The Basic Template Set is an early version of standard templates provided with DocFlex/Javadoc. Currently, it is superseded by “JavadocPro” template set. However, it is still included in both editions of DocFlex/Javadoc because it is simpler and requires less licensing (basically, it is free).

Using it, you can generate:

HTML JavaDoc (both framed and single file) with basic content: project overview, package summaries, class details.
RTF JavaDoc

The Basic Template Set consists of just 14 templates subdivided into two categories:

The main templates, which are designed to produce finished documentation and should be specified on the Javadoc command line or in the generator dialog. The main templates are located in 'templates/javadoc/' directory of the DocFlex/Javadoc installation.
The subsidiary templates (or subtemplates), which constitute a sort of library and are called from the main templates (as well as from each other) to generate fragments or separate files of the whole documentation. All subtemplates are contained in the 'templates/javadoc/lib/' directory of the DocFlex/Javadoc installation.

2. What you can generate with it

HTML Output

Framed HTML Documentation

Multi-framed HTML documentation can be generated with FramedDoc.tpl main template.

Single File HTML Documentation

The same entire documentation (above) can be equally generated as a single HTML file using PlainDoc.tpl main template.

RTF Output

Using PlainDoc.tpl main template, it is possible not only to generate a single file HTML. Simply, by switch the generator output format to “RTF”, the same template will produce a highest quality RTF file!

3. Template Set Overview

Main Templates

These are the templates to be specified on the Javadoc command line or in the generator dialog to produce a finished Java API documentation.

Template Description Called From

PlainDoc.tpl generates single-file documentation in any of the supported formats (HTML, RTF and TXT) generator (doclet)

FramedDoc.tpl generates framed hypertext documentation (HTML only) generator (doclet)

Subtemplates

Template	Description	Called From
init.tpl	creates element maps	PlainDoc.tpl, FramedDoc.tpl
*Subtemplates called to generate either big sections of single-file documentation or separate documents for the “detail” frame of framed HTML documentation*
overview-summary.tpl	generates the overview for the whole documentation	PlainDoc.tpl, FramedDoc.tpl
package-summary.tpl	generates a package overview (i.e. description, tags and summary tables of contained classes)	PlainDoc.tpl, FramedDoc.tpl
class.tpl	generates the detailed documentation for a class (i.e. class, interface, enum or annotation type)	PlainDoc.tpl, FramedDoc.tpl
*Subtemplates called to generate small fragments of the detailed documentation*
annotations.tpl	generates list of annotations (along with all related hyperlinks) of a package, class, member or constructor/method parameter	class.tpl, package-summary.tpl
inline-tag.tpl	processes most of the inline tags	class.tpl, overview-summary.tpl, package-summary.tpl
see-link.tpl	processes a user-defined cross-reference to related documentation	class.tpl, inline-tag.tpl, overview-summary.tpl, package-summary.tpl
about.tpl	prints the “about” information at the bottom of most of documents	PlainDoc.tpl, class.tpl, overview-summary.tpl, package-summary.tpl
*Subtemplates that generate separate reference files used only in framed HTML documentation*
overview-frame.tpl	generates the reference document for the whole documentation	FramedDoc.tpl
all-classes-frame.tpl	generates the reference document for all classes	FramedDoc.tpl
package-frame.tpl	generates the reference document for a package	FramedDoc.tpl
package-list.tpl	generates the `package-list` text file	FramedDoc.tpl

Template Parameters

Template parameters control the template set. In effect, they serve the role of command-line options provided by the Standard Doclet.

For further details, please see: DocFlex/Javadoc | Basic Templates | Parameters

4. Licensing

The Basic Template Set is free:

You can generate with it any documentation (in any supported format) and use it without limitation.
The same is extended to the templates derived from Basic Template Set (if you modify something). However, the modification itself must be done under an appropriate “DocFlex/Javadoc” license that covers the Template Designer included in the Full Edition.

5. Tips

Omitting package qualifiers

Since DocFlex/Javadoc, version 1.1, the provided basic templates include two additional parameters to suppress appearing package qualifiers in the generated documentation in such places like method parameters, field types and so on:

See the full description of those parameters at Basic Templates | Parameters | Descriptions of parameters.

Excluding classes/methods/fields with a custom tag/annotation

Since version 1.3, there is a new template parameter "Exclude by tags" (exclude.byTags), which since v1.5.1 has been split into several ones. Those parameters can be used to exclude from the generated documentation classes, fields and methods with specified tags. See the parameter description for more details.

Since version 1.5.2, to that was added a possibility to exclude everything by annotations. See "Exclude by annotations" parameter group (exclude.byAnns.*). Annotations are more cumbersome to use for that purpose. But they can be retained in the compiled classes. So the exclusion will work even when no corresponding Java source code is found on Javadoc source path.

Migrating to a new version of basic templates

This section is addressed to those our users who have a full commercial or academic license for DocFlex/Javadoc.

Suppose, some time ago you modified the basic templates according to your needs and since then have been (happily) using them. Now, you come to this web-site and notice that the latest version of DocFlex/Javadoc supports a host of new features, which might be interesting to you too (for instance, the full support of Java 5.0).

Of course, you can run your old templates with the new DocFlex Doclet version. But this won't make those new features automatically available to you. First, they must be applied in templates, which are the actual programs that generate everything. (See About DocFlex/Javadoc | Key Features | Template-driven doclet architecture)

So, now you need to migrate to the new basic template set and copy to there or replicate all your specific changes necessary for your work. What is the best way to do this?

The safest way would be to replicate all your changes on the new templates.

You may try to mix your old templates with the new ones. But keep in mind that we constantly change something from the version to version.

Some subtemplates depend on other templates that call them. Basically, there are two such dependencies:

The template parameters
The element maps

Especially this concerns element maps, which are a special kind of hash-tables adapted for DSM elements. Element maps help to resolve some very complex data-mining queries.

The basic template set is organized so that during the first steps each main template calls the init.tpl subtemplate, whose job is to create the element maps. All element maps are global. Further, they are used in many locations across the template set (especially, in class.tpl).

If the structure of some element maps is different from what is expected and used by a template, that template will work incorrectly (or not work at all)!

Note: Since v1.5.6, all basic templates also include the version number of the DocFlex/Javadoc release to which the particular template set belongs. This may help you to quickly recognize if you have inadvertently mixed the templates from different versions and because of this now experience errors and wrong working of your template application.
You can find the version in the 'APP_VER=...' line of each template as well as in the Template Designer | Template Properties Dialog | General tab | Template Application tab.