soleprint/docs/data/en/atlas-templates.md

Atlas Templates

A template is a documentation pattern. It defines the structure that content must follow. Templates turn unstructured knowledge into consistent, browsable documentation.

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How Templates Work

A template defines fields, layout, and validation rules. Content that follows the template gets rendered through Atlas with consistent formatting and navigation.

Templates live in soleprint/atlas/templates/ (core) or inside a book's template/ subdirectory.

Data templates -- the schema files that define structure -- live in cfg/<room>/data/template/.

The Feature Form Example

The feature form template captures user flows in a structured format:

Field	Purpose
User Type	Who performs this flow
Entry Point	Where the flow starts
User Goal	One-sentence objective
Steps	Numbered sequence of actions
Expected Result	What success looks like
Common Problems	Known failure modes
Special Cases	Edge cases and exceptions
Related Flows	Connected user flows
Technical Notes	Developer-facing details

This template is served at /book/feature-form-samples/template/ as a styled HTML form with placeholder fields. Non-technical team members can understand the structure without reading code.

Depots and Larders

A depot is data storage connected to a template. In Atlas, the depot pattern is called a larder -- a directory that holds content conforming to a template.

The connection works like this:

Template (structure)  +  Larder (data)  =  Templated Book

A larder directory contains a .larder marker file and organizes content in subdirectories. For feature forms, the larder groups entries by user type:

feature-form/
├── .larder
├── pet-owner/
│   ├── register-pet.html
│   └── book-appointment.html
├── veterinarian/
│   └── review-history.html
└── backoffice/
    └── manage-users.html

Each file in the larder follows the template's field structure. Atlas renders them through a detail view that reads the content and applies consistent styling.

The Larder Pattern

Larders enforce a constraint: all content in a larder must match the connected template. This keeps documentation consistent even when multiple people contribute.

The landing page of a templated book links to both:

• The template -- so you can see the pattern
• The larder -- so you can browse the actual content

This separation means the template can evolve independently from the data. Update the template, and all larder entries get the new rendering.

Adding a Template

1. Define the template structure (HTML or markdown) in soleprint/atlas/templates/ or inside a book's template/ directory
2. Create a larder directory with a .larder marker
3. Add content files that follow the template structure
4. Register the book in books.json with template metadata
5. Add routes in main.py for the landing page, template view, and larder browser