# Working with DTD templates

Templates are a chunk of predefined code that you can insert into a DTD file when it is created. You may find a template useful when you have a certain piece of code you want to reuse several times, and you do not want to write it out every time.

To create a new DTD template, complete the following steps:

1. Click Window > Preferences > Web and XML > DTD Files > Templates .
2. Click New in the templates prefereces.
3. Supply a new template Name and Description.
4. Specify the Context for the template. This is the context in which the template is available in the proposal list when content assist is requested.
5. Specify the Pattern for your template using the appropriate tags, attributes, or attribute values to be inserted by content assist.
6. Optional: To insert a variable, click the Insert Variable button and select a variable. For example, the date variable indicates the current date will be inserted.
7. Click Apply and then OK to save your changes.

You can edit, remove, import, or export a template by using the same preferences page.

If you have a template that you do not want to remove, but you no longer want the template to appear in the DTD templates list when you create a file, clear its checkbox in the templates table.

Related tasks
Creating DTDs