Create a topic template with the desired structure and content.

1. In the Content Library, in the __configuration folder:
   1. Click Create New and select a topic type that you want to use as a template.
      If you create a template for reference material such as a data sheet, select Reference.
   2. If needed, enter a title and modify the file name.
      Note:

      The valid characters for file and folder names are:

      • lowercase letters (a-z)

      • uppercase letters (A-Z)

      • numbers (0-9)

      • underscore (_), hyphen (-), and period (.)

      This applies to creating files and folders and renaming files and folders.

   3. Click Create & Edit.
2. Edit the topic template to include desired elements, text, or guidance.
   Note:

   You can provide internal guidance on how to use a template by including draft comment elements or XML comments in the template. Text in draft comment elements is not included in outputs. For information on using XML comments, see XML Comments.

   

Create a map template with the desired topics, elements, and content.

1. In the Content Library, in the __configuration folder:
   1. Click Create New and select a map type that you want to use as a template.
   2. Enter a title and modify the file name if needed.
      Note:

      The valid characters for file and folder names are:

      • lowercase letters (a-z)

      • uppercase letters (A-Z)

      • numbers (0-9)

      • underscore (_), hyphen (-), and period (.)

      This applies to creating files and folders and renaming files and folders.

   3. Click Create & Edit.
2. Add topics that you want to include in the map.

   • For topics that already exist in the Content Library, for example, a copyright notice, use the Open Library option to drag those topics into your map template.

   • For topics that should be unique within each map, create topic templates in the same location as the map, and add the topics to the map. Be sure to follow the topic template guidelines in Create a Topic Template.

3. Optional: Add any other elements or metadata to the map.
4. Edit the map template to include any needed usage guidance.
   Note:

   You can provide internal guidance in maps by using XML comments. We recommend using tooltip XML comments. See XML Comments.

Set up content templates to auto-generate new IDs, automatically include author information in the prolog element, create titles based on the file name, reuse content, and more. For a complete list of placeholder options with examples, see Content Templates Placeholder Options Reference.

1. Modify the template id attribute to generate random IDs for root topic elements or root map elements when a new file is created from the template.

   You can use one of three placeholders to automatically generate an ID when you create a new topic or map. The [RANDOM] placeholder generates up to 10,000 different 4-digit ID numbers. Use it to generate element IDs. The [RANDOM_UUID] placeholder generates unique values in this format, 12345678-1234-5678-123456. Use it to generate map and topic IDs. The [FILE_UUID] placeholder inserts the resource UUID as the id attribute value. Use it to generate map and topic IDs that match the file UUID.

   Important:

   Map ID values must start with a letter. Topic ID values must start with a letter or number. Otherwise, validation errors in files created from templates will occur.

   For topics, replace:

   <topic id="topic-3460">

   with:

   <topic id="topic-[RANDOM_UUID]">

   or

   <topic id="topic-[FILE_UUID]">

   For maps, replace:

   <map id="ditamap-3981">

   with:

   <map id="ditamap-[RANDOM_UUID]">

   or

   <map id="ditamap-[FILE_UUID]">

   Important:

   If you have IDs on elements in the body of a topic template, you need to also convert those ID values to use a placeholder instead of a specific numeric value. For element IDs, we recommend using [RANDOM]. Element ID values can contain placeholders with and without prefixes. For example:

   • Element ID placeholder with a section- prefix: <section id="section-[RANDOM]">

   • Element ID placeholder without a prefix: <table id="[RANDOM]">

2. Optional: Modify the template id attribute to use the title entered by the user as the topic ID.

   This setting retains underscores and hyphens from the title text text you type in the Create new window and replaces any spaces with underscores (_).

   Replace:

   <topic id="topic-3460">
   

   with:

   <topic id="[REQUESTED_FILE_NAME_ESCAPED_WITHOUT_EXTENSION]">
   

3. Optional: Modify the template title element to use the title entered by the user when creating a new topic or a map from the template.
   Tip:

   Skip this step if you want to use a consistent map or topic title, such as Policy & Procedures. If you complete this step, users will be prompted to enter a unique file name, but will not be able to change the title of the document from the Create new window.

   Replace:

   <title>Policy &amp; Procedures</title>

   with:

   <title>[REQUESTED_FILE_NAME_WITHOUT_EXTENSION]</title>

4. Modify the author element to use the details of the user who creates a topic or map from the template.
   Replace:

   <prolog>
   	<author>John Smith <john.smith@acme.com></author>
   </prolog>

   with:

   <prolog>
   	<author>[CURRENT_USER_FIRSTNAME] [CURRENT_USER_LASTNAME] &lt;[CURRENT_USERNAME]&gt;</author>
   </prolog>

5. Optional: If you want to add current time to the file in a specific format, add the critdates element to prolog under the author element.

   You can configure your preferred date and time format and include a time zone. For more information, see Content Templates Placeholder Options Reference.

   <prolog>
   	<author>(...)</author>
   	<critdates>
   		<created date="[CURRENT_DATETIME_FORMATTED_BY_yyyy/MM/dd]">
   	</critdates>
   </prolog>

6. Optional: If you want to add a date picker to the Create new window where users can set a past, present, or future date upon file creation, add the critdates element to prolog under the author element.

   You can configure your preferred date format. For more information, see Content Templates Placeholder Options Reference.

   <prolog>
   	<author>(...)</author>
   	<critdates>
   		<created date="[DATE_FORMATTED_BY_yyyy/MM/dd]"/>
   	</critdates>
   </prolog>

7. Optional: If you want to add reusable content to your template, for example, a copyright topic, make sure it is located in the main Content folder, and not in the __configuration folder.

   You reuse content in a template just like you would in a regular map or topic.

8. If you want to create new, unique topics at the same time as you create a new map, create the topic templates in the same templates folder as the map in the __configuration folder.

   Be sure to add the topic content templates to the map and and configure the ID value placeholder in each topic.

   Note:

   For topic templates that will be created as new topics when you create a new map, you do not need to create a corresponding XML file to enable those topics. See Enable a Template for more information.

9. Save the template file.
   Note:

   When you click Save, an invalid XML notification appears due to the [RANDOM] value in the id attribute. This is expected. Save the file anyway. Ignore the validation warning that appears in the Content Library for the same reason.

1. In the __configuration folder in the Content Library, navigate to templates/topics/topic.
2. Right-click topic.xml and select Download > File.

   If you are enabling a map, from the templates/maps/map folder, download map.xml.

3. Open the downloaded topic.xml file in a text editor like Notepad++.
   The topic.xml file looks like this:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <template>
   	<label>Custom Topic Template</label>
   	<instance source="custom_topic_template.dita"/>
   </template>

4. In the <label> element, type the template name you want listed in the Create New menu.

   Replace:

   <label>Custom Topic Template</label>

   with:

   <label>Briefing Note</label>

5. In the instance element, change the source attribute value to the file name of the topic or map you want to enable as a template.

   Replace:

   <instance source="custom_topic_template.dita"/>

   with:

   <instance source="briefing_note_template.dita">

6. Save the topic.xml file with a file name that matches the template file name.
   Save the file as briefing_note_template.xml
7. Upload the file to the __configuration folder, in the same location in the __configuration folder as the template that you are enabling.
8. Refresh your browser.
9. Open the Create New menu to confirm that the new template is listed.
10. Recommended: Create new topics or maps to ensure that you have configured the templates properly.

If you no longer need a template or you don't want a template to be available in the Create New drop-down menu, you can disable it by commenting out the <label> and <instance> elements in the .xml file relevant to that template.

1. In the Content Library, go to the __configuration folder and find the .xml file associated with the template you want to disable.
2. Right-click the .xml file and select Edit Source.
3. Place your cursor in the <label> element, right-click and select Command Palette. Type comment and select Add Line Comment.

   You commented out the <label> element.

   

4. Repeat 3 to comment out the <instance> element.