Often you may want to use a combination of objects in your user interface design work.  The Objects Palette is your source for single ESL objects.  A template file can be a source for common combinations of objects.

The Layout Editor provides a sample template file called esltempl.inc.  It contains the following combinations of objects as children of a dialog box:  a static text object with an entry field object, a static text object with a dropdown combination box, a static text object with a list box, a group box and three radio buttons, three check boxes, and OK, Cancel, and Help push buttons.

You can create your own template file to be used by the Layout Editor when you start a new editing session or when you open an ESL include file.  You specify the name of the file in the Screen Size and Optional Files dialog box.  

The Layout Editor reads the object definitions from the template file and makes them available to you through the Hierarchy Viewer.  To use a template object, include it in the Screen Editor and then cut and paste it into the user interface you are designing.

Though the objects from the template file share the Layout Editor with the objects you are designing, the template file is not part of your ESL include file.  Think of the template file as providing sample objects.

Tips

•A template file is also a place for storing objects which conform to project standards.

•You may include any number of objects in a template file.

•If your template file includes only dialog boxes, dialog regions, and dialog controls, the template can be used with any screen size.

•If a template file includes non-dialog regions, create different versions of the template file for use with different screen sizes.

•If you do modify the objects from a template file within the Layout Editor, the modified objects are saved to the template file.