The RTML Toolkit is here to just provide some basic steps in order to help clarify how to install the templates provided on this site. For a full explanation on modifying and creating your own custom templates we recommend the books by Istvan Siposs at http://www.ytimes.info

What are the standard steps for installing a custom template?
How To Copy Default Templates (for customizing)
How To Modify a custom template
How To CREATE a new statement
How To add parameters to a statement (usually a CALL statement)
How To REPLACE an existing RTML statement
How To place a statement inside an existing statement
How To place a statement after an existing statement
How To EDIT a statement
How to change an item to use a new custom template
How to change multiple items to use a new custom template


What are the standard steps for installing a custom template?

Every template is different in it's requirements, but in order to install your first custom template you will generally follow these steps:

1. Copy your default template to a new custom template - usually copying the page. template (or the storetemplate. for stores using the Version 3 editor).
2. CREATE a CALL statement
3. Replace an existing RTML statement with your CALL, or simply place the CALL inside or after an existing statement (as per the installation instructions)
4. EDIT the CALL to include the template being called with a colon in front of the name. So if the template is called YST-NEW then the CALL would be edited and :YST-NEW would be put in the box after the CALL.
5. Add any required parameters to the CALL (if you have too many or too few parameters you will get error messages on your item pages)
6. Change one existing item to use the new template name in order to troubleshoot
7. After you are sure it is working properly you can change all your existing items to the new template.

As you can see, each of these steps are explained further in the RTML Toolkit in order to help you work your way through the process. If you still are unable to install the template or simply don't want to hassle with it, you can purchase installation services for any of the templates on this site.

How To Copy Default Templates (for customizing)

In order to modify your templates, you must first make a copy of a standard template. This is intentional and done so that you can't harm your standard templates and can always change back to the standard templates.

To copy your existing templates you must use the Advanced Editor, click on the TEMPLATES button, and now find and click on the template you want to copy. Generally the first template you want to copy is the template called "page." (or "storetemplate." for stores using the Version 3 editor). This is the base template for your standard item & section pages.

After you click on the name of the template you want to copy it will bring up the template. Simply click the COPY TEMPLATE button and when requested you will fill in your new template name. Generally you will name your new template with your store name, a dash, and the new template name. So it would generally be "youstoreid-page" (notice I removed the extra period that Yahoo places in their template names).

Once you hit OK to copy the template it will have duplicated the template you copied, plus it will have duplicated all templates that this template uses. This is also intentional and necessary so you can modify any portion of your new template and pages that it creates.

How To Modify a custom template

To modify your custom templates you must use the Advanced Editor, click on the TEMPLATES button, and now find and click on the template you want to modify. Now you will be able to make modifications through EDITing and CREATEing new statements and placing them in your RTML Template.

How To CREATE a new statement

To CREATE a new statement or parameter simply make sure you are viewing the template you want to edit (see how to modify a custom template above), and click the NEW button. Now you either select a standard RTML statement from the list box (for example a CALL) or you can type in a custom piece of text or variable name in the simple box and click CREATE. After creating the new statement it will be placed in the queue at the very bottom of the template page so you can place it in your template.

How To add parameters to a statement (usually a CALL statement)

First you must create your CALL or other main statement which you want to place your new parameter under. Place this statement in your RTML Template. Now create your new parameter, click on the statement you want to place this within, and then click on PASTE WITHIN. Additional parameters may be placed before or after this new parameter by either clicking on the main statement and using the PASTE WITHIN (to place before), or by clicking on the parameter you want to paste after and use the PASTE AFTER button.

How To REPLACE an existing RTML statement

To replace an existing statement you simply go to your template, CREATE your new statement, then click on the statement you want to replace and click the REPLACE button.

How To place a statement inside an existing statement

To paste within an existing statement you simply go to your template, CREATE your new statement, then click on the statement you want to paste within and click the PASTE WITHIN button.

How To place a statement after an existing statement

To paste after an existing statement you simply go to your template, CREATE your new statement, then click on the statement you want to paste within and click the PASTE AFTER button.

How To EDIT a statement

To edit an existing statement (the parameters and properties of the statement), simply click on the statement and hit EDIT. This will allow you to easily type in changes to parameters rather than having to recreate the parameters.

How to change an item to use a new custom template

Once you have made your changes to your templates you must test them and later convert your items to use the new templates. All you need to do is go to your test item in the advanced editor, edit it, and put the new template name in the template box. You must put the base template (most likely your copy of the page template) and not an interior template that must be called by other templates.

How to change multiple items to use a new custom template

There is no quick fix for changing items over to use your new template. You have three choices for making the change.

1. Edit each item by hand and manually change the items
2. Use the database upload. Simply create a file with the IDs of your items (with a first row header that says "id") and when doing the database upload you can select the template that will be used by your items. Make sure to use ADD (not REBUILD) and check everything thoroughly immediate. If there are problems after uploading you can use the REVERT button, but only if it is done before another upload.
3. This is a trick which may, or may not work. First, go to the config page in the advanced editor and change the default page template to the new template. Then you edit a section in the advanced editor, choose Layout, and click put contents on this page. Then wait until it updates, and click put contents on own pages. Some users have had this work very well for them.
4. We have a template change service at http://www.rtmltemplates.com/item-conversion.html

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