3.5 Establishing Workspace and Folder Templates

Templates in Novell Teaming are a powerful way to create consistent custom folders and workspaces. If you are not satisfied with the way default workspaces and folders behave, you can either modify the current templates, or create new templates.

3.5.1 Understanding Templates

Workspace and Folder Templates are a powerful and efficient way to manage your Novell Teaming site. They enable you to customize the default features, default layout, and default access control settings of the workspaces and folders throughout your Teaming site.

For example, the Team Workspaces template is used when any team workspace is created. By default, the access control settings for the Team Workspaces template specify that only team members are able to view the team workspace. However, if you want to run a more relaxed Teaming site and allow all Teaming users to view any team workspace, you can simply modify the access control settings for the Team Workspaces template.

For information about the specific access control roles that you can assign to various users in Teaming, see Understanding Access Control in the Novell Teaming 2.0 Advanced User Guide.

Creating Templates or Modifying Existing Templates

You can modify existing templates, like the Team Workspaces template, or you can create your own custom templates. When you create a new template, all teaming users have access to that template when they create new workspaces or folders. When you modify existing templates, users who create new workspaces and folders see only the modified template.

For more information on the default templates that are included in Novell Teaming, see Section 3.5.2, Understanding Default Workspace and Folder Templates.

Templates vs. Form and View Designers

Novell Teaming provides two methods of customizing the default features and default layout of workspaces and folders in your Teaming site. Depending on your situation, you might want to use either of these methods.

  • Templates: If users have not yet started using your Teaming site, use templates to create and modify custom folder and workspace views. Typically, templates are easier to work with than the Form and View Designers tool; however, changes that you make to templates affect only those workspaces and folders that are created after the template was modified.

  • Form and View Designers Tool: If users have already started using your Teaming site, you might want to use the Form and View Designers tool to create and modify folder and workspace views. When you modify folder and workspace views by using the Form and View Designers tool, all modifications are displayed in existing workspaces and folders.

    For information on using the Form and View Designers tool to create new workspace and folder views, see Creating Custom Workspace Views and Creating Custom Folder Views in the Novell Teaming 2.0 Advanced User Guide.

3.5.2 Understanding Default Workspace and Folder Templates

By default, Novell Teaming provides basic default templates for various types of workspaces and folders. If the default workspace and folder templates are not sufficient for your needs, you can either modify these templates, as described in Section 15.1, Modifying Workspace and Folder Templates, or create new templates, as described in Section 3.5.3, Creating Workspace and Folder Templates.

The following sections outline the default workspace and folder templates that are provided in Teaming:

Default Workspace Templates

  • Discussions Workspace

  • Project Management Workspace

  • Team Workspace

  • Workspace (Basic)

  • Landing Page

  • User Workspace

Following are some examples of default workspace templates:

Team Workspace

Figure 3-2 Team Workspace Template Example

User Workspace

Figure 3-3 User Workspace Template Example

Default Folder Templates

  • Discussion

  • Blog

  • Calendar

  • Guestbook

  • File Folder

  • Milestone Folder

  • Micro-Blog

  • Mirrored File Folder

  • Photo Album

  • Survey Folder

  • Task Folder

  • Wiki

Following are some examples of default folder templates:

Discussion Folder

Figure 3-4 Discussion Folder Template Example

Calendar Folder

Figure 3-5 Calendar Folder Template Example

3.5.3 Creating Workspace and Folder Templates

Novell enables you to create templates based on existing workspaces and folders; or, you can create new templates. You can also modify existing templates.

Creating Templates Based on Existing Workspaces and Folders

  1. In the Workspace or Folder toolbar, click Manage > Site Administration, then click Manage Workspace and Folder Templates.

    Manage Workspace and Folder Templates page

  2. Click New > Create a New Template from an Existing Workspace or Folder.

    Add Templates page

  3. Use the Workspace tree to navigate to and select the folder or workspace whose template you want to modify.

  4. Click Add.

    Manage Workspace and Folder Templates page with template to edit

  5. Modify the template as desired.

    For information on how to modify a template after you have created it, see Section 15.1, Modifying Workspace and Folder Templates.

Creating New Templates

Teaming enables you to design completely new custom workspace or folder templates.

  1. In the Workspace or Folder toolbar, click Manage > Site Administration, then click Manage Workspace and Folder Templates.

    Manage Workspace and Folder Templates page

  2. Click New > Folder or Workspace, depending on which type of template you want to create.

    Add Templates page for a workspace or folder template

  3. Fill in the following fields:

    Name: Internal name of the template

    For example, custom_template.

    Template Title: Visible name of the template.

    For example, Custom Template.

    Description: Description of the template.

  4. Click Add > OK.

    The template is created.

  5. Set up the template as desired.

    For information on how to set up a template after you have created it, see Section 15.1, Modifying Workspace and Folder Templates.

Modifying Existing Templates

Teaming enables you to modify default templates or custom templates that you have created.

For information on how to modify existing templates, see Section 15.1, Modifying Workspace and Folder Templates.