HOW TO CREATE A NEW TEMPLATE
============================

Templates are almost usual LyX file that are saved by LyX itself.
The strength is on "almost".

LyX stores some properties in a file, for example:

        \textclass dinbrief
        \language german
        \inputencoding default
        \fontscheme default
        \epsfig dvips
        \papersize a4paper
        \paperfontsize 12
        \baselinestretch 1.00
        \secnumdepth 3
        \tocdepth 3
        \paragraph_separation skip
        \quotes_language german
        \quotes_times 2
        \paperorientation portrait
        \papercolumns 9
        \papersides 1
        \paperpagestyle plain

Some of these may be very reasonable for a certain template. In the
case of a dinbrief-template this might be the papersize, the language
and the quotes-settings, since it is a german-only template.  But it
wouldn't make much sense to set the fontscheme or the inputencoding,
since a user might have customized this already like he/she wanted it
to be.

So please delete all the lines of a new template with your favorite
text editor (for example ed, ex or vi) that you don't want to set
explicit for this template. LyX will use the user's default-values
(defined in lyxrc) if a property isn't defined in the file itself.


DIRECTORY STRUCTURE & FILE NAMING
==================================

The templates directory has the following structure

templates/[language/]category/[subcategory]

Please use the layout category (with identical spelling to assure translation)
as category subdirectory (e.g., "Letters"). See \DeclareCategory entry of the
layout which corresponds to your template. Note the handling of special characters
below.

If your template consists of one file only, and if there are no further templates
relating to your layout yet, use the layout name, as defined in \DeclareLaTeXClass,
as file name. In any case, use a verbose, transparent name (do not use insider
acronyms as file names). Note the handling of special characters below.

If your template consists of multiple files, use an additional subdirectory.
Use the layout name, as defined in \DeclareLaTeXClass, as subcategory subfolder
name. Give the files verbose, transparent names that clarify the function of the
respective file in the templates bundle. Note the handling of special characters below.

The optional language subdirectory that immediately follows templates/ uses the
language code (e.g., 'de' for German). Use this if you provide a translation of
an existing English template.
The language subdirectory expands to the same subfolders than the English version
and uses the same [English) filename (e.g., templates/Letters/myletter.lyx > 
templates/fr/Letters/myletter.lyx).


NB: SPECIAL CHARACTERS IN FILE AND DIRECTORY NAMES:
===================================================

The following characters in file and directory names must be substituted, since they break
LyX building with autotools:

* Blanks by '_' (e.g., My_Layout.lyx)
* Parentheses by %28 and %29 (e.g., My_Layout_%28v._1%29.lyx)
* Apersands by %26 (e.g., Journal_of_This_%26_That.lyx)

The substitution characters will be replaced again for LyX for translation and GUI display.


THINGS TO CHECK BEFORE COMMITTING:
==================================

New files must be added to Makefile.am. If you add a new (sub)folder, you must also create a new category
in Makefile.am (cf. phdthesistemplatesdir and dist_dehandoutexamples_DATA as example). 

Please make sure before you commit (in a text editor) that the example that the file has the correct
\origin /systemlyxdir/templates/
your file is in, e.g.
\origin /systemlyxdir/templates/
This is particularly important if your file includes other files (such as graphics, bibliographies,
children).


