About Template Files

Template files are HTML files used to customize the look of our applications such as EventHandler, Announcer, Downloader and so on.

Basically a template files is web page (HTML Page) designed to look like your website.  Within that template, you will insert the following single line of text:

$REPLACE

Our application will read your template files, look for the text $REPLACE, and replace it with the output that our application creates.

The text can be placed anywhere within your template file where you want the application to insert it's output.

Below we have grabbed some screen shots of sites and modified them to show you how a template might look:

Base Path to Template Files

The base path to a template file is the actual path to the directory in which the template file exists.

Examples are as follows:

Unix Examples:
/usr/www/domain/path/to/template.htm
/usr/www/domain/templates/mytemplate.html
/usr/www/domain/EventHandler/templates/template.htm

Win 9x/NT/2000 Examples:
d:/www/domain/path/to/template.htm
d:/www/domain/templates/mytemplate.htm
d:/www/domain/EventHandler/templates/template.htm

Template files do not have to exist in the same directory as the application files. They can exist in another directory but they must always exist on the same server in which the application files exist.

Base HREF to template files

The base HREF is the URL to the directory in which your template files exists. This value is what you would normally define as the  You must always include the trailing '/' after the URL:

Examples are as follows:

If your template file exists at:
  http://www.domain.com/templates/template.htm
Your base href would be:
  http://www.domain.com/templates/

If your template file exists at:
  http://www.domain.com/EventHandler/templates/template.htm
Your base href would be:
  http://www.domain.com/EventHandler/templates/

By default, you will have the following master template files:

• template.htm - This is your overall master template file.
• cont_tpl.htm - This is your master contest template file.
• poll_tpl.htm - This is your master poll template file.
• survey_tpl.htm - This is your master survey template file.
• quiz_tpl.htm - This is your master survey template file. (v3.4 and above)

In the noncgi EventHandler directory, you will find a subdirectory templates, this is where you will find these files.

If you performed a typical install as explained in the documentation, these file will be located at a URL such as:

• http://www.domain.com/EventHandler/templates/template.htm
• http://www.domain.com/EventHandler/templates/cont_tpl.htm
• http://www.domain.com/EventHandler/templates/surv_tpl.htm
• http://www.domain.com/EventHandler/templates/poll_tpl.htm
• http://www.domain.com/EventHandler/templates/quiz_tpl.htm

If you are running the Professional version with multiple users, each user will have their own template files.  These files are located in the noncgi users directory.  Each user will have a directory with their own copy of the template files such as:

• http://www.domain.com/EventHandler/users/xxx/template.htm
• http://www.domain.com/EventHandler/users/xxx/cont_tpl.htm
• http://www.domain.com/EventHandler/users/xxx/surv_tpl.htm
• http://www.domain.com/EventHandler/users/xxx/poll_tpl.htm
• http://www.domain.com/EventHandler/users/xxx/quiz_tpl.htm

where xxx is the user id for a particular user.

You do not have to use the template files provided.  Your template file can exist in any directory as long as it is located on the same server and/or can be accessed through a real path as explained below.