10/18/2017 Templates

IBM Lotus Domino Designer 8.5

Versions 8.5 and 8.5.1

Templates
A template is a skeleton that contains design elements, but no documents. When you use a template to create
a database, the template's design elements are copied to the database created from that template. You can
use the IBM Lotus Domino Designer templates as is or customize them. Or, you can create a template by
creating a database with the NTF le extension and the "Database is a template" property. This property
enables the master template to distribute design changes automatically to databases created from it.
Databases that inherit their designs from master templates receive the latest changes through a nightly server
task.

Note If, for some reason, you do not want a database to inherit designs automatically via the nightly server
task, you have two options: Do not put the template on a server that runs the nightly update task or do not set
the "Database is a template" property. You can then distribute changes to the database design by using the
Replace Design command, specifying the server where the template is located and selecting the template.
Make sure to set the database properties so that the database does not automatically inherit the design via the
nightly server task.

To convert a database to a template

1. Open the database you want to be a template and choose File - Application - Properties.

2. Click the Design tab.

3. Select "Database is a master template."

4. Enter a template name.

5. (Optional) Select "List as advanced template in 'New Database' dialog" to hide the template. Users who
select "Show all templates" in the New Database dialog box can still view the template.

6. (Optional) Select "Copy prole documents with design" to propagate to databases created from the
template any prole documents within the template.

7. (Optional) Select "Single Copy Template" to designate the template as the repository for all of the design
notes. Databases that inherit from this template will store references to the design notes rather than the
notes themselves.

Naming conventions
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Naming conventions
You can use letters, numbers, and underscores in the name. Choose a name that indicates the application
type or design elements represented in the template. For example, StdR6Disc represents a standard IBM
Lotus Notes template containing the design for a Lotus Domino Designer 6 Discussion database.

The master template name, the title, and the categories assigned to the database cannot add up to more
than 99 characters.

Related topics

Creating templates
Making and distributing design changes
Refreshing a design
Replacing a design
Linking a database to a template
Linking individual design elements to a template

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Last updated: Monday, October 5, 2009

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