Saving a Forms tool as a template

You can save a Groove Forms Tool as a template, and then add it as a new tool in other workspaces. This allows you to capture a Forms tool application's design objects (all defined forms, fields, views, macros, scripts, and so on), without also including data records. It also provides a way for Forms designers to distribute Forms applications as new workspace tools.

Tip: You can lock the design of the Forms tool application before you save it as a template. Use this feature if you want to prevent others from updating the design in workspaces they create using the template.

Select the Forms tool you want.
Select File - Save Tool As - Template.
In the Save As dialog box, select a disk location to place the new tool or accept the default location, and click Save.

If you accept the default location (the Groove Tool Templates folder in My Documents), the new tool will be listed in the More Tools list (select File - New - Tool - More Tools...). If you place the list in another location, you can select it by browsing (select File - New - Tool - Browse...).
If you want, set password information in the Template Options dialog box, and click OK.

About distributing Forms tool templates

A Forms tool templates is simply a data file, with a *.gta file extension. As such, you can distribute it to other Groove users just as you would for any other data file. For example, you can send it as an email attachment, a Groove message attachment, place it in a Groove Files tool, or place it on a file server or Web site.

To assist other users, you might provide instructions on where to place the Forms template file, such as the folder location (the Groove Tool Templates folder in My Documents) that will allow the tool template to display in users' More Tools list.