Create templates for generated files

Create templates for generated files, update formats in a generated file, import formats, use the formatting of an existing file when generating the new one in FrameMaker.

When you generate a table of contents, an index, or another kind of generated file, if the folder that contains the source document or book file contains a file whose name matches the generated filename, FrameMaker uses the formatting of the existing file when generating the new one. In effect, the existing file serves as the new generated file’s template, just as if you had imported formats from it. Use this feature to create generated file templates that contain page layouts, paragraph and character styles, and the formatting information that appears on the reference page.

You can also update the formats in a generated file by importing formats from a template. However, you’ll probably need to generate the file again after importing formats to see all the formatting.

  1. Open the document or book file from which you want to generate the table of contents, index, or other file.

  2. Generate the file.

  3. Format the generated file. This formatted file is your template.

  4. Save the generated file. Make sure that this generated file template is in the folder that contains the document or book file that you will use to create a new generated file.