Templates Module User Guide (Non-Technical)

This guide explains how school office/admin users can manage document templates without technical background.

Who should use this

• Principal/office admin
• IT support staff for school operations
• Users responsible for certificate/ID card/receipt layout

What this module does

The Templates module controls how printable documents look (design, format, branding).

From the left menu, open Templates. You will see:

• Document Types
• Document Templates
• My Templates

Simple meaning of each section

• Document Types = categories of documents (for example: Transfer Certificate, Character Certificate, Receipt).
• Document Templates = master templates available system-wide.
• My Templates = your institution's selected/customized version for each document type.

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Before you start

1. Make sure your school profile details are updated (name, phone, address, etc.).
2. Decide which documents need customization first (certificate/card/receipt).
3. Keep a backup copy of current template content before major edits.

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1) Document Types (Master categories)

Use this section to

• Add a new document category
• Organize document templates
• Enable/disable a type

Create a document type

Path: Templates -> Document Types -> Add Document Type

Fill:

1. Name (example: Bonafide Certificate)
2. Code (unique identifier)
3. Category (Certificate/Card/Receipt/Report/Letter/Other)
4. Optional description
5. Active status
6. Save

Important rules

• Code must be unique.
• A document type cannot be deleted if templates already exist under it.
• You can deactivate a type instead of deleting it.

Useful actions in list

• Search by name/code
• Toggle active/inactive
• Edit
• Delete (only when not used by templates)

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2) Document Templates (System templates)

Use this section to

• Create/edit global templates
• Set default template per document type
• Duplicate existing templates for quick setup
• Preview before finalizing

Create a document template

Path: Templates -> Document Templates -> Add Template

Fill basic info:

1. Document Type
2. Template Name
3. Slug (auto-generated if blank)
4. Description (optional)
5. Paper size (A4/Letter/Legal/Custom)
6. Paper orientation (Portrait/Landscape)
7. Active status
8. Optional: Set as default

Then design tabs:

• HTML Content: main layout
• CSS Styles: visual style
• Help: variable usage guide

Template variables and placeholders

Use placeholders like:

{{student_name}}
{{student_id}}
{{class_name}}

Supported logic patterns:

Conditional block: {{#if variable}} ... {{/if}}
Loop block: {{#each items}} ... {{/each}}

Important rules

• Content is required.
• Paper size and orientation are required.
• System templates are protected (cannot be edited/deleted).
• Deleting a template is blocked if tenants are using it.
• Editing a template increases version automatically.
• Setting one template as default removes default from others in that same document type.

Useful actions in list

• Filter by type/status
• Preview
• Duplicate
• Set as default
• Activate/deactivate
• Edit
• Delete (if allowed)

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3) My Templates (Institution-level selection)

Use this section to

• Select which base template your institution uses
• Customize template HTML/CSS for your school
• Reset custom changes back to default

Step A: Select base template

Path: Templates -> My Templates -> Select Template

1. Choose document type.
2. Review available templates.
3. Preview any template.
4. Select and save.

Step B: Customize selected template (optional)

Path: Templates -> My Templates -> Edit

You can:

• Add Custom HTML (override default HTML)
• Add Custom CSS (override default styles)
• Keep fields empty to continue using default base template
• Enable/disable active status

Tips from UI behavior:

• "Clear Custom HTML/CSS" buttons remove your override and return to base content.
• You can view default (read-only) content while editing.

Step C: Preview and finalize

Use Preview before using in live documents.

Reset to default

If customization goes wrong:

1. Open template row in My Templates
2. Click Reset to Default
3. System removes custom content/styles and re-links default active template for that document type

Important rule

Each institution can keep one template assignment per document type.

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4) Suggested rollout order

Use this order for safe implementation:

1. Document Types review
2. Prepare/clean Document Templates
3. Set correct defaults
4. Configure My Templates for your institution
5. Preview with sample output
6. Generate real documents and verify print quality

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5) Practical checklist (before going live)

For each document type:

1. Is one template marked default?
2. Is template active?
3. Are required placeholders present?
4. Is paper size/orientation correct?
5. Is school branding (logo, heading/footer) correct?
6. Did you preview and print one test copy?

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6) Common issues and quick fixes

"Cannot delete document type"

• Cause: templates exist under that type.
• Fix: delete/move templates first, or deactivate the type.

"Cannot delete template"

• Cause: template is system template or in use by institutions.
• Fix: duplicate and disable old one; switch tenant usage first.

"Custom template save fails"

• Cause: custom mode enabled but custom HTML is empty.
• Fix: provide custom HTML or switch back to non-custom mode.

"Wrong layout in output"

• Recheck paper size/orientation.
• Check your custom CSS overrides.
• Use preview and compare with base template.

"Variable appears as plain text in output"

• Placeholder may be invalid or misspelled.
• Use the variable list shown in page help/available variables.

"No template available for document type"

• Create at least one active template in Document Templates.
• Set one as default.

"I cannot see Templates menu"

• Your role permissions may be missing.
• Ask admin to grant template-related access.

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7) Good practices

• Keep one stable default template per document type.
• Use duplicate before large edits (never edit your only stable copy).
• Keep custom changes minimal and well-tested.
• Test on actual print/PDF before official issuing.
• Document your naming convention (for example: Standard, School Letterhead, English Version).