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Inspiring
October 29, 2007
Question

Need further explanation on applying formatting

  • October 29, 2007
  • 6 replies
  • 603 views
In general I understand the overall difference between a style sheet and template but I am having difficulty in understanding the order of priority.

For example, If I have a document and I create a style called redbold and apply it to some text, its applied. But lets say because I'm stupid, I also have a redbold in a template and a css. But presently haven't used either of these on this topic. It seems if I apply one of these redbold is not affected because it created at the topic level. But if I apply no style and pick redbold after having indicated a template, the topic will have the redbold defined in the template. Is this correct?

Second. If I have applied a template to a topic. I later change the template. Will topic pick those changes up? or do I need to do an update of some sort, if so how?

Thanks in advance

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    6 replies

    Inspiring
    November 2, 2007
    No I am good, thanks for asking tho.
    Inspiring
    October 30, 2007
    Thanks that is helpful.
    Inspiring
    October 31, 2007
    Did Column's details answer all your questions or do you have more hesitations concerning this issue?
    RoboColum_n_
    Legend
    October 30, 2007
    Hi Dave.

    On inline and file level styles you are right. With external style sheets I think you are misunderstanding what Chris said. If you have a template with a style sheet attached to it, and you create a topic using that template, the topic uses the templates style sheet. However you can go back to the topic and apply a different style sheet - i.e. one not attached to the template - that will override the previous one. If it helps further, the RH help says:

    Inline styles: A block of text within a single HTML file (topic) is formatted directly in the WYSIWYG Editor. If the file is linked to a style sheet, all inline styles override styles in the style sheet and any embedded styles that may have been saved within the file as well.

    Embedded styles: Style definitions are embedded (saved) in an individual HTML files (topics). If the file is linked to a style sheet, all embedded styles override the styles in the style sheet that are applied to the text. You can create a character style or a paragraph style.

    Styles in external style sheets: Style definitions are stored in a style sheet file (.CSS) that is separate from the HTML topics that use it (sometimes called a "linked" style sheet). A single style sheet can be linked to any number of HTML topics. The individual styles that are defined in the style sheet are available to all topics that use the style sheet. When you modify a style, all topics that are linked to the style sheet are automatically updated. You can create a character style or a paragraph style.
    Inspiring
    October 30, 2007
    Chris,
    Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. Your explanation does help me a bit. I still have a couple questions to further clarify your explanation. I appreciate you taking the time to help me come up to speed.

    Inline styles are simply when I format within the topic, for example bold some text, correct?

    File level style is when I have a topic open and I "format a new style" so to speak, give it a name, etc. correct?

    And of course external styles are those defined in a css style sheet. When I change the definition for a style in an external the changes are automatically applied across my project. correct?

    I thought that I had read that if a template is applied to a topic and that template has a style sheet associated with it, those styles are applied/available to said topic. You say this is not the case? I am not doubting you, just me.

    Thanks again for your time.

    Dave
    Inspiring
    October 29, 2007
    Not too sure I am understanding your question but here are some facts about how style sheets and templates work in RH that might help you out:
    - Templates are mostly usefull to have standardised headers and footers acrosse topics: create a template and insert a header and footer. All topics based on this template will have this header and footer. Change the template's header and/or footer and all topics will be updated. Change anything in the body of the template will not affect any of the topics.
    - You can have a topic based on a template but with a different style sheet attached to it than the one defined on the template. Hence templates and style sheets are not really correlated in any way. You can define whatever style sheet you want to a template, this does not mean it will translate in the topics that have this template applied.
    - What I think you mixing up (correct me if I am wrong) is inline styles, file level styles and external cascading style sheets(css). This is the order of priority: inline styles overrides and styles defined at the file level. File level style overrides any styles defined in the external style sheet.

    Hope this helped a tad...
    Chris