Using templates and applying them to notes

[JS7319 1]

Hello!

I've created a list of monthly priorities for myself in a tabular format and want to apply this into other notes as a template. I've figured out how to do this (by saving the monthly tasks as a template and then applying it to said note), however, I'm finding that if I update the template of tasks from the main template, any changes don't carry forward when I'm adding this template into note after I've made the changes. 

 

So for example, if I add a new task to my template, and then create a note, add this template into that note, I cannot see this change. I can only see the template how it was when I saved it as a template - not changes are carried forward.

How can I get Evernote to carry changes over into future notes after when I've made the change? 

[agsteele 2,953]

I'm not absolutely clear how you are attempting this process. 

I think I'd create a note that you might use as a template but, instead of saving this in your  Templates, save this as a Master Note.  Now, when you open the Master Note use the ability to duplicate the Master.  This will give you a note you can work with - change the name etc.  It will also retain all the tasks in the Master copy.

Note, though, that the tasks in the Master will appear in the task pop out from the sidebar.

A neater method might be to create your Master note and then export it as an ENEX file and store it somewhere on your computer.  When you need to create a copy based on this Master you then import it by opening the notebook you wish to store the note in and then dragging and dropping the ENEX file into the sidebar.  The Master will appear in your notebook which you can work with. Meanwhile your Master remains in the ENEX file and can be imported as many times as you wish.  One point ot note is that the created date and updated date will be whatever the Master version had.  The updated date will change as soon as you edit the new copy.

[gazumped 11,699]

2 hours ago, JS7319 said:

If I add a new task to my template, and then create a note, add this template into that note

I think the problem is that you are (or seem to be) adding a template after you created a note.  Templates are meant to act as layout guides for new notes.  They cannot be applied to existing notes.

[JS7319 1]

16 hours ago, agsteele said:

I'm not absolutely clear how you are attempting this process. 

I think I'd create a note that you might use as a template but, instead of saving this in your  Templates, save this as a Master Note.  Now, when you open the Master Note use the ability to duplicate the Master.  This will give you a note you can work with - change the name etc.  It will also retain all the tasks in the Master copy.

Note, though, that the tasks in the Master will appear in the task pop out from the sidebar.

A neater method might be to create your Master note and then export it as an ENEX file and store it somewhere on your computer.  When you need to create a copy based on this Master you then import it by opening the notebook you wish to store the note in and then dragging and dropping the ENEX file into the sidebar.  The Master will appear in your notebook which you can work with. Meanwhile your Master remains in the ENEX file and can be imported as many times as you wish.  One point ot note is that the created date and updated date will be whatever the Master version had.  The updated date will change as soon as you edit the new copy.

How do I create a Master Note - I can't see this in any of the options? It appears that it might works similar to if I were to duplicate a normal note, however? 

The ENEX option might be possible, but I might decide to use this template on my tablet, so I'd like the option to have this particular note or template in the cloud and within the platform itself. 

Ultimately, I don't mind duplicating the note itself and then changing the title etc as I like, but thought I'd explore the template functionality first as it's a one or two click approach to add content from a template easily.

15 hours ago, gazumped said:

I think the problem is that you are (or seem to be) adding a template after you created a note.  Templates are meant to act as layout guides for new notes.  They cannot be applied to existing notes.

I made a small edit to the note I wanted to turn into a template, saved it as a template, created a new note and added this template content to the note. I could see the edit I had made in this new note. However, when I went back to the original note (which I used to create the template) and created a new edit, then created another note and added the template content, Evernote showed me the earlier version with the original change. It looks like Evernote works by taking a snapshot of content that is saved as a template, but not syncing any changes if they were made to the original content from which the template was made from. 

Now that I know this, I wonder whether the duplicate method would be the best for me - as I want to implement any changes to any notes going forward to have an updated list of tasks.

[PinkElephant 8,174]

There is no master note function.

Create a note, mod it to your liking, then place it in the shortcuts for rapid use.

If you want several, create a notebook holding them and point a shortcut at that notebook.

This works for all plans. Subscribers can save up to 20 notes as own templates as well.

Duplicate note will be complete with tags, templates can’t carry tags.

An ENEX file that imports as a new note is another alternative, but IMHO it offers no advantage over a note. The only positive is you can send or share it as a file, and whoever receives it can create a copy in his own account.