Working With Templates

In Author-it, templates ensure consistency and reduce the amount of setup work required from authors.

  • Designer-Created: Templates are created and maintained by Designers. They define all the publishing rules an object should follow.
  • Author-Friendly: By assigning a template to an object, authors can focus solely on writing content rather than configuring Print/Help/Web properties manually.
  • Standardization: Templates enforce the organization’s standards by controlling layout, styles, breaks, numbering, and other publishing elements.

How Inheritance Works

Every time an object is created, such as a Topic, and is further based on a template, the object automatically inherits all settings defined in that particular template.

Inherited (Read-Only) Properties

  • These properties are locked because the template sets them.
  • They appear in bright blue inside the properties panel.
  • Example inherited settings:
    • Style set to Auto
    • Insert a Super Heading
    • Use a specific Media Object

Authors cannot edit these unless the template is changed.

Modifiable Properties

  • If Designers want authors to supply content (e.g., entering a heading or selecting an option), they deliberately leave that field blank in the template.
  • These fields appear editable at the object level.

Power of Global Updates

Templates act as a global control layer for the entire library.

  • If a Designer updates the template, for example, changing a Section Break to a Page Break - that change is instantly inherited by every object based on that template.
  • No manual cleanup is required.
  • This ensures long-term maintainability, consistent formatting, and efficient rollout of publishing standards across all authors and documents.