Structured document templates are used as the basis for creating new structured documents in the repository.
Document templates provide the initial baseline of content for new structured documents. All references that are part of the document template will carry over to the new document being created. The new document can then be edited as appropriate.
Astoria initially provides several templates, including for DITA and various Astoria webforms. These supplied templates are stored in the Prototypes folder, located in the Administration cabinet. Your organization can copy and modify the supplied templates, or create custom templates that contain any content, draft comments with instructions, attribute values, references to graphics, cross references to other files, and reused content. Best practice for storing your custom templates is to place them in a folder hierarchy in a data cabinet, not the Administration cabinet. An administrator can then set access controls appropriately. An administrator can also specify the default folder location for your organization's prototype document templates. See Specifying the Backstop Prototype Folder.
When a user issues the New XML Document command, the dialog includes a Defaults button next to the Template field. When clicked, if a backstop prototype filter has been specified, that folder is initially displayed. The user can accept that location or click Browse and navigate to a new folder and template. The New XML Document dialog displays the Template field selection the user made the last time the command was issued.
See Configuring New XML Document Options for information about how template document title elements and topic id attribute values affect the creation of new XML documents, and how you may wish to modify template documents to meet your configuration settings.
Document templates are based on DTDs in the repository. See Location of DTDs in the Repository.