Creating a Dreamweaver template

Creating a Dreamweaver template

You can create a template from an existing document (such as an HTML, Macromedia ColdFusion, or Microsoft Active Server Pages document) or you can create a template from a new, blank document.

After you create a template, you can insert template regions (see Types of template regions). You can also set template preferences for code coloring and template region highlight color (see Customizing code coloring preferences for a template and Setting highlighting preferences for template regions).

To create a template:

  1. Open the document you want to save as a template:
    • To open an existing document, select File > Open, then select the document.
    • To open a new blank document, select File > New. In the dialog box that appears, select Basic Page or Dynamic Page, select the type of page you want to work with, and then click Create.
  2. When the document opens, do one of the following:
    • Select File > Save as Template.
    • In the Common category of the Insert bar, click the arrow on the Templates button, then select Make Template.

      This is a picture of the feature being described.

    The Save As Template dialog box appears.

    This is a picture of the feature being described.

  3. Select a site to save the template in from the Site pop-up menu, then enter a unique name for the template in the Save As text box.
  4. Click Save.

    Dreamweaver saves the template file in the site’s Templates folder in the local root folder of the site, with a .dwt filename extension. If the Templates folder does not already exist in the site, Dreamweaver automatically creates it when you save a new template.

To use the Assets panel to create a new template

  1. In the Assets panel (Window > Assets), select the Templates category on the left side of the panel.This is a picture of the feature being described.

    The Templates category of the Assets panel appears.

  2. Click the New Template button at the bottom of the Assets panel.This is a picture of the feature being described.

    A new, untitled template is added to the list of templates in the Assets panel.

  3. While the template is still selected, enter a name for the template, then press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh).

    Dreamweaver creates a new blank template in the Assets panel and in the Templates folder.

Related topics

  • Customizing code coloring preferences for a template
  • Setting highlighting preferences for template regions
  • Creating templates for a Contribute site
  • Inserting an editable region


Getting Started with Dreamweaver
Dreamweaver Basics
Working with Dreamweaver Sites
Laying Out Pages
Laying Out Pages with CSS
Managing Templates
Adding Content to Pages
Working with Page Code
Preparing to Build Dynamic Sites
Making Pages Dynamic
Developing Applications Rapidly