Macromedia Dreamweaver 4
Building a Template

Willamette Integrated Technology Services
Help Desk - 503-370-6767 - wits@willamette.edu

Last Updated: August 2002

Building a Dreamweaver Template

1. Open a new template.htm file if one is not already open - it can be called anything you like, but should relate to your web site.

2. From the File menu, select Save As Template.

3. In the Save As Template dialog box: 

a. Make sure that the Site box points to your site.
b. In the Save As text field, give your template a name.
c. Click on the Save button.
Notice that in the title bar, you are told you are now working with a <<Template>>. Also note in your Site Window that a folder/directory called Templates has been created, where your new Template (*.dwt) file resides.

After creating a Template, you must then make the Template Editable in the places appropriate for your content and/or in other areas. The remainder of the Template, the Un-editable parts, will be unchangeable from any of the HTML pages, and can only be changed in the *.dwt files themselves.

You CAN define more than one editable region.

4. Click your cursor where you'd like editable text to appear.

5. Select the entire area where your content will go.

6. From the Modify menu, select Templates -> New Editable Region.

7. In the New Editable Region dialog box, give this area a name.

8. Click anywhere in the document window, and notice that the text you selected is now highlighted, indicating that it is part of a modifiable region.

9. Save your *.dwt file by selecting File -> Save.

10. A dialogue box asks if "Do you want to update all the documents in your local site that use this template" [Note, sometimes this box WILL NOT appear if you have not attached your template to anything yet].