lyx_mirror/lib/templates/README.new_templates

HOW TO CREATE A NEW TEMPLATE
============================

Templates are almost usual LyX file that are saved by LyX itself.
The strength is on "almost".

LyX stores some properties in a file, for example:

        \textclass dinbrief
        \language german
        \inputencoding default
        \fontscheme default
        \epsfig dvips
        \papersize a4paper
        \paperfontsize 12
        \baselinestretch 1.00
        \secnumdepth 3
        \tocdepth 3
        \paragraph_separation skip
        \quotes_language german
        \quotes_times 2
        \paperorientation portrait
        \papercolumns 9
        \papersides 1
        \paperpagestyle plain

Some of these may be very reasonable for a certain template. In the
case of a dinbrief-template this might be the papersize, the language
and the quotes-settings, since it is a german-only template.  But it
wouldn't make much sense to set the fontscheme or the inputencoding,
since a user might have customized this already like he/she wanted it
to be.

So please delete all the lines of a new template with your favorite
text editor (for example ed, ex or vi) that you don't want to set
explicit for this template. LyX will use the user's default-values
(defined in lyxrc) if a property isn't defined in the file itself.


DIRECTORY STRUCTURE & FILE NAMING
==================================

The templates directory has the following structure

templates/[language/]category/[subcategory]

Please use the layout category (with identical spelling to assure translation)
as category subdirectory (e.g., "Letters"). See \DeclareCategory entry of the
layout which corresponds to your template. Substitute blanks by '_'.

If your template consists of one file only, and if there are no further templates
relating to your layout yet, use the layout name, as defined in \DeclareLaTeXClass,
as file name. Substitute blanks by '_' (e.g., My_Layout.lyx). In any case, use
a verbose, transparent name (do not use insider acronyms as file names).

If your template consists of multiple files, use an additional subdirectory.
Use the layout name, as defined in \DeclareLaTeXClass, as subcategory subfolder
name. Substitute blanks by '_' (e.g., My_Layout). Give the files verbose,
transparent names that clarify the function of the respective file in the templates
bundle. Use '_' instead of blanks.

The optional language subdirectory that immediately follows templates/ uses the
language code (e.g., 'de' for German). Use this if you provide a translation of
an existing English template.
The language subdirectory expands to the same subfolders than the English version
and uses the same [English) filename (e.g., templates/Letters/myletter.lyx > 
templates/fr/Letters/myletter.lyx).

If you add a new (sub)folder, you must create a new entry in Makefile.am.