A TBX starter file for experimentation

starter7.tbx (266.8 KB) New updated v8 version: starter7.tbx (266.8 KB) - see later post below as to changes.

This is the current version of my ‘starter’ file concept. The TBX contains notes about what is in the doc. I keep a copy in my Tinderbox ‘favorites’ folder. When you’ve placed the document there, in finder open the TBX’s file info and tick the ‘stationery file’ box:

This mean that when you open the file from the Tinderbox File menu → Open Favorites…, Tinderbox will open a new copy of the file.

This document doesn’t do anything as such. Rather it makes it easy to run quick tests. This is especially useful for action/export code, enabling text and exploration of ideas before implementing them in real working documents.

If you use the stationery file method above, it is thus simple to open a ‘new’ starter file, test an idea and then delete the file. No accretion of “test.tbx”, “test (final) copy1.tbx” files clogging your hard drive. As you work with a copy, the original remains unchanged.

Why ‘starter7’?
This document started out as a concept some years back, before we had the sandbox group of attributes and the current simple methods for built-in templates, composites, etc. I re-wrote it for v6 when the UI changed to the single window/multi-tab layout. For v7, I added some composites. Anyway, the file should work with v6+ (and even v5).

Make it your own
By all means customise the file. Add/Delete notes and tabs pertinent to your style of use. If you’re using the file as a stationery file (see above), un-tick that OS setting before you make any changes and remember to re-tick it when done.

7 Likes

Wonderful suggestion! I’ve been customizing every new file and this will especially come in handy when I just need a clean slate to work things out. It’ll also save me time and also help me to grow my custom default state as my ideas evolve. Thanks Mark!

2 Likes

That’s a really good point. Using the same concept as the starter file above, you can just as easily make a file, pre-customised for the way you work - tabs, views, prototypes (even if only for setting key attributes). Set as a stationery file (same way as above), you can have a customised ‘new’ file.

Before anyone asks - you can’t map the ‘new file’ command to use such a file, but it’s no big effort to pop open your ‘Open Favourites’ file.

UPDATED for v8! See: starter8.tbx (268.8 KB)

I deleted and re-added all the built-in prototypes and templates. I’ve reset the default HTML template as HTML5 and made a few other tweaks. But, it is essentially the same as before but minus the odd unexpected difference compared to the current app.

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@mwra
I am so happy about your “gift”. Thanks a lot.
Your idea to give us a template / starter file is great.
Thank you very much for that.
I am blown away by your contribution. :high_brightness:
I can’t believe it.

Thank you especially for doing this - and for everything else too.

1 Like

Wow! This looks great! Thanks!

Yes! Thanks!
Pardon the Newbee question:

I was just starting out to try and discover about templates.
In what way is this method different than using this file as a template?

Thanks for clarifying!

Some terms in computing have multiple meanings, depending on context. Usage can be confusing. “Template” is one of those words.

In Tinderbox, a “Template” is normally a note that contains information that is used when formatting other notes for Preview or Export. We tell Tinderbox a note is a “Template” in the Properties Inspector’s “Prototype” tab:

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A more generic use of the word “template” is to say that something is a “starting point” or “guide”. That’s the meaning in @Lupo’s post where they say “your idea to give us a template / starter file is great”.

1 Like