Issue creating templates

[Ineffable]

I followed the directions in Flare help to create templates, but I'm getting an error.

I copy all the necessary items from my existing topic into the folders specified.

I then select File > New Project...

I enter a Project Name and select a Project Folder.

I select a language (English, in my case).

I then select My Templates. In the Templates windows on the right, my existing Project shows up. I select it and click Next.

I then get the error (in a red 'X' MadCap Flare V3.1 titled dialog box, with OK as the only option): "Select template has no defined targets [Service]" Note: Service is the name of my existing project that I'm trying to use as a template.

The Service project has three targets, all of which are used successfully; I've never had a 'target' issue with that project.

Let me also note that the Flare help on this topic is confusing. Search for the help topic: Features > Templates > Creating Templates.

Step #4 reads: "In Windows, find and copy the template file that you created. In the case of a Flare project that you want to use as a template, copy the entire project folder that you created."

Step #6 reads: "In the My Templates subfolder, create another subfolder and name it exactly after the name of the folder used in the Content Explorer or Project Organizer in Flare (e.g., for master pages, you would create a subfolder called MasterPages; for tables of contents, you would create a subfolder named TOCs). For a project template, you would create a subfolder called Projects. All of the template files for that kind of element will be placed in that subfolder (e.g., all project template folders and files will go in the "My Documents\My Templates\Projects" subfolder; all master pages template files will go in the "My Documents\My Templates\MasterPages" subfolder; all TOC template files will go in the "My Documents\My Templates\TOCs" subfolder). Use the following table for details on naming your subfolders."

Step #7 reads: "Paste your new template file (or in the case of a project, the entire folder) in the appropriate subfolder. For example, if you've created a new master page (FLMSP file), paste it into the "My Documents\My Templates\MasterPages" subfolder."

Step #6 and #7 confuse me because, a) step #6 tells you to, for example, create a Skins folder if you want Skins template files. However, if you follow step #7 to its end you will have ANOTHER Skins folder in the My Templates directory structure due to step #7 instructing you to paste "the entire (project) folder" in the appropriate subfolder (in this case, Projects, which the table (now shown above) on step # tells you to do.

Regardless, the New Project... wizard only sees the Project template file in the root of My Templates, so the extra one brought in by pasting the entire Project folder into My Templates/Projects is ignored, and I don't think is cause to my main issue, which is that the New Project... wizard can't find an associated Target with my Project file for some reason.

Thanks for your help!

[NorthEast]

So, say your project is called Service.flprj.

The files for this project template should be in:

My templates\Service.flprj

The Service.flprj folder should contain all the files for your project template, so your targets in this template should be in:

My templates\Service.flprj\Project\Targets

From the error, it looks like you're missing a target file.

[SteveS]

Your templates directory should look much the same as your project, except the stuff from the content explorer and the project organiser (content and project directories in your project) are moved up into the parent of your template heirarchy. The stuff here is the stuff Flare uses when you add content to your existing project.

template.JPG

There is a directory called projects. In this directory put a copy of the project you want to use as a template when starting a new project. The example below shows LGE Help in the create new project dialog.

project.JPG

HTH

[NorthEast]

Strange, I'm not sure why my project folders include .flprj in the folder name. I can't remember how that came about.