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Barry MacDonnell's
Toolbox for WordPerfect

Macros, tips, and templates for Corel® WordPerfect® for Windows®
© Copyright 1996-2013 by Barry MacDonnell. All Rights Reserved.

 Page updated May 2, 2013
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WordPerfect Templates

First: Which menu do you use?

Menu choices in the following material refer to the <WordPerfect> menu.

Right-click on the top menu bar for a choice of menus. Or you can use Tools, Settings, Customize, Menus (tab); choose the menu and then click Select. 

If you use a <Microsoft Word> menu, the choices below might be absent from your menu (but not from the program), or they might be found under another menu selection. [See here for more.]

Page contents and related tips

Things you need to know first

What are templates and what do they do?

Note

To modify (personalize) the default template to set up your desired default fonts, margins, etc., for all new documents, see below. To create a custom template, see the section on custom templates below.

However, if you are new to this information, it is a good idea to read the Important Points below before proceeding.

Check mark Important point #1:

Every WordPerfect document you create is based on a template.

Even new, blank documents are based on a template, the default template. Many users have also created special purpose custom templates. Both of these are explained in detail, below. 

Check mark Important point #2:

In WordPerfect, the word "template" has a very specific meaning.

A template is a WordPerfect document -- a file on your disk -- with a special filename extension, “.wpt,” where the “t” stands for “template”.

WordPerfect recognizes this special extension and "knows" it is a template and not an ordinary document (i.e., one with a .wpd extension, where "d" stands for "document"). It then uses it to create a mirror image of itself (among other things).

This is not the same thing as some common meanings of the word might imply.

It is important to understand that this is a very different type of file -- in terms of its purpose and operation -- compared to the one some people refer to when they use the word "template."

In the latter case, some people create and save an ordinary WordPerfect document (.wpd) to use as a so-called "template" or "model" by continually opening it, changing something in it, printing it, re-saving it, etc. -- again and again. This is not a template as far as the program is concerned. And it is not what this article is about. It is not a good idea to do it, anyway, since using an ordinary document (.wpd) this way invites document corruption. (But let's not get ahead of the story.)

Check mark Important point #3:

Templates define formatting and program options for a document. 

These items include a default font, margin and tab settings, etc., as well as Heading styles, Outline styles, etc. 

They also enable various default and custom options for menus, toolbars, and shortcut/hot-key assignments (a/k/a keyboard definitions). 

These items are stored inside the default or custom template, though they can be changed or augmented in the resulting document (see next point below).

In essence, templates provide you with a "skeleton" structure or "shell" that you can use to start a new document.

Check mark Important point #4:

Once created, templates are used only to create a copy or image of the template on your screen (i.e., in your computer’s temporary memory).

Major benefit: The template itself is out of harm’s way for the casual user, making it more difficult to accidentally modify or delete. The "spawned" document can then be edited, re-formatted, printed, and saved without impacting the template itself. This might be particularly beneficial in many office environments.

Another potential benefit: Templates can be automated: You can insert prompts, bookmarks, and template macros in them to save many keystrokes and reduce the chance of input error. (For more on automating templates see here.)

Check mark Important point #5:

There are several types of WordPerfect template.

  • Default template: Even new, empty documents with names like Document1 (in the title bar at the top of the WordPerfect window) are based on a special, version-specific template, called the default template (discussed below). When you open WordPerfect for the first time, the blank document you see on screen awaiting your input was created ("spawned") by the default template, which sets the default margins, font, and so forth. (These can be changed to suit your needs, as explained below.)
    • You can't avoid having a default template. When you install WordPerfect on a computer, it will create the default template automatically if it does not already exist -- and even if you delete it (i.e., the currently active version of it) or otherwise make it unavailable, the program will automatically create a brand new, virgin copy of it the next time WordPerfect is loaded. Basically, each computer must have its own copy of this special file for WordPerfect to function.
    • There can be only one currently active default template for your system. To locate it, see below.
    • Caution: If you install another version of WordPerfect, it generally is not a good idea to copy the existing default template into the other version, then rename it, in order to preserve any customizations stored in it. (Exception: If the other version is exactly the same -- i.e., the same default name and created by the same major version of WordPerfect -- you probably can make a copy of it, as discussed here.) Note that you can easily recover (migrate) customizations to another WordPerfect program, using the methods discussed on the main Tips page, Section 7, under "Before you start: Backing up program files and migrating customizations." 
  • Custom templates (discussed in a separate section below): Unlike the typical default template, these user-created templates usually also include text, such as the “From:” and “To:” headings in a memo, or the logo and company name in a letter. They can be based on another template such as the default template, or they can be created from scratch, or they can even be based on a normal (.wpd) document. Custom templates can be created any time you need a specially formatted document that you might want to use again. They can also be automated with prompts, bookmarks, and macros to get information, insert it, modify it, and so on.
  • Additional Objects template (discussed in a separate section below): This template can be specified in the program as a repository of additional customized menus, toolbars, styles, and the like. It is a sort of "secondary default template" which mostly is used on networks to provide a common source of such default "objects" (e.g., a customized toolbar) for all users on the network so their own WordPerfect default templates can be updated easily by an administrator.
  • QuickWords template (discussed on a separate page): QuickWords are abbreviations of words or strings of text that you insert into a document. When you type the abbreviation in a document, QuickWords automatically expands it. The QuickWord template is used only to store the abbreviations and expansions. [This template is always located in the same folder as your currently active default template. If WordPerfect cannot find it there, it will create a new, factory fresh copy of that file.]
  • Shipping templates: Additionally, Corel creates some custom templates for inclusion in some editions of the program. These specialized factory templates are often called "shipping" templates, since they ship with those programs. Shipping templates fall into two general sub-groups:
    • (1) predefined static templates, such as a simple, pre-formatted “To Do” list; and
    • (2) dynamic, automated Projects that you can use to create personalized letters, memos, faxes, résumés, and so forth, with little thought or effort. These are further grouped into categories, which are accessible from a drop list when you click File, New from Project (or File, New in WordPerfect 8). [Tip: While many of these predefined templates are installed during a Typical WordPerfect installation, more may be available using a Custom installation.]

Check mark Important point #6:

The importance of styles in templates.

Styles are design elements -- like bold, italic, relative size, or color -- that can be applied to text.

In WordPerfect, styles consist of specialized codes that act like "containers" to hold one or more of these design elements (a/k/a format codes), and they can even hold text, graphical items, tables, watermarks, and even other ("nested") styles.

Templates set up a special, initial style that passes such design elements "downstream" to new documents when they are created. 

This initial style code, [Open Style: DocumentStyle], is visible at the very top of the new document in Reveal Codes, and it will remain present for as long as the document exists. (If this code is not present, see Footnote 4.)

The initial style code is the vehicle that transports whatever other styles or format elements you wish to pass on to the downstream text in new documents based on that template. Typically these include a default font and font size, and default margin settings. It can be easily modified (more below).

[Incidentally, WordPerfect has many features, such as headers, footnotes, and graphic boxes, that are actually built-in styles. You can also create your own custom styles, if you wish.]

Check mark Important point #7:

Understanding the WordPerfect "stream".

The main thing to keep in mind here is that, unlike some other word processors, WordPerfect is a "stream oriented" program, where format codes take effect until they are either discontinued (i.e., stopped or suppressed by user intervention) or replaced by another code of the same type (e.g., a new text color).

Hence, new formatting applied in the document is downstream from previous formatting and upstream from other (potential changes in) formatting.

Note especially that single format codes can be inserted into the stream of text and they will affect subsequent, downstream text; or, if you select text first, they will bracket the selection with a pair of codes -- one to start the formatting and one to stop it -- and the formatting will apply to just that selection.

This simple "stream" metaphor can help you produce complex or creative formatting -- sometimes with things beyond what other word processors allow -- but it can also help solve many format problems, too.

A bit of "trivia":

Web pages using HTML formatting are stream-oriented, too, since they have beginning and ending codes for fonts, paragraphs, and so forth. So stream formatting is not unusual, though it might be unfamiliar at first.

On the other hand, Microsoft Word is "object oriented," where formatted items -- letters, words, paragraphs, sections or the entire document -- are "containerized" into "objects." Containers within containers within containers ... this can sometimes create formatting difficulties for Word users. [For a comparison of these two programs -- although a bit dated -- see http://www.wpvsword.com/wp11vsword11/index.php]

[Page top]

Default template

First, be sure you have read the section above, "Things you need to know first."

Next, you should know what the default template on your system is named, where it is located, and what happens to it if you delete it, move it, or rename it.

Scroll down for information on how to modify it or fix it. (Network administrators can make use of the Additional Objects template as the network "default" template; this is discussed below.)

The default template's file name
  • The actual Corel standard (i.e., "shipping") default template file on you disk -- the one that was created and used by WordPerfect when it is first installed -- is named WPnnxx.WPT, where nn=version (e.g., 8, 11, 16, etc.) and xx=language (e.g., US, UK, CE, etc.). Examples: wp8us.wpt; wp10uk.wpt; wp13us.wpt. (Note that WordPerfect X3 = 13, WordPerfect X4 = 14, etc.)
  • Each installation must have (and use) this template on the computer; and, as noted above, even if you delete it (i.e., the currently active version of it) WordPerfect will create a new, factory fresh, "virgin" copy of it the next time the program loads. (Network administrators who wish to provide a common "default template" for all users should see the Additional Objects template section below.)
  • Note that the filename on disk and the display name that is listed in File, New from Project (or New in WP8) are different things. The former is the Windows name; the latter is the "Project" name given to the template in the Project category list, and which can be used to edit the default (or other) template directly from within WordPerfect. See "How to modify your template [Method 2]" below for more on this topic.
  • Caution: If you install another version of WordPerfect, it is almost never a good idea to copy the existing default template into the other version, then rename it, in order to preserve any customizations stored in it. (Exception: If the other version is exactly the same -- i.e., the same default name and created by the same major version of WordPerfect -- you probably can make a copy of it, as discussed here.) Note that you can easily recover (migrate) customizations to another WordPerfect program, using the methods discussed on the main Tips page, Section 7, under "Before you start: Backing up program files and migrating customizations." 
Standard location on disk (WP9 and later versions)
[Note that this might not be the actual location of the currently active version of the template on your particular system; see "Actual location" below.] 
  • For standard locations see the Corel Knowledgebase article 3527 here; this document -- "Where are the WordPerfect default templates" -- lists the Corel "standard" installation locations for default templates for WordPerfect versions 9 and later, as well as newer Windows versions.
    • The reason why both the standard and actual locations are listed here (and below) is that some users might want to know where Corel puts this file during a normal (i.e., not custom) installation.
    • In newer versions of WordPerfect, if you change the default location for the default template in Tools, Settings, Files, Template (tab), the actual location -- i.e., the currently active location -- on your disk might change, too. See the next section below.
Actual location on disk of the currently active default template
  • The location of your currently active default template can be found in the Tools, Settings, Files, Template (tab), "Default template folder" dialog field. This is where WordPerfect looks for this important file.
  • The filename is shown in the next field, "Default template." This is the file WordPerfect will use to create new blank documents.
  • For most users these items will be the same as the standard location and filename described above -- but it is a good idea to verify them (and jot them down for future reference) before proceeding with the next sections. 

    • If after examining the information currently entered in the Tools, Settings, Files, Template fields (i.e., NOT the folder tree using the clickable folder buttons next to those fields) you can't find the default template file (or any other template file) using Windows Explorer, My Computer, or similar program, see the next section ("Using Windows Explorer or My Computer to find your default template"). 

    • Want to change the location?

      This author has moved his own default template file (using Windows Explorer) to a sub-folder in the computer's My Documents folder; it then is automatically backed up along with other data files.

      After that was done,       and back in WordPerfect, the path (only) to the default template folder that was originally specified in Tools, Settings, Files, Template was changed in that dialog's first field ("Default template folder"), using the adjacent clickable folder button to insert the new path and folder, so as to reflect the new location.

      This needed to be done so that WordPerfect can locate the correct default template. Then the program was closed and reopened so that it would register and use the new location. 

      • Note: This is why the phrase currently active default template was used above: The location can be changed in the Tools, Settings, Files, Template dialog by the user to "point" to the actual default template that WordPerfect should use when the program is opened -- i.e., the currently active version of the template. But note that other, inactive, copies may also exist on your system which were created during program insallation (or by users). Thus you should always refer to the Tools, Settings, Files, Template to locate the currently active file if you need to search for it on disk.

    • Important: If you set this default template's location to some other location in Tools, Settings, Files, Template (e.g., a different path and/or folder), a brand new QuickWords template will be created at the new location, too. This can give the impression that your QuickWords have vanished. However, you can migrate an existing QuickWords template to that location to make your QuickWords available again (see here).

    • Generally, there is little reason to rename the default template file on your disk using Windows Explorer or similar program (and then also "point" to the renamed file in Tools, Settings, Files, Template tab) if you customize it, since the small advantage of seeing a custom name (e.g., Barry.wpt) can be outweighed by possible confusion if you need to troubleshoot the program using the automatic default template generation technique below. (Templates can become corrupted like any other file.) 

    • Networks:

      While it is possible to relocate the default template to a different network location, this can present problems since that location might not always be available.

      If the default template location is unavailable, when the program is opened it will immediately create a new, factory fresh default template (and a new QuickWords template, too) in a new folder location on the local computer; any customizations stored in the default template (and perhaps other settings) will not be available until the original network location's connection is re-established and WordPerfect is reloaded to "read" the that location and template.

      [Note that WordPerfect provides a way to update the local default templates on multiple networked computers with the Additional Objects template. This is a better method than setting up a common default template on a network share for all network users, since each user will always have a local copy of the default template available, and it can be updated as needed from the Additional Objects template.]
Using Windows Explorer or My Computer to find your default template
Normally you will see this important file in the folder specified above.

If you still can't find the default template file (or QuickWords template file or QuickCorrect file) on disk with Windows Explorer or My Computer, it might be because of a default setting (thanks to Microsoft) in Windows itself that prevents you from seeing certain files. Here's what to do.
  • Windows XP:
    • Open Windows Explorer: click the Windows Start button, Programs, Accessories, Windows Explorer, or just right-click on the Windows Start button;
    • click on the Tools menu;
    • select "Folder Options...";
    • click on the View tab; then
    • (1) select (check) "Show hidden files and folders";
    • (2) deselect (uncheck) the "Hide..." options; then
    • click on OK. You should now be able to find the file.
  • Windows Vista/7:
    • Open Windows Explorer or Computer: click the Windows Start button then click on either Documents or Computer, or just right-click on the Windows Start button;
    • press the Alt key, then click Tools, Folder Options;
    • on the View tab, uncheck the box that says Hide extensions for known file types;
    • click OK.
Tip: If you are new to computers or to folder and file navigation using Windows Explorer (which is installed on all Windows PCs), see Footnote 7 for an easy way to navigate to your currently active default template file on disk so that you can rename it (if necessary).

Arcane tip: To find out which template (default or custom) the currently open document is based on, click on Tools, Template Macro, Edit. You can see the template's filename in that dialog, or you can see it if you click the Location button in that dialog. [Macro writers can use a single macro command to find the name of the template the current document is based on: Messagebox(;;?CurrentTemplate).]
Automatic generation of the default template
  • After closing WordPerfect, if the Corel standard-named currently active default template file is moved, deleted, or -- better yet -- renamed to something else, a new factory fresh copy will be automatically created the next time WordPerfect is opened. (But see the important notes below.)

  • Since there can be more than one copy of the default template file, see the above sections for the name and actual location of the currently active default template file on your disk. If you can't still find it using Windows, see "Using Windows Explorer or My Computer to find your default template."

  • Closing WordPerfect, then renaming the currently active default template file on disk, and then reloading WordPerfect is a standard trouble-shooting technique. This works by temporarily backing up -- and "hiding" from the program -- the existing (and possibly) modified or damaged template. This forces the program to automatically generate a brand new factory fresh version as soon as the program is restarted. The new version will not have any user customizations or corruption in it. If this solves the problem at hand, the customizations stored in the backed up template can be restored (copied) to the new template (see here). (For more on the topic of fixing a damaged or corrupted default template and restoring such customizations, see here.)

  • The best method to rename the default template file: Simply add to, or change, the "root" part of the filename on disk. For WordPerfect X6, for example, you could rename it from wp16US.wpt to wp16USbackup.wpt. (Other versions and language editions [UK, CE, etc.] will have different names as discussed above.) Modifying the root part of the filename, rather than the filename's extension (.wpt), will make it easier to locate it if you need to copy (transfer) certain customizations from it, since WordPerfect will always "see" the filename extension (.wpt). Then restarting WordPerfect will immediately create a factory fresh version of the default template file in the same folder as the renamed version. (Newbies can find more help with finding and renaming this important file in Footnote 7.)

  • IMPORTANT NOTES:
    • As mentioned, whenever the program opens and then it cannot find the currently active default template file (with the pattern WPnnxx.WPT) in the folder shown in your Tools, Settings, Files, Template dialog, it will automatically create a new factory fresh copy of it. But this will only happen if the deleted or renamed file on your disk has the same standard filename (with the pattern WPnnxx.WPT) shown in the Tools, Settings, Files, Template (tab) dialog.

      If some other existing file (e.g., MyTemplate.WPT) is named in that dialog -- perhaps as the result of a past attempt to create a "custom" version of the file -- then deleting/renaming the standard default template file on your disk (i.e., C:\...WPnnxx.WPT) will not cause the program to create a new factory fresh copy. This is because the program will not know the normal default template file is now "missing," and it will simply assume you wish to continue using the file with the customized filename. 

      Remember: The program always looks in Tools, Settings, Files, Template for the current name and location of the default template. You should have fewer difficulties if you keep the same name for the file on disk and the file shown in that dialog.

    • Unlike with the standard factory default template (WPnnxx.WPT), it is not possible to automatically generate a custom template by deleting/renaming the existing custom template. (This is a good reason to keep backups of all customized template files.)

    • But like with the standard factory default template (WPnnxx.WPT), if you delete the QuickWords template, the program will automatically generate a new, virgin copy of it in the same folder as the currently specified WordPerfect default template. Both of these template files will be located in the folder which is specified in Tools, Settings, Files, Template tab.

    • Automatic creation of a factory fresh Corel standard default template file can also happen if the file specifically named in Tools, Settings, Files, Template (tab) points to a network location that is not currently available. If it can't find the default template, it will create a new one. (See Networks above.)
Next, you should know how to modify it, or fix it if that should be necessary (including how to save your customizations that are stored in it).

How to modify your default template with new default settings
    Before you begin modifying your default template, especially with major modifications, you should make a copy of it in another folder to serve as a backup. You can find it on your system using the methods above.
    • Renaming the currently active default template (WPnnxx.WPT) after closing WordPerfect is one way to make a "backup" of this important file, since (as mentioned above) a new, factory fresh, default template will be recreated automatically the next time WordPerfect loads.

      WordPerfect does this whenever it cannot "see" WPnnxx.WPT in the expected location, which is specified in Tools, Settings, Files, Template (tab).

      Later, you can always copy (migrate) any customizations such as personalized toolbars from the renamed version. (For more on this topic, click here.) 
    • Alternative: With renaming you would have both the old (and possibly customized) version and the unaltered factory fresh version -- the latter becoming the new, probably stripped-down default. Hence, instead of renaming the file you might wish to make a simple backup copy of it, so that you can modify your current working copy with new features, building on what you might have already done to it.
    • Caution: If you also decide to relocate this customized default template to another Windows folder, be sure to immediately specify any change you might have made to the new template's location in Tools, Settings, Files, Template so that WordPerfect can find it and use it instead of the usual shipping default template. (Be sure to reload WordPerfect so it can "see" the new location.) Then refresh your Projects list with File, New from Project, Options, Refresh Projects. (If you have multiple versions of WordPerfect installed on the same computer, see some tips in Footnote 1.)
       
  • Method 1:
    (This is best for minor changes to the default template, such as changing the default font or page margins. For more extensive changes see Method 2. Also see "Before you begin..." above.)
    • Computer screen  See a step-by-step guide with screen shots 
    •  . . . or  . . .
    • use these instructions: 
      • Open the Styles Editor: On a <WordPerfect> menu, click on File, Document, Current Document Style -- or simply double-click the [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code in Reveal Codes at the very top of the document. This opens the Styles Editor dialog. Here you can make changes to the current document -- and also save them to the default template that is currently specified in Tools, Settings, Files, Template.
      • For example, you might want to change the current font, font size, or page margins and make them the default for all new documents, too. To do this, make the changes in the Styles Editor dialog using the Editor's menu and/or property bar (at the top of that dialog), then be sure to enable (i.e., tick) the checkbox at the bottom of the dialog, "Use as default," and click OK, then answer Yes to the confirmation dialog that pops up. The changes will affect both the current document and the default template.
      • Tips
        • After you test your changes in a brand new document, you should disable (un-tick) that checkbox to prevent unwanted changes to the default template if you later modify the initial code with new formatting intended for just the current document.
        • To set decimal or fractional font sizes, see the main Tips page here.
    • Important note

      I do not recommend using File, Document, Default Font       (or Format, Font) to change your default font or font size for new documents based on the default template (by using the Settings button there), or even for just the current document. [N.B.: In WordPerfect 8 and earlier versions this choice is found at Format, Font, Default Font.]

      These changes are made to the program's internal code, and thus they are transmitted directly and somewhat invisibly to all new, blank documents created ("spawned") from that template (or to just the current document, if the Settings button was not used to apply the change to all your new documents).

      However, a common and often puzzling problem can arise from this:

      Any font changes you or a co-worker might make in the Styles Editor (see above method) with File, Document, Current Document Style (or simply by double-clicking the initial [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code at the very top of the document) are "downstream" from changes made with File, Document, Default Font.

      Hence font codes in that initial style code will over-ride (i.e., take precedence over) changes made with the Default Font menu selection, which are "upstream" from them. 

      If you then decide to change the default font or font size again with Default Font, you will not see any change when you next open a new blank document (or in the current document). The document's text would still be governed by the most recent "upstream" font code(s) -- which are still in the initial style code at the top of the document. (You could, of course, simply delete them from the Editor to allow the upstream font settings to reassert themselves ... but that's not the point.)

      I explained this issue in more detail in a 2005 post at WordPerfect Universe, and recommended that users should always use File, Document, Current Document Style (or simply double-click the [Open Style: DocumentStyle]) to change fonts or font sizes with the Styles Editor dialog.

      In addition, the Styles Editor method has at least two advantages: It will (1) set the default font for all printers, whereas File, Document, Default Font (or even Format, Font) applies to the current printer only; and (2) it will let you set several other format options, not just your choice of font.

      As well, it's just as easy to use as the Default Font menu choice.

      Tip: You can rename the problematic Default Font menu choice (or even remove it altogether) to something like "Default Font (DON'T USE)...". See "Customizing your menu..."

  • Method 2:
    (This method can be used for any changes to the default template, including moderate to extensive changes. For minor changes you can just use Method 1. Also see "Before you begin..." above.)
    • You can modify (edit) the default template directly to customize it, by opening it for editing. This is often done to delete previous customizations, or to add more complex formatting codes, or to copy certain customized "objects" (keyboards, toolbars, etc.) from other templates. (For the latter, see Footnote 2.)

      Note:       If you need to set up a specialized template (e.g., with text or graphics in the body of the document, such as a letterhead), you should create a separate custom template. The default template, discussed here, is used to create new blank documents.)
      • Click File, New from Project (or just File, New in WP8).
      • Under the Create New tab, in the upper drop list, choose "Custom WP Templates."
      • In the lower drop list, choose "Create a blank document." This (oddly named) choice is the default template shipped with WordPerfect.
        • [For those who have multiple versions of WordPerfect installed on the same computer, see Footnote 1. For those with multiple installations of WordPerfect on a network, see the Additional Objects template section below.]
      • Right-click this name to Edit the template (or click the Options button, then choose "Edit WP Template").
        • [For those with more than one version of WordPerfect installed on a single computer: Be sure to take note of the full path and filename at the top of the WordPerfect program window when it loads the template, to verify this is the template you want to modify (i.e., the one that is currently specified in Tools, Settings, Files, Template). Multiple installed versions of WordPerfect create multiple copies of this file -- but the same name is used for all of them in the File, New from Project (or just New in WP8) list.]
      • You can make most formatting changes inside the template's initial style (e.g., font or page margin changes) by double-clicking the [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code in Reveal Codes; then use the Styles Editor's Format menu to make font changes. (See Method 1 for the general process and some tips.) The changes will be stored "inside" all new (blank) documents' initial style codes, and thus be less likely to be deleted accidentally.  [N.B.: If you wish to modify the default font, see the cautionary note under Method 1 above.]
      • When finished, click either File, Save or Save As.
      • Tips
        • You can also copy some customizations from another template into the default template, such as customized toolbars and keyboards. See the main Tips page, Section 7, under "Backing up program files and migrating customizations."
        • You can, of course, make changes directly in the body text area of the template, such as specifying line spacing, etc. Whatever you add will be inherited by new, blank documents. But it is probably better to edit the DocumentStyle (see previous paragraphs) so the changes are tucked inside that initial style and they will be less prone to accidental deletion in new documents spawned by the template. (You could even add text, date codes, tabs, etc., to the body text area -- but this is best done by creating a custom template for such purposes, not by modifying the default template in this way. You probably want all new, blank documents to be blank.)
        • Since the label "Create a blank document" is not very useful in indicating the fact that it is your default template -- especially if you have several versions of WordPerfect on your computer and use a common folder for all of their default templates -- you can easily change the displayed name in the Project list to reflect the actual filename(s) of the default template(s). See Footnote 1.
How to fix a damaged or corrupted default (or custom) template
  • (1) You can force WordPerfect to create a new factory fresh version of the default template (but not a custom template), as discussed in the "Automatic generation of the default template" section above, and then transfer (restore) various customizations to that template as discussed in the next section below;

    -or-
  • (2) you can try repairing the file itself: see Repairing WordPerfect documents and templates. The methods there can often fix a damaged default or custom template.
Note

Some customizations are stored in the Windows Registry (such as the display of custom toolbars, and your custom page size definitions), not in the template itself. These generally will have to be restored by manually re-creating them.
How to transfer (restore, or migrate) your default template's customizations to a newer WordPerfect version, or to a different computer, or from a backed-up copy of a template to a new template
Tips

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The 'Additional Objects' template

  • This is another "default" template that users can specify in Tools, Settings, Files, Template.

From WordPerfect's X5's Help file:

"You can choose an additional objects template. This is a second default template that stores objects such as keyboards, menus, template macros, toolbars, and styles that you can use in addition to or in place of those in the default template. For example, a system administrator could use an additional objects template as a network template that would overwrite a user’s default template [assuming the Update default template... option is enabled; see below]....

To choose an additional objects template

1. Click Tools Settings.
2. Click Files.
3. Click the Template tab.
4. In the Additional template folder box, click the Browse button.
5. Choose the drive and folder where the template is stored.
6. Click Select.
7. In the Additional objects template box, click the Browse button.
8. Click the template you want to use as the additional objects template.
9. Click Open.

If you want to update the default template with styles from the additional objects template, enable the Update default template from additional objects template check box.

[Note:] It is not always recommended that you update the default template with the additional objects template. Updating might only be useful, for example, if many users on a network use the styles in the additional objects template. The network administrator could enable the Update default template from additional objects template check box to update each user’s default template."

  • In addition to the network deployment discussed above, the Additional Objects template might also be used to store special custom menus, keyboards, etc., that you might wish to give to another user (via physical copy of the additional objects file) or to use with your other WordPerfect versions (by copying it to the appropriate template folder for each version). It offers a means to keep these items separate from your default template but still have them available in all new, blank documents.
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Custom templates

All users:

Intermediate to advanced users:

Creating, modifying, fixing, or deleting your own custom templates -
How to open a new document based on a custom template
  • To create a custom template:
    • [Tip for intermediate/advanced users: You can simply rename a standard document with a .wpt file name extension; this creates a simple template from the document. Moreover, the template can be located anywhere you wish. This has the advantage of simplicity -- but it also has a few disadvantages (discussed in Footnote 5) over the traditional 3-step method described next.]
    • Step 1. Click File, New from Project (or just File, New in WordPerfect 8). The PerfectExpert dialog opens. (In WP8 this dialog is named New.)
      • Under the "Create New" tab, select "Custom WP Templates" or any other preferred group from the top drop list. This group is where you want to see the new template's name appear in the Project category list when you have finished creating it.
      • Click the Options button, then click "Create WP Template" on the drop list that appears.
        • [Note: The "Add Project" choice on the drop list is typically used for creating or importing automated, predefined projects which use PerfectExpert "helper" files. Predefined project files -- such as the memo, agenda, and budget projects included with the WordPerfect Office -- have an .AST or .ASX filename extension. On the other hand, standard WordPerfect documents (.WPD) can also be used as projects, but you should find the current procedures described here more often useful since they produce custom templates that can be edited at any time with "Edit WP Template."]
      • A new, blank template document should appear on screen, with the name Template1 at the top of the window, and with the Template Property Bar displayed just below your other toolbars. [Note: The Template Property Bar has the “Build Prompts” button on it. If it (or any property bar) does not show, click View, Toolbars, Property Bar to display it.]
    • Step 2. Create your new template in the open Template1 document. Type any text, format the document (fonts, margins, etc.), and include any custom styles, toolbars, etc. Whatever you enter in this document and then save will become a template for future use.
      • Tip: You can create the new template from scratch in the open Template1 document, or you can use an existing WordPerfect document as a basis for your new template by inserting it directly into Termplate1. To use an existing document, simply place the cursor where you want the new file to be inserted and click Insert, File. Choose your existing document and click Insert. Answer “Yes” to any question about overwriting existing styles, which will overwrite defaults (such as font types) for the new template (not for all templates). Edit the newly inserted material as needed; for example, you might need to remove existing bookmarks, prompts, date codes, or text.
    • Step 3. Save the new custom template with File, Save. The "Save Template" dialog will appear.
      • In the Description field of the Save Template dialog, type a description (e.g., “My personal letterhead,” “Company invoice,” etc.). This appears in the PerfectExpert (or New) window when you create a new document.
      • In the Template Name field, type a filename for the project template, without a filename extension (e.g., “My personal letterhead”). The template file will be saved in a folder (subdirectory) that corresponds to the group, with a .WPT filename extension automatically added to whatever name you typed in the Template Name field.
      • From the bottom drop list, choose a template group/category (e.g., Custom WP Templates), then click OK to close the Save Template dialog.
        • Tip: You can create your own categories beforehand with File, New from Project, Options (button), Create Category. If you want the category to appear near the top of the list, begin the name with a bracket ([).
      • Since the template file has just been saved, close the current window with File, Close. 
      • When you wish to use the new template, select it in the File, New from Project category list and click Create. This opens ("spawns") a copy of the template [temporarily named Document1 (i.e., with a number from 1-9)] which you can name when you save it to disk. (See also the "To open..." section  below.)
    • Tips
      • See also Related pages and tips below.
      • If you do not see your custom template in the File, New from Project category list (and you are sure you saved it or moved it there), you may need to refresh the list with File, New from Project, Options button, "Refresh Projects". N.B.: The same Options button can tell you where a custom template (or WordPerfect Project) is stored on disk -- its complete path and filename -- by using the "Project Properties" choice.
      • You can import other "objects" (customized keyboards, toolbars, menus, styles, etc.) into the new template from another template. See Footnote 2 below.
      • To create a custom, automated ("prompted") template, see "Automating WordPerfect Templates".
      • To trigger a template macro to automatically play when you open a document based on a template, see here (this information is also included in the "Automating WordPerfect Templates" article in the previous tip).
      • (Arcane tip:) To find out later which template (default or custom) the currently open document is based on, click on Tools, Template Macro, Edit. You can see the template's filename in that dialog, or you can see it if you click the Location button in that dialog.
  • To open ("load") a new document based on a custom template: The standard method of loading a new document based on a custom template is to use File, New from Project (or File, New in WordPerfect 8), then select the category and name of the template, then click Create (i.e., a new document). However, there are easier and faster ways, especially if you frequently use the same template-generated custom documents. See Loading new documents based on custom templates, which describes several methods (toolbar button, macro, etc.) to more easily load such custom documents.
    • Note that when you load a new document based on a custom template, the name of the document on screen will be Document1 (or Document2, etc.) -- the same generic name as any new, blank document based on the default template. When you save it you will give it a new name.
  • To modify a custom template: Like the default template described above, you can modify a custom template. There are a couple of ways to do this but the best (or most intuitive) might be to modify it by directly editing it.

[Caution: Be aware that if you wish to modify a standard WordPerfect Project, rather than a user-created custom template, some Projects are automated with internal coding and an additional "helper" file. This can mean that your modifications might render them partially or completely inoperative. (A clue is the presence of [Named Region] and/or [Bookmark] codes visible in Reveal Codes. Don't delete them.) Make a copy of the Project with the Options button and work on the copy.]

    • Click File, New from Project (or just New in WP8).
    • Under the Create New tab, in the upper drop list, choose the name of category in which the custom template is listed. Then in the lower drop list, choose the name of the custom template.
    • Right-click the name to edit it (or click the Options button) with "Edit WP Template". Note the full path and filename at the top of the WordPerfect program window when it loads, to verify this is the custom template you want to modify.
    • You can make most changes in the template's initial style (e.g., font changes) by double-clicking the initial [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code in Reveal Codes; then use the Styles Editor's Format menu to make font changes. The changes will be stored "inside" all new (blank) documents' (based on that particular template) initial style codes, and thus be less likely to be deleted accidentally. When finished, click File, Save or Save As.
  • To fix a damaged or corrupted custom template, use the procedure to fix ordinary documents, explained here.
  • To move or delete a custom template, first determine the custom template file's location (and the new folder location if you want to move the file) on your computer with File, New from Project, <select the name of the template>; then click the Options button, choose Project Properties, and jot down the path and filename you find there. Then exit from WordPerfect and use Windows Explorer or My Computer (or just Computer in recent versions of Windows) to navigate to the folder that contains template file. Move or delete the file. Re-open WordPerfect, and click File, New from Project, Options (button), Refresh Projects.
    • Note: Removing a category does not delete template projects from your hard drive. If you remove a category containing projects not stored in another category, a new category, "[Deleted Projects]," is created containing those projects. [- From WordPerfect X5's Help file.]
    • Tip: To find out which template the currently open document is based on, click on Tools, Template Macro, Edit. You can see the template's filename in that dialog, or you can see it if you click the Location button in that dialog. [Macro writers can use a single macro command to find the name of the template the current document is based on: Messagebox(;;?CurrentTemplate).]
  • Template macros don't play? Here's how to enable them.
    • If a template macro does not play automatically, such as when you attempt to use WordPerfect Projects that contain them, template macros may have been turned off by a user in response to a program message. [Another reason: the template might be unavailable to "trigger" a template macro in the current document. See Footnote 6.]
      • According to the Corel Knowledgebase (http://corel.force.com/index), "When a template is opened which contains a PerfectScript® template macro, a dialog is presented asking if the user wishes to disable the macros in the document. If you answered [in the affirmative and also] enabled the "Do not show this message again" option [with] 'Yes,' you will be unable to use any template macros within WordPerfect.. . ." See article 3872 - How do I restore the template macro prompt dialog after hiding it? at the above site for the solution [repeated below for convenience]. 
        • [Also see Kenneth Hobson's macro solution here to restore the Registry setting that displays that dialog.]
      • [From Corel Answer ID 758276 (now Article 3872):]
      • "How do I restore the template macro prompt dialog after hiding it?
      • Details:
      • When a template is opened which contains a PerfectScript® template macro, a dialog is presented asking if the user wishes to disable the macros in the document. If you answered [in the affirmative and also] enabled the "Do not show this message again" option [with] 'Yes,' you will be unable to use any template macros within WordPerfect
      • When opening templates which contain PerfectScript® projects in WordPerfect, some options may not work or may not be shown if the template macros are disabled. If you are not prompted on opening a template containing macros, you may need to reenable the template macros.
      • Answer:
      • If you are not prompted when using a template which contains macros you can follow these directions to restore the prompts to factory default:
      • Please read this article prior to performing these steps.
      • 1. Close all applications, including WordPerfect.
        2. Click Start, Run.
        3. In the Open text box, type: Regedit and click OK.
        This will launch the Windows Registry.
        4. Click File, Export (or Registry, Export)
        5. In the text box, Save in: select My Documents or Desktop.
        6. Towards the bottom where it says File Name: type CorelBackup
        7. Below to the left, under Export Range, select All and click Save.
        8. The cursor will change to an hour glass and will return to a pointed arrow
        9. Click the + to the left of HKey_Current_User
        10. Click the + to the left of Software
        11. Click the + to the left of Corel
        12. Click the + to the left of WordPerfect
        13. Click the + next to your version number of WordPerfect.
        14. Right-Click on "HideDialogs" and select Delete.
        15. Click Yes on the confirmation dialog.
        16. Close the Registry Editor with the X in the upper right corner.
        17. Relaunch WordPerfect.
      • WordPerfect will now prompt you when you open a Template containing template macros." [Copyright © 2008 Corel Corporation.]
    • Now, when that message does display again (e.g., when you try to open the same template Project again), answer No to the question about disabling PerfectScript macros; then you can also answer No to "Do not show this message again."

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Related pages and tips

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Disclaimer, Distribution, and Privacy Policies

Footnote 1

When you have multiple versions of WordPerfect installed on the same computer: 

If you have renamed your default template and/or you have several versions of WordPerfect installed on the same computer, you will have several "Create a blank document" files listed in File, New from Project. 

Each file belongs to its own copy of the default template or its own version of WordPerfect, but you can change the displayed name in the Project list to make them easier to find and edit.

Try one of these methods:

  • To change the listed name to another name: Simply click on File, New from Project, then right-click the filename, choose Project Properties, and edit the Display Name. (The actual filename is shown in the field, "Project filename.") You can use the actual filename as the Display name (e.g., "wp13us.wpt") or simply add a version number to the display name (e.g., "Create a blank document 13").
    • Note that you will have to do this in each version of WordPerfect you have installed on your computer, since each Project list (the Projects.usr file) is stored with its own version of WordPerfect.

-or -

  • To change the listed name to the actual Windows filename (but without the .wpt extension): Edit the template File, New from Project, then right-click the filename, choose Project Properties, and choose Edit WP Template. When the template opens, click the Description button on the template toolbar, and delete the contents of the Template Description dialog. Save the template, and then refresh the Project list with File, New from Project, Options, Refresh Projects.
    • Note that, to be on the safe side, you probably should not do this for templates created in another version of Wordperfect. Use the first renaming method above for those templates.

[Thanks to Roy "lemoto" Lewis in a post here at WordPerfect Universe for the first tip, and Noal Mellot in his post here for the second tip.]

Footnote 2

Advanced tip: You can import other "objects" -- customized keyboards, toolbars, menus, styles, etc. -- from another template (if they are not already present in the new template) with the Copy/Remove Object button on the Template toolbar.

First, back up the target template you wish to modify.

Second, if the source template is not already in the same directory/folder as the current default template (or any other "target" template you wish to modify), then copy it there with Windows Explorer or Windows Computer. The location of the default template folder will be indicated in Tools, Settings, Files, Template. You should rename the source (e.g., MyOldDefaultTemplate.wpt) before copying it so it will not conflict with an existing template of the same name. (The source template needs to be in the same folder as the target template.)

Third, open the target template for editing. [See Method 2 above for complete steps.] When it opens, simply click the Copy/Remove button on the Template toolbar that should be visible (it will have these buttons: Build Prompts...; Copy/Remove Object...; Associate...; and Description....) Then choose the "Template to copy from" (the source), and then choose the "Object type" (i.e., Styles). Select one or more objects, and click Copy to import them. Click Close when finished, then Save the template.

  • Save and back up the target template before importing objects. This is especially important if you have spent a lot of time customizing the new template before importing other objects into it.
  • As noted, the template to be copied from must be in the same folder on your system where the custom template is located. This is an often overlooked step.
  • Some Styles available in the old template can be either normal format styles or outline styles. WordPerfect doesn't tell you which type of style they are in the Copy/Remove Template Objects dialog's Styles list, but when you copy them to the new template they will show up in the new template in the appropriate place (either the Format, Styles menu, or the Insert, Outline... menu, respectively).

Footnote 3

More on using the Format, Font dialog:

The Format, Font dialog has a Settings button that allows you to "Set the font and point size as the default for all document." If you use it I believe you might have similar problems to those explained above ("Note: I do not recommend using ...").

This particular dialog might have been "inherited" from WordPerfect 8 and earlier versions, and while it might have worked well in those versions, it probably should not be used in recent versions of WordPerfect to set the default font and font size for future (new) documents. See Method 1 above, which uses File, Document, Current Document Style to set the default font and font size for all new documents.

[To add one final -- if esoteric -- blow to using this Format, Font dialog: Some users have discovered that clicking in the "+" symbol in the Font list in that dialog lets you choose a "sub-font" or "sub-face" such as Times New Roman Italic or Times New Roman Bold. Applying italics or bold this way is problematic since their format codes cannot be easily found and replaced globally -- even with a macro such as Replace Codes by Ron Hirsch (which can replace one format code with another, and even augment format codes). Instead, you should apply font attributes such as italics and bold with the Text property bar on the main document screen, or use the shortcut keys of Ctrl+I and Ctrl+B on selected text. This issue was discussed on WordPerfect Universe some time ago: see http://www.wpuniverse.com/vb/showth...96705#post96705 and preceding/following posts.]

Footnote 4

A kink in the Template Road: For arcane (and not well understood) reasons, if you start a new WordPerfect document from Windows (e.g., by right-clicking on the Windows desktop and selecting New, WordPerfect document) rather than from WordPerfect's File, New menu, it will create the new document based on a separate file (wordpfct.wpd) which only acts like a template, rather than create it from the usual default template, as explained above. The [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code will be missing.

[Another bit of arcana related to this initial format code was recently discovered with WordPerfect X5: Using a macro in a global search/replace routine for all [Open Style] codes will delete the initial code as well. It is better to use a routine that starts searching just after the initial code before it replaces any of these particular codes.]

See the WordPerfect Universe post starting here -- and read the links in the posts about the discoveries made and the recommendations offered. Probably the most important recommendation is to always open documents the traditional way, with File, New from the WordPerfect menu, if at all possible. That way, you are sure to be using the default template that is set in Tools, Settings, Files, Template -- the one that passes downstream to the new, blank file any customizations you may have made to that template (default font, page margins, etc.).

Advanced user tip: 

See also a method in a WordPerfect Universe pose here by member Larry Lewis that makes a change to the Windows Registry so that "the template that gets opened when you create a NEW WORDPERFECT DOCUMENT from the Right-Click menu of Windows Explorer" or Windows desktop is the same default template you use when opening a new document using WordPerfect's File> New. 

[Copied and annotated here for convenience; obviously always back up the Windows Registry before editing it!]

First, get the [full] Path and Filename of your current default Document Template.
This is the same Path and Filename that is listed under:
Tools > Settings > Files > Template tab > Default template
(Note: If you copy it you can paste it into Regedit. [N.B.: You will need to add the template
name to the end of that copied string; see the note in the last step below.])

Open Regedit:

Click on ''HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT'' to expand it.

Navigate down to ''.wpd'' and Click on it.

Locate and Click on ''WPxxDoc'' (where ''xx'' is your version number) (WPx6 is ''WP16Doc'').

Under ''WPxxDoc'', Click on ''ShellNew''.

As you click on ''ShellNew'', in the Right-Pane locate ''FileName''.

[Double-]Click on ''FileName''. [N.B.: On a typical Windows 7 system using WPX6, it should show a path like c:\Program Files (x86)\Corel\WordPerfect Office X6\Shared\ShellNew\WordPerfect.wpd]

In the pop-up, click on ''Modify...''

In the ''Edit String'' dialog that pops up, in the box under ''Value data'', enter the FULL PATH and FILENAME to your default template. [N.B.: For a typical U.S. language edition of WPX6 the FILENAME will be "wpUSxx.wpt" where "xx" is your version number, such as 16 for WPX6.]

Close Regedit.

Footnote 5

Is there a quicker or easier way to create a custom template (than the method described above)?

Yes. You can simply create a normal document with the usual .wpd filename extension, save it, and then rename it with a .wpt filename extension. Choose it in the File, Open dialog and it will spawn a duplicate of itself, just like any other template.

Disadvantages:

A small disadvantage here is the template could then be located almost anywhere -- which might not be optimal for some folks, such as those in an office where machines might be shared. The traditional methods described above for creating a custom template will automatically create an entry in the File, New from Project list, and place it physically along with other custom templates. This might make it a bit easier to use or edit. (Of course, you can always use Windows Explorer to move the template to the disk location used for any desired Project category. You can then access it the same as other Projects, as explained above.)

Another disadvantage is inherent in the method itself: To edit the template later and make changes you will need to (1) locate it, (2) rename it back to a normal document with a .wpd filename extension, (3) edit it, (4) save it, and (5) rename it back to a template file with a .wpt extension.

Still another (potential disadvantage): See Footnote 6.

So if you used this file renaming method to create the template, you still might want to place the resulting template file in the same folder or sub-folder as your other WordPerfect template Projects so that you can easily edit it without having to go through the file-finding-renaming-editing-renaming process. (When they are placed in that folder for the first time, simply Refresh the Project list with the File, New from Project, Option button.) Then to edit it just right-click on its name in the Project list, and choose "Edit WP Template."

Footnote 6

If you plan to share documents containing template macros with other WordPerfect users, take note of this:

If a template containing a template macro is set to be triggered by some event, note that the template macro
will only trigger in a document (.WPD) if the template (.WPT) is present, either in the original template folder or in
the default (parent) template folder. If WordPerfect cannot locate the template, the template macro will not play
even though it is embedded in the document itself, since the trigger specification is stored in the template, not in
the resulting document.

This can cause problems when sharing such automated documents with other WordPerfect users. Make sure
they also have the template that spawned the document and it is located in the same relative folder as the original.
[This might explain why template macros fail to automatically play in some documents if the original template has
been renamed, relocated, or removed.]

[A corollary: If you change or add a template macro in a template, all documents that were previously created with that particular template should -- if the template is present -- be able to run the revised (or new) template macro if they are set up to be triggered (or if they are manually played through the menu).]

Footnote 7

For those who are new to computers or to folder and file navigation using Windows Explorer (which is installed on all Windows PCs), here's an easy way to find your currently active default template so that you can rename it (if necessary).

1. In WordPerfect, click on Tools, Settings, Files, Template (tab).

2. The "Default template folder" field on that tab should be selected (i.e., the contents are highlighted in reverse color). If it is not selected, right-click in that field and choose Select All.

3. Copy the selected contents of that field to the Windows clipboard with Ctrl+c (or by right-clicking the selected field and choosing Copy).

4. Close the dialog and then close the WordPerfect program.

Before doing any other task that invloves the Windows clipboard, do the following:

5. Right-click on the Start Orb ("Start button") on your Windows desktop. Click on Open Windows Explorer. [Alternative:  Click Start, (All) Programs, Accessories (folder), Windows Explorer.]

6. In Windows Explorer, click in the top field -- in the empty space area to the right of the field's contents (the field shows the current path). Delete the contents of that field. (If you can't find an empty area in that field, try choosing "Computer" or "Desktop" from the left pane in Windows Explorer. This should shorten the displayed path in that field.)

7. In that field, paste the previously copied material (step #3) with Ctrl+v (or by right-clicking in that field and choosing Paste).

8. Press the Enter key. The folder containing the currently active default template should open in Windows Explorer. (You can click on the "Name" column heading to sort the items alphabetically.).

9. Scroll down to find the default template. It will have a name like wp16US.wpt -- assuming you are using WordPerfect X6 (i.e., version 16) and the US language version. (If you can't find it in the Windows Explorer window, see above.)

10. Rename the first part of the name; for example, rename wp16US.wpt to wp16USbackup.wpt. (You can rename the file by clicking on its name to choose it, then use Windows Explorer's File menu to Rename it. Or you can just right-click on the file's name and choose Rename from the context menu that appears.)

When you next reopen WordPerfect, it will automatically create a new factory fresh (i.e., unmodified) version of the default template in that folder. You can then copy (transfer) various customizations from the backed up version into this new template file, as described above.

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