I often create new text files which I then have to import a template into
as the first step.

Can I skip that text file template import step?

Is there a way in Windows to make a new text file which is (essentially) a template (it contains a pre-formatted set of sections to be filled out)?

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Peter wrote:

I often create new text files which I then have to import a template into
as the first step.

Can I skip that text file template import step?

Is there a way in Windows to make a new text file which is (essentially) a template (it contains a pre-formatted set of sections to be filled out)?

Is this a text file such as you would edit with notepad.exe?

If so, store your template file somewhere obvious, open it whenever you
want to create a new file, then "save as" the desired file name in your
desired location.

If you really mean a file created with Microft Word, make a template
file and save it where Microsoft tells you. May be best to Google how to
do this. Then when you create a new file, start Word and navigate to
your template, then fill in your details and save the file as you wish.

--
Graham J

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On 06 Mar 2023, Peter <occassionally-confused@nospam.co.uk> wrote in alt.comp.os.windows-10:

I often create new text files which I then have to import a
template into as the first step.

Can I skip that text file template import step?

Is there a way in Windows to make a new text file which is
(essentially) a template (it contains a pre-formatted set of
sections to be filled out)?

I don't see a native Windows way to do that for text files, and Notepad
doesn't have a Templates feature, but you may be able to find another
text editor with equivalent functionality. For one, Notepad++ has a
plug-in called Snippets that lets you paste in any pre-written text
with a keystroke. You could also do it with a macro or scripting with Pythonscript.

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On 3/6/2023 12:46 PM, Peter wrote:

All I want is Microsoft's "New > Text Document" to create is a file that is the same format as their file but which is actually my formatted text file.

You could just create the file as you like it and save it to your
desktop if you use this often. Then just click on it when you wish to
use it and immediately save it as what you want. When your done, your
original template will still be there for the next time, requiring only
a click again to open anew.

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Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> wrote:

Is this a text file such as you would edit with notepad.exe?

It's the file created by the Windows 10 "New > Text Document" command.

If so, store your template file somewhere obvious, open it whenever you
want to create a new file, then "save as" the desired file name in your desired location.

If you really mean a file created with Microft Word, make a template
file and save it where Microsoft tells you. May be best to Google how to
do this. Then when you create a new file, start Word and navigate to
your template, then fill in your details and save the file as you wish.

I don't know how Microsoft Word got into the picture.

All I want is Microsoft's "New > Text Document" to create is a file that is
the same format as their file but which is actually my formatted text file.

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sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:

All I want is Microsoft's "New > Text Document" to create is a file that is >> the same format as their file but which is actually my formatted text file.

You could just create the file as you like it and save it to your
desktop if you use this often. Then just click on it when you wish to
use it and immediately save it as what you want. When your done, your original template will still be there for the next time, requiring only
a click again to open anew.

I should have said I know all about that.

I already use a process of including the template as the first step once I
open the blank text file created by Microsoft's "New > Text Document" in
gvim (<escape><colon><r> c:\path\mytempate.txt in gvim command language).

I don't want to do that fifty times a day.
I want the new text document to be the one that I already want it to be.

I don't know where Windows stores the blank template but it has to be
stored somewhere. I suspect I need to find where it is stored & change it.

Either I can change the actual system template for New > Text Document.
Or I can maybe change the pointer to where that system template resides.

If I knew how to do that, I wouldn't be asking.

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On 06 Mar 2023, Peter <occassionally-confused@nospam.co.uk> wrote in alt.comp.os.windows-10:

I don't know where Windows stores the blank template but it has to
be stored somewhere. I suspect I need to find where it is stored &
change it.

Either I can change the actual system template for New > Text
Document. Or I can maybe change the pointer to where that system
template resides.

Windows does not have that native ability. There is no "system
template" for text files.

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On 3/6/2023 2:31 PM, Nil wrote:

On 06 Mar 2023, Peter <occassionally-confused@nospam.co.uk> wrote in alt.comp.os.windows-10:

I don't know where Windows stores the blank template but it has to
be stored somewhere. I suspect I need to find where it is stored &
change it.

Either I can change the actual system template for New > Text
Document. Or I can maybe change the pointer to where that system
template resides.

Windows does not have that native ability. There is no "system
template" for text files.

I don't know what I have done different from every one else, but when I
right click and select NEW, I have the option of creating 9 different templates. One is for an image using Irfanview, One is a Windows System Contact, One is for Notepad, one is for a compressed file, and 5 are for
files using the different modules of Corel Office Suit. (I believe on
a computer with MS office you have options for MS files.)

With Word Perfect you can change the standard document template so I
assume that could be put on the NEW Menu.

I never use the NEW menu to create documents, but do it from the program
itself

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On 3/6/2023 2:21 PM, knuttle wrote:

On 3/6/2023 2:31 PM, Nil wrote:

On 06 Mar 2023, Peter <occassionally-confused@nospam.co.uk> wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-10:

I don't know where Windows stores the blank template but it has to
be stored somewhere. I suspect I need to find where it is stored &
change it.

Either I can change the actual system template for New > Text
Document. Or I can maybe change the pointer to where that system
template resides.

Windows does not have that native ability. There is no "system
template" for text files.

I don't know what I have done different from every one else, but when I
right click and select NEW, I have the option of creating 9 different templates.  One is for an image using Irfanview, One is a Windows System Contact, One is for Notepad, one is for a compressed file, and 5 are for files using the different modules of Corel Office Suit.   (I believe on
a computer with MS office you have options for MS files.)

With Word Perfect you can change the standard document template so I
assume that could be put on the NEW Menu.

I never use the NEW menu to create documents, but do it from the program itself

If you had notepad on the taskbar, you could set up the templatein
notepad and give it a temporary name and close it. Then by right
clicking on the notebook taskbar icon it would be in the recent
documents at the top and one click would open it up for use. Basically
the same thing as leaving it on the desktop, but less clutter as you
could leave it wherever you want.

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On Mon, 06 Mar 2023 14:31:03 -0500, Nil <rednoise9@rednoise9.invalid>
wrote:

On 06 Mar 2023, Peter <occassionally-confused@nospam.co.uk> wrote in >alt.comp.os.windows-10:

I don't know where Windows stores the blank template but it has to
be stored somewhere. I suspect I need to find where it is stored &
change it.

Either I can change the actual system template for New > Text
Document. Or I can maybe change the pointer to where that system
template resides.

Windows does not have that native ability. There is no "system
template" for text files.

Sounds like a job for one of those hotkey automation/macro apps, like AutoHotkey or AutiIt, etc.

Press a hotkey and a new text file is created, template text inserted,
ready for additional text and whatever comes next.

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On 3/6/2023 10:18 AM, Peter wrote:

I often create new text files which I then have to import a template into
as the first step.

Can I skip that text file template import step?

Is there a way in Windows to make a new text file which is (essentially) a template (it contains a pre-formatted set of sections to be filled out)?

The items that "New" offers, appear to be packaged inside shell32.dll.
There's probably an entry point which does this. There's the usual
CLSID (or some kind of string of numbers) to identify it.

Sometimes, the shell32.dll provides a "nugget" which, together with
some registry magic, creates a custom command. "Open Command Window Here"
is an example. Copies of these links can be obtained using www.archive.org (that's how I obtained the pasted stuff below). Generally, when you create
a .reg file to "Merge" into the registry, you create a removal .reg file to compliment it later (for removal).

https://www.sevenforums.com/attachments/tutorials/196794d1328414980-open-command-window-here-add-remove-add_open_command_window_here.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd]
@="@shell32.dll,-8506"
"Extended"=""
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd\command]
@="cmd.exe /s /k pushd \"%V\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\cmd]
@="@shell32.dll,-8506"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\cmd\command]
@="cmd.exe /s /k pushd \"%V\""

https://www.sevenforums.com/attachments/tutorials/196795d1328414980-open-command-window-here-add-remove-remove_open_command_window_here.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd]

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\cmd]

***************************************************

Notice, that the example above, the text string to be
shown in the context menu is pre-defined by shell32.dll
entry point. @="@shell32.dll,-8506"

In this example, they provide a static text string in
the Registry, to label their creation.

https://superuser.com/questions/890136/modify-open-command-window-here-context-menu-call

@="Open CMDER here"

***************************************************

You might ask yourself, why am I showing you all this "crap".

It's the component parts that count.

"%V" <=== with escape characters removed, this magical thing is
the absolute path of the folder where you used the
context menu. If you want to drop a template file
into the $CWD, then this baby is your path for the command.
The reason they wrapped in in escaped double-quotes, is
so any spaces in the absolute path, will not "break" the syntax.
Even the thing on the end, the text file name with spaces, this
entire string has to be wrapped like that.

copy <static-path-of-template>\template.txt "%V"\New Text Document.txt

So that's sorta the command we want to run.

You can run cmd.exe and pass it a command string to run. So you
are forking a shell (cmd.exe) and one command (copy) runs in it,
to put the template there. Typically, a command is wrapped in
double-quotes, but one of the items in the command, is also
wrapped in double-quotes (uh oh).

Is the syntax of this command going to be complicated ?
You bet your ass it'll be complicated, and that's why I'm not doing it :-)
It will be a royal pain to get this working. But, that's half the fun.
But at least in the Superuser example, you can follow the logic
of someone creating a custom item, an item custom enough it uses
a static text string for a label.

Paul

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On Mon, 6 Mar 2023 15:18:02 +0000, Peter wrote:

I often create new text files which I then have to import a template into
as the first step.

Can I skip that text file template import step?

Is there a way in Windows to make a new text file which is (essentially) a template (it contains a pre-formatted set of sections to be filled out)?

See this from Microsoft:

Extending the New Submenu
<https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/context#extending-the-new-submenu>

As I read it, you can have at most one template per file extension.

For your request, the registry entry for .txt files already has
a ShellNew which creates an empty file. You would want to change
the existing registry entries to create a file from your template.


--
Kind regards
Ralph

‘Este bueþ oune brondes,’ quoþ Hendyng.

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