Microsoft KB Archive/185224

= XL98: How to Create a Template in MS Excel 98 =

Article ID: 185224

Article Last Modified on 6/17/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 98 for Macintosh

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This article was previously published under Q185224



SUMMARY
Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition provides several ways for you to create and use a template. This article contains information about creating a template, creating a new workbook based on a template, and editing existing templates in Microsoft Excel 98.



CREATING A TEMPLATE
To create a sample template, follow these steps:

 Start Microsoft Excel 98 and create a new workbook. Type the following in cell A1 in the new workbook:

A1: This is an Excel sample template.

 On the File menu, click Save As. In the Save Files as Type box, click Template. In the Save as box, type My Excel Template . Switch to the :Microsoft Office 98:Templates folder, where is the name of your hard disk. Click Save.</li> On the File menu, click Close.</li></ol>

You have created a sample Excel template. Microsoft Excel 98 provides several different ways to create a new workbook that is based on a template. The following are different ways to create a new workbook that is based on a template in Microsoft Excel 98.

Method 1: Use the Templates That Are in the Templates Folder
In the previous example, you save a template called My Excel Template in the :Microsoft Office 98:Templates folder. To create a new workbook that is based on this template or that is based on other templates that are stored in the Templates folder, click New on the File menu, select the template you want to use, and click OK.

Note that you can find My Excel Template on the General tab in the New dialog box. Any template that is stored in the :Microsoft Office 98:Templates folder appears on the General tab. You can also create your own tabs on the new dialog box. To do this, create subfolders in the :Microsoft Office 98:Templates folder, and then place your templates in the folder. To create a sample tab on the New dialog box, follow these steps:

<ol> Start Microsoft Excel 98.</li> In a new workbook, type the following:

A1: This is a test

</li> On the File menu, click Save As. Switch to the :Microsoft Office 98:Templates folder.</li> Click the New button and create a new folder.</li> Type MyTab in the name of new folder box, and then click Create.</li> In the Save As box, type Test .</li> In the Save File As Type box, click Template. Click Save.</li> On the File menu, click Close.</li> On the File menu, click New.</li></ol>

A new tab called MyTab is in the New dialog box.

NOTE: If there are no Microsoft Excel templates in the folder that you have created, you do not see a tab called MyTab in the New dialog box.

Method 2: Use the Templates That Are in the Excel Startup Folder
When you save a template in the Excel Startup folder, you can create a new workbook that is based on that template by clicking New on the File menu in Microsoft Excel. A template that is stored in the Excel Startup folder always appears on the General tab.

The Excel Startup folder is in the following location on the hard disk: <pre class="fixed_text">  :Microsoft Office 98:Office:Startup:Excel

Method 3: Use the Alternate Startup Folder
The alternate startup folder works the same way the Excel Startup folder works. However, the alternate startup folder is a folder of your choice. To specify the alternate startup folder location for Microsoft Excel, follow these steps:


 * 1) On the Tools menu, click Preferences.
 * 2) Click the General tab in the Preferences dialog box.
 * 3) In the Alternate Startup File Location box, specify a path to a folder that you want to use.

After you save the file in the alternate startup folder, you can create a new workbook that is based on the template by clicking New on the File menu in Microsoft Excel. A template stored in the alternate startup folder always appears on the General tab.

For additional information about the alternate startup folder, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

183757 XL98: How to Change the Alternate Startup Folder

Method 4: Use a Macro
Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements. If you store a template in a folder other than the folders that are listed in the first three methods, you must use a macro to create a new workbook that is based on a template. To open the template, use the following line in a Visual Basic macro: Workbooks.Add Template:= Example:

This example assumes you have saved a template workbook in the :Xlfiles folder and have called the template Template. Sub Open_Template

Workbooks.Add Template:= " :Xlfiles:Template"

End Sub Note that is the name of the hard disk on your computer.

EDITING AN EXISTING TEMPLATE
To edit an existing template in Microsoft Excel 98, use the following steps:

<ol> On the File menu, click Open.</li> Open the :Microsoft Office 98:Templates folder.</li> Click My Excel Template. Hold down the SHIFT key and click OK.</li> Continue to hold down the SHIFT key until the template is open.</li> Type the following into the worksheet:

A2: This is a test

</li> <li>On the File menu, click Save.</li> <li>On the File menu, click Close.</li></ol>

The template has been modified and saved. To use the updated template, click New on the File menu and click My Excel Template. A new workbook that is based on the template is created.

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