Creating a document using another document as a template

You can save a document as a template and create new documents based on the template. Any new document made using this template will contain the same underlying datasets, fields, formatting, and layout as the template document. After the new document is created, you can edit the new document as you want.

A document automatically becomes a template when it is saved in the Object Templates/Documents folder. It is then available as a choice in the New Document dialog box when you create a new document.

The Object Templates folder is a hidden folder. To see it, use the steps below to have hidden objects displayed.

1. In MicroStrategy Developer, from the Tools menu, choose Developer Preferences. The Developer Preferences dialog box opens.

2. Expand the Developer folder, and click Browsing.

3. At the bottom of the dialog box on the right, select Display Hidden Objects.

4. Click OK. The Object Templates folder appears in your project list.

MicroStrategy provides predefined document templates, including the Blank Document template and the Blank Dashboard template. Use the Blank Document template to create a traditional document, with multiple sections. The Blank Dashboard template displays only one section, the Detail Header, allowing you to easily design a dashboard-style document using the whole screen. For a detailed description of the Blank Dashboard template, including default settings and an example of a document created with it, see the Dashboards and Widgets Creation Guide.

Steps are below to create new document templates from scratch. Steps are also below to create a new template, and to import and export documents between projects to use as document templates.

You can also use portable documents to reuse documents across projects. Unlike a document template imported and exported between projects, a portable document can contain dependencies on schema or application objects, such as a dataset report. After importing a portable document into a project, you reconcile the document to the new project. For more details on portable documents and the reconciliation process, including reasons to use them and steps, see Portable documents: Reusing documents across projects.

Do not confuse document templates and Autostyles. Autostyles contain formatting information only, while document templates contain datasets, controls, and layout as well. Layout templates, available only in the Document Wizard, affect only the position and placement of controls on the document.

To create a document using a document template

In MicroStrategy Web, click Create at the top of any page, point to New Document, and select a template. The new document opens in Design Mode, displaying the datasets, controls, formatting, and layout of the template.

To add a dataset

The document template may already include a dataset. You can add other datasets, as described below. You can also remove datasets; for steps see Adding, changing, or removing a dataset.

1. To designate a dataset to supply the data for your document, do one of the following:

   • From the Data menu, select Add Dataset.

   • Click the Add Dataset icon on the Dataset Objects panel on the left.

   The Select Dataset dialog box opens.

2. Browse to and select the MicroStrategy report or Intelligent Cube to use as a dataset. You can select a single dataset or multiple datasets. To locate a specific dataset, type a name in the Find field.

3. Click OK. The selected dataset and its objects are displayed in the Dataset Objects panel.

   If you have OLAP Services, be aware that the Dataset Objects panel contains all of the objects from a dataset report, regardless of whether they are displayed on the report. For example, even if a metric is in the Report Objects but not displayed on the report's grid, that metric is still listed as a Dataset Object.

4. Repeat the steps above, starting at To add a dataset, for each dataset that you want to include in the document.

   If you include multiple datasets on the document, the first dataset that you add to the document is automatically defined as the grouping and sorting dataset. You can sort and group the document using fields from the grouping and sorting dataset. For steps to change the grouping and sorting dataset, see Changing the grouping and sorting dataset for a document. For an introduction to using multiple datasets in documents, see Working with multiple datasets.

To add objects to the document

1. Add controls such as data, grid and graph reports (Grid/Graphs), images, shapes, and web feeds to the document. For examples and steps, see the following:

   • Adding text and data to a document: Text fields

   • Displaying document and dataset information: Auto text codes

   • Displaying real-time web and other HTML content: HTML containers

   • Adding shapes and lines to a document

   • Inserting images in a document

   • Adding a report to a document

2. Move, size, and align the controls that you added. For steps, see Arranging controls on a document.

3. Format the document and controls by applying colors, effects, borders, drop shadows, gradients, and more. For descriptions of the various formatting options, and steps to apply them, see Formatting Documents.

4. Group and sort the data, as required. For descriptions of these options, and steps to apply them, see Grouping and Sorting Records in a Document.

5. Add totals, if desired. For instructions, see Metric calculation in document sections.

6. Save the document by selecting Save As from the Home menu.

7. Type a name for the document and click OK.

To create a new template for documents

If you want a document to be available as a template so that you can format your other documents based on it, save it or copy it to the following folder in MicroStrategy Developer:

Project name\Object Templates\Documents

The document will then be available as a template for selection in the Create Document page in MicroStrategy Web and the New Document dialog box in MicroStrategy Developer, when you create a new document.

The Object Templates folder is hidden by default. To display it, from the Tools menu in MicroStrategy Developer, select Developer Preferences. On the Developer tab, click Browsing Options. Select the Display Hidden Objects check box and click OK.

To export a document template

A document can be exported from one project and then imported into another project to use as a template to create a new document. The document cannot have any dependencies on schema or application objects, such as a dataset.

1. In MicroStrategy Developer, select the document to export.

2. From the Tools menu, select Export Document Template. The Browse for Folder dialog box opens.

3. Navigate to the folder to save the file in, then click OK.

   The document, named document_name.rst, is saved in the selected folder.

To import a document template

After you export a document from one project, you can import it into another project to use it as a template to create new documents.

1. In MicroStrategy Developer, from the Tools menu, select Import Document Template. The Open dialog box opens.

2. Navigate to and select the file to import as a document template.

3. Click Open.

   The document template is saved in the Object Templates\Documents folder in MicroStrategy Developer.