Please note : This help page is not for the latest version of Enterprise Architect. The latest help can be found here.

Design Custom RTF Templates

If you want to record and document details of your model, you can do so using a range of Rich Text Format reports, each generated using a document template. To meet your specific requirements, it is possible to customize the reports by developing your own templates; during this process you also have the option of generating test reports to review the output from your design as you develop it.

 

You create and edit report templates using the Document Template Designer to define:

The model components to report on
The information to extract on each component and
The styles and layout of the report

It is possible to create a template from scratch or by copying and editing either another custom template or a system template. If you want to review the system templates you can list and display them using the Document Template Designer, and establish what templates already exist to either extract the information you require, or act as a starting point for your own design.

 

Access     Settings | Document Template Designer
 
                   Also, through the Generate RTF Documentation dialog or the Project Resources window

The Document Template Designer

The Document Template Designer consists of:

A Toolbar, through which you create or select a template to work on, save your work, and generate and view the test reports
A Sections panel, on which you select the components of the model to report on
A Content panel, in which you develop the content and layout of the report, using an extensive range of context menu options

Toolbar Options

Icon

Action

See also

dtdnew

Creates a new template.

A prompt displays for you to enter the name of the new template and, optionally, the name of an existing template to use as a base.

 

RTF Templates

DTDSave

Saves changes to the current template.

 

 

DTDSaveAs

Saves the current template as a new template.

A prompt displays for the new template name.

 

 

dtdDocOptions

Displays a range of document options that you can set to apply to all reports generated using the template. These options filter and organize the information presented in the report.

 

Document Options

DTDTestName

Displays the name of the template you have just created.

To view or edit an existing template, click on the drop-down arrow and select the template name; the names of system templates (protected) are enclosed in parentheses, and the names of custom templates (available to edit) have no parentheses.

 

RTF Templates

DTDTestFile

Displays the path and name of the file into which to generate the test report from the template.

If no file path is shown, you can either type one in or use the browser button (below).

 

 

DTDBrowse

Displays the browser dialog, in which you can locate and select the file to hold the generated test report.

 

 

dtdgenerate

Generates and displays the test report based on the template.

To generate a test report, you need to specify a target file (above) and select a package, diagram or element in the Project Browser to run the report on. You might want to develop a special test package for this purpose.

 

 

dtdview

Displays the report held in the file specified in the file path field.

You can return to a generated report many times whilst you review the effects of different sections of the template you are editing.

 

 

 

The Sections and Content Panels

Facility

Usage

See also

Sections Panel

Consists of a hierarchy of model components and their properties, each with a checkbox. To include information on a type of component in the report, you select the checkbox against it.

As you select checkboxes, corresponding pairs of open/close markers display in the Content panel; for example:
                     

Setting Sections for Reporting

 

Sections panel
 

Sectionchecks

 

Content Panel
 

ReportMarkers

 

Content Panel

The editing area, in which you develop the structure and content of the template.

As you add section markers to the template (as above), various pointer texts display between them such as:

element>
[right-click-to-insert-Element-field(s)]
<element

You replace this text with a range of fields that extract information from your model to display in the report.

You can also add your own text.

 

 

 

Add Section Content

Content Panel Context Menu

Lists a wide range of options to:

Apply styles and formatting to the template
Insert  objects such as tables, images and a contents list, and
Save, import and export the template file

 

Custom Template Design Options

Content Panel Toolbars

Two text editing toolbars (based on the standard Windows toolbars) that you can use in conjunction with the context menu options.

 

 

Notes

A standard file of document styles, called Normal.rtf, is automatically applied to all new templates you create; it is possible to edit Normal.rtf to tailor the styles to your requirements
You can transport RTF templates between models, using the Export Reference Data and Import Reference Data options

Learn more

Learning Center topics

(Alt+F1) | Reporting | RTF Templates | Create a new template