Creating artifact templates

You can create an artifact template from an existing artifact. Artifact templates offer an easy way to reuse artifact content and related properties as a basis for new artifacts.

Before you begin

You must have project administrator permission to create an artifact template.

About this task

Artifact templates:
  • Are tied to the artifact type and format of the artifact on which they are based.
  • Include the artifact content, attributes, attribute values, and links.
  • Do not include tags and comments.
  • Can be used only to create new artifacts of the same type and format.

For information on creating templates from modules, see Creating module templates.

Procedure

For a quick way to create a template from an open artifact, click the Create Artifact Template Create artifact template icon icon in the toolbar, or perform the following steps.

To create an artifact template from the Administration page:

  1. Open a project by using the web client and click the drop-down menu at the Administration icon Administration icon and select Manage Project Properties.
    Note: If configuration management is enabled for your project, on the Administration menu, click Manage Component Properties.
    An administrative page opens.
  2. Click the Templates tab.
  3. In the Templates list, click Artifact Templates.
  4. Click New Template.
  5. In the Create Template window, specify the name and optional description for the template.
  6. In the Create template based on field, click Browse to locate an artifact for the basis of the template.
  7. In the Search for artifacts field, enter a partial name for an artifact.
    All artifacts that match the partial entry are displayed in the Select artifact list.
  8. Select an artifact as the basis for the new template and click OK.
  9. On the Create Template window, click Create. After the operation is complete, click Close.

What to do next

When you create a new artifact, you can base it on this artifact template. Lists of templates are organized by artifact type and artifact format. When creating an artifact, you must select the artifact type to view all templates associated with that type.
Note: You can view templates in the Template field of the Create an artifact with attributes dialog.
After you create an artifact from the template, the content of that artifact is independent of the template and the original artifact that the template was based on. Any changes to the original artifact and its template are not reflected in the new artifact.