Adding formatting to elements
Consider the outputs you plan to generate the document into as you design the template. Some elements and their formatting properties display might not display the same way across all output formats. As you work on your template, consult the Element properties reference by output format and preview the output periodically as you work.
Style options
- Create styles in an external style sheet
You can use styles that are not defined in the document template if they are provided in the stylesheet. You must type the name of the style in the Properties view for the element. When the output is generated, the style you defined is used. If a style with that name is not found, no style is applied to that element. See Style sheets.
- Create styles in Rational Publishing Engine
Create general styling for element types, such as headings or lists. Apply the name of the style to all elements of that type in the Properties view. If you need to change the formatting, you can change it one time for that style and all elements that use that style are updated. See Creating and applying a style.
- Apply specific formatting properties to individual elements
Select an element in the template content editor and enter properties for just that element in the Properties view. See Formatting individual template elements.
Style precedence
- Template style sheets, if any
- Template styles, if any
- The formatting properties you define for the template elements, if any
- The styles set in the formatting properties might be causing the styles that are applied earlier to be reset.
- The name of the style might already exist in the Rational Publishing Engine default style sheet. For example, the Title style already exists. The Title style in the default style sheet overrides a style you create and name Title.
For example, you might want to change the color of a single paragraph that uses a style. Apply the style to the paragraph element and change the color property for the text element that the paragraph contains.