Chapter 2: Working With Templates

 

What Is A Template?

A template is a group of settings which are applied to any new document. The document settings, as well as the list of available styles and the codes used in those styles, are what change from one template to the next. For instance, the “Standard Format” template, which comes with DBT, sets the braille page number in the upper right-hand corner, with no “Reference” (a.k.a. “Print”) page number at all. Alternatively, the “Textbook Format” template that comes with DBT sets the braille page number to the lower right-hand corner and the print page number to the upper-right hand corner.

Text Box: DBT Templates vs. MS Word Templates

DBT templates and MS Word templates are similar in that they both contain the page settings such as margins, styles, and style settings. However, DBT templates are no more than the document settings and styles, while MS Word templates may contain text. Therefore, when you save a DBT template, you are saving the Styles and their settings, and all Document settings (including page numbering settings), but you will not be able to save any text into a template.

How to Use Templates

In order to apply a template to a new document, select “File: New” from the menu, and select the template you want to use from the “Document Settings Template” list. If you have already created a document, and want to apply a template to that document, read “Working with Templates” below.

Working with Templates

How to Add a Template

To add a template, select “Document: Create Template” from the menu. Give the new template a name, and click “OK” or press the ENTER key. If you are a transcriber using BANA formats guidelines, I recommend creating two templates, one called “Literary Format” and another called “BANA Textbook Format;” then make changes to styles as you see fit, so that they work for you.

 

How to Apply a Template to an Existing Document

If you have already created a document (what I will call “Document A”), and want to apply a template to that document, follow these steps:

1.        Select “File: New” from the menu.

2.        Select the template you want from the “Document Settings Template” list.

3.        Click “OK.” You have just created what I will call “Document B.”

4.        Go back to Document A by selecting the document from the “View” menu, or by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+TAB.

5.        Press CTRL+A. This selects all of the text and codes in the document.

6.        Copy the selected text by pressing CTRL+C.

7.        Go to Document B by selecting it from the “View” menu or pressing CTRL+SHIFT+TAB

8.        Paste the text into Document B by pressing CTRL+V.

9.        Save document B, and you’re done!

 

How to Modify a Template

1.                    Select “Document: Create Template” from the menu. From the list of existing templates, click the template you are modifying (we’ll call it “Template A”).

10.     Make sure that “Template A” is listed in the box labeled “Name for New Template.”

11.     Click “OK.”

12.     DBT will ask you if you want to replace the existing template (in this example, “Template A”). Click “Yes.”

You should modify a template if you add, edit, or delete a style or document setting, AND want to apply those changes to all future documents that are created using that template.

 

How to Delete a Template

To delete a template, select “Document: Delete Template” from the menu. Select the template you wish to delete, and click “OK” or press the ENTER key.

Please note that the two templates that come with DBT, “Standard Format” and “Textbook Format,” may not be deleted or modified.

Naming Styles & Templates

Your first step in familiarizing yourself with the use of styles and templates should be to rename some of the styles. You do this by adding a new style based on the style you want to rename, then delete the old name. Please note that if you are importing Word documents, you should not delete the old style name, as DBT needs the old style name for import purposes. You should also delete some styles you don’t use (such as a language style), and create a new template. Possible new style names might be “My Standard Format” and “My Textbook Format”.

Remember that you must determine whether the style is nestable or linear. If the style is linear, DBT automatically puts a period (.) at the end of the style name. You tell DBT that the style should be a linear style by removing the check mark from the check box labeled “Style can be nested within another style.”

 

Settings That Affect a Template

·         The default page numbering settings, which can be changed by selecting “Document: Page Numbering...”

·         The translation table used for the document. Please keep in mind that translation table languages refer to the NATIVE language. Therefore, if you have a French document which is to be read by an AMERICAN braille reader, you should keep the translation table set to “English/American,” and apply the “French” style to all French words. If, however, the document is being read by someone in France, apply the French translation table.

·         The hyphen table — when converting print to braille, DBT needs to have some set of rules to determine where braille hyphens may occur. Only one table can be selected for any given document.

·        None — will not allow braille words to split across lines.

·        Dashes — Allows a braille word to split across a line at a dash.

·        Dashes and Hyphens — Allows a braille word to split across a line at a dash, and will allow a braille word to break at an explicit hyphen in the text.

·        French — this option is only intended for use with the French braille table, and therefore is not of use to American users in most cases.[CC1] 

·         The list of styles associated with the template. Please note that if a style is added, modified, or deleted, and the template is not saved with the modifications, then the changes will only be applied to the open document, not to the template.

 

Creating a Template for a Specific Use

Let’s imagine that, most times, when you transcribe a document, the “Standard” and “Textbook” formats will do. However, one person wants his or her document to have a skipped line after a braille paragraph.

Instead of changing the style codes every time you transcribe a document for this person, create a template that you can use. Let’s say this person’s name is Margery. Follow these steps:

1.        Create a new file using “Standard Format” (or “Literary Format” if you have created that template).

2.        Modify the “para.” style so that the starting code is “[p]” and the ending codes is “[sc1]”.

3.        Save the modified style, and create a new template.

4.        Name the new template “Margery’s Literary Format”.

5.        Close the new document, and create a new document, using the “Margery’s Literary Format” template.

6.        Write a couple of paragraphs, applying the “para.” style.

7.        Translate the document, and observe how new paragraphs which use the “para.” style are formatted.

Use this method whenever you need to modify a style for a particular use.

 

Using Styles with Templates

Once you are familiar with adding, removing, and modifying styles, and with creating templates, start grouping your styles and document settings according to your needs. If there is a style you know you will never need again, remove it from your template. This will reduce the number of styles that you need to wade through. Keep in mind that you can’t change the built-in templates, so if you ever need to get a built-in style back, you can get it from the built-in templates.

Custom Templates and Importing from MS Word

When you use MS Word for import into DBT, you should use styles. The styles used in MS Word will be imported into DBT as corresponding styles: the MS Word styles “Normal” and “Body Text” import into DBT as the DBT style “para.”; The MS Word styles “List,” “List Bullet” and “List Number,” as well as their sub-level styles (“List 2”, “List Bullet 2”, etc.) import as “list.” in DBT.

If you change the names of these built-in styles in your custom templates, and use those templates when importing, DBT will still apply the built-in styles. However, as those styles don’t exist in your custom template, DBT won’t do anything with the undefined styles.

What should you do? Either ADD new styles with meaningful names without deleting the built-in styles, or use the built-in DBT templates for importing purposes.

Summing Up

Templates allow you to customize, group, add and subtract styles, as well as apply certain settings, for a particular purpose. As with styles, templates can make your work much easier by automating certain formatting tasks.