Working with Templates

About Templates

Creating a new Template

Applying Templates

Using Templates

About Template objects

The purpose of the Template object is to provide a generic object definition that makes it easier to manage a large number of objects. Rather than redefining the same parameters each time you create an object, you can apply the Template to the object and take into account a set of predefined parameters.

In addition, to make mass modifications to a set of defined objects, you can use the Update Wizard to apply a Template to a List of objects.

Typically, you define a Template for a specific product. However, the same Template definition can apply to multiple product versions and to multiple systems. For purposes of compatibility, a Template defined for a specific product version is always compatible with later versions of the same product.

Topography Templates

You can create the following Template objects in the Topography workbench:

ServerTemplate

A ServerTemplate groups a set of attributes that can apply to any version of a given Axway Server. You can only apply a ServerTemplate to an existing Axway Server object.

CommAdapterTemplate

A CommAdapterTemplate groups all attributes applicable to the specified CommAdapter type and can apply to all versions of that CommAdapter. When you apply a CommAdapterTemplate to a Axway Server, the software automatically creates a CommAdapter and adds it to the Server definition.

Integration-Services Templates

You can create the following Template objects in the Integration-Services workbench:

ChannelTemplate

Use the Channel Template to apply a set of predefined attributes to a Channel Terminus (Axway Server, Application or Partner).

Axway product-specific Templates

For example, Axway Transfer CFT provides a CFTSEND/CFTRECV Template and an end-of-transfer script Template.

For details, refer to the product-specific documentation.

Creating a new Template

To create a new Template:

1. Right-click Template in the left pane and select Template from the contextual menu. The Template window is displayed. The tabs and fields that you must complete on this window depend on the type of Template that you create.
2. Complete the Template General tab as described next.

Depending on the values that you select on the Template General tab, an additional set of tabs is displayed where you complete the definition of the Template.

The set of tabs and fields available for the Template is the same

For detailson how to complete the additional dynamic tabs displayed for Template objects, refer to the corresponding object topics:

• Channels
• CommAdapters
• Axway Servers
• product-specific sections of the documentation.

Applying a Template

When you modify the Template properties, your modifications are immediately taken into account on all objects that use this Template.  

You can apply a Template when you:

• Create an object. The Template parameters complete the object definition.
• Want to modify one or more objects. The Template definition overrides all properties of the object to which you apply it.

Where you apply Templates

The following table describes where you can apply each type of Template.

What happens when you apply a Template

When you apply a Template to an object, the parameters defined for the Template complete the object definition.

However, certain Template parameters may be incompatible or irrelevant to the definition of the object. For example, the parameters that you specify for a ServerTemplate may not correspond to the version or the operating system of the Axway Server where you apply the Template. Rather than forbid the use of this Template, Composer only takes into account parameters that are compatible. It ignores any parameters that do not correspond to the object definition.

Using Templates

Composer displays Template and default values in gray. When you modify either a Template definition or an object definition, Composer manages your modifications as follows.

If you modify:

• A Template definition, Composer automatically updates all objects that use this Template. However, if you overwrite a Template value in an object that uses the Template, the manual entry remains unchanged.
• An attribute of an object that uses a Template, your modification overrides the Template value. To make the Template definition override the manual definition, you must first delete the user-defined value and then re-apply the Template.

Note: There is a Transfer CFT exception to template modifications. If you apply a Template to a Script object, you cannot modify the script entered in the Editor tab.

Fields can take:

• The value Null
• A Template value
• An overwritten value
• The default value

If you want a field to remain empty, enter a space in the field. To return to the original Template value, right-click in the field and select one of the available values.