Document templates

A document template is a blueprint for generating documents. The template defines what data is to be extracted from the data source and how this data is formatted.

A document template can contain both static and dynamic content. The static content includes the texts and images provided when the template is designed. The dynamic content is represented by data obtained from the data sources when the document is generated. The template also defines formatting information, though some data might retain the formatting information embedded in it from the data source.

A document template is self-contained. It is stored as an archive file with the extension .dta (Document Template Archive). You can share, move, and copy a template. Document templates created with previous versions of IBM® Rational® Publishing Engine work with the latest version. However, document templates created with the latest version cannot be used a previous version.

Note: The product such as IBM Rational Requirements Composer, Rational DOORS®, and IBM Rational Rhapsody® ships with a set of digitally signed templates. The digitally signed templates cannot be modified. If it is modified, you must provide a Rational Publishing Engine license to generate the document.

A document template does not refer to specific data sources. When defining the template, you use the definition of your data's structure, its schema. This enables the template to be applied to any data source whose structure matches the structure of the defining data source. A template can contain any number of data source schemas.

A document template might contain:
  • Elements: Template elements are the fundamental constituents of a document, such as paragraph, container, lists, and image elements.
  • Variables: A variable is any entity that can take on different values.
  • Attributes: An attribute is a specific value of a variable.
  • Queries: A request for precise information retrieval from the data source schema.
  • Filters: A process used to extract specific data from the data source.

A single data schema can be used for any number of matching concrete data sources. When a data source does not exactly match the data schema, Rational Publishing Engine processes the elements that matches the schema and ignores the noncritical errors. For example, if a Rational DOORS attribute status is used in the template, and the actual data source (a DOORS module) does not have this attribute, the document generation continues by default.

Rational Publishing Engine provides the mechanisms for creating or obtaining schemas for several data source types such as IBM Rational DOORS, IBM Rational Tau, and Rational REST data sources. For generic XML files, you must provide the schema. Because Rational Publishing Engine uses standard XML schema definition for data source schemas. For more information about the standard schema definition, see http://www.w3.org/XML/Schema. You can use a third-party application to produce the schema from the XML data.

Note: The products such as IBM Rational Requirements Composer, Rational DOORS, and IBM Rational Rhapsody are shipped with a set of digitally signed templates. Theses digitally signed templates cannot be modified. If they are modified, you must provide a Rational Publishing Engine license to generate the document.

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