On just about every Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 training course I run, I emphasize the benefits of using templates. This article explains how to create editable regions in a template which can be used to contain different elements each time the template is applied to a page. Once you have created the locked regions of a Dreamweaver template, you must then specify which areas of the page will be editable. To define an editable region, perform the following steps.

1. Position the cursor in the part of the page or the table cell which you want to make editable.

2. Choose Editable Region from the Template Objects sub-menu of the Insert menu.

3. Enter a name for the editable region and click OK.

If the editable region will be used for text, it is also possible to control the initial appearance of the text by formatting the placeholder text on the template. However, it is only the initial appearance of the text which will be controlled. Formatting applied to text on a particular page will take precedence over formatting applied the placeholder text in the editable region of the template on which the page is based.

When placing an editable region in a table cell, you can set the alignment of the content within the cell, both horizontally and vertically. For example, you can specify whether the content is anchored at the top of the editable region or in the middle.

A editable region in a template create is marked by a text label. This text can be modified at will. If you are creating templates for other people to use, you may find it useful to replace the original placeholder text with a message which will benefit the users of the template.

When deleting editable regions, it is not enough simply to delete the text which marks the editable region.

1. Choose Unmark Editable Region from the Template sub-menu of the Modify menu.

2. Click on the name of the editable region which you wish to unmark then click OK.

3. This last operation does not delete any placeholders in the editable region. These still have to be deleted manually.

One sometimes finds it useful to use a graphic element as an editable region placeholder. To do this, simply insert the graphic anywhere on the page, highlight it, choose Insert – Template Objects – Editable Region. Dreamweaver creates the editable region and places the selected graphic inside it.

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