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Creating Templates Overview Calculator

Overview

What makes PowerOne so powerful is just how easy it is to create templates. Templates intermix text, variables and equations into a single document. You control how your templates are presented to you and others.
In short, creating a template is as simple as writing declarative sentences explaining what you want. PowerOne generally figures out what you meant and, if it is wrong, gives you the option of correcting it.
This document is designed as a brief introduction to creating a template and navigating the editor.

Accessing the Editor

There are two methods for creating a template. The first is to start one from scratch. To do so on the web, select **New Template** in the navigation bar within your [https://.../t/help_templatelist | template list]:
[https://poweronecalc.s3.amazonaws.com/help/template_new.png | new template]
On iOS, show the [https://.../t/help_templatelist | template list], select [icon--app-new | new template web], and then **Create New Template**:
[https://poweronecalc.s3.amazonaws.com/help/template_new_ios.png | new template iOS]
The second method is to duplicate an existing template. To duplicate a template, select a template you'd like to change, select [icon--app-more | extras menu] then **Duplicate**. We are going to focus on creating new templates throughout this document.

Adding a Title

The next step when creating a template is to give it a title and optional icon:
On iPhone or iPad:
[https://poweronecalc.s3.amazonaws.com/help/template_new_title_ios.png | new iPhone/iPad template title view]
On the web:
[https://poweronecalc.s3.amazonaws.com/help/template_new_title.png | new web template title view]
On the web, the title appears in the navigation bar with a blue border around it while editing. On iOS it is available via **[icon--app-more | extras menu]** then **Settings**. Icons are also available via Settings. They can be changed at any time.

Navigating the Editor

[https://poweronecalc.s3.amazonaws.com/help/template_new_empty_ios.png 50% | iPhone/iPad editor]
The iOS editor has 7 basic components:
#. ++**Editor**++: Source is displayed and modified here.
#. ++**Change Editor Height**++: Select to expand or contract the area dedicated to the editor.
#. ++**Symbols**++: Display a list of symbols and math functions to be used when creating templates, indicated by 7.
#. ++**Type**++: The row's type or assumed type while creating a row. Select to change the row's type. Options will appear where symbols are indicated (7).
#. ++**Details**++: Additional options associated with the currently edited row.
#. ++**[icon--app-check | accept button]**++: Select to accept a row's source changes.
#. ++**Symbols/Types**++: List of Symbols or Types, depending on whether 3 or 4 is selected above.
In addition, select [icon--app-more | extras menu] then **Settings** to change the template's title.
[https://poweronecalc.s3.amazonaws.com/help/template_new_empty.png | web editor]
The web editor has eight basic components:
#. ++**Title**++: On the web, edit the title by selecting it and making any changes. Select return or focus the cursor elsewhere to finish editing.
#. ++**Done**++: Hide the editor.
#. ++**Editor**++: Source is displayed and modified here.
#. ++**[icon--app-more | extras menu]**++: Select to display extra options.
#. ++**Type**++: The row's type or assumed type while creating a row.
#. ++**Details**++: Additional options associated with the currently edited row.
#. ++**[icon--app-check | accept button]**++: Select to accept a row's source changes.
#. ++**New Row**++: Select to create a new row.
Note that the editor, type, details, and [icon--app-check | accept button] appear at the top of the page in standard web browsers and inline when selecting a row on mobile devices and browsers.

Creating Template Basics

In short, a template is a collection of [https://.../t/help_variables | variables], [https://.../t/help_equations | equations], and [https://.../t/help_text | text] rows. Variables are named values and equations describe the relationship between those variables. Text rows are then used to add presentation and/or documentation elements to your template.
The easiest way to create a template is to give PowerOne an equation and let it figure out the variables for you. PowerOne will automatically add rows with those variables. To start our first template, enter the following equation in the editor:
Here is what the editor should look like:
[https://poweronecalc.s3.amazonaws.com/help/template_new_equation.png | editor with equation]
There are a few things worth mentioning:
#. On iOS tap the editor or **New Row** to start editing. On the web start typing in a blank editor. This will automatically create a new row at the bottom of the template.
#. The variables within the template are highlighted. This is indicating to you which variables PowerOne will create. In this case three variables: Loan Amount, Home Price, and Down Payment. PowerOne, when creating variables, assumes math symbols are separate from the variables. This can be changed by pre-creating your variables.
#. **Type** indicates **equation?**. This means that PowerOne thinks that the editor is populated by an equation but it isn't certain yet and won't until you choose an option from the list or move to the next row.
Finally, select the **[icon--app-check | accept button]** to accept the equation as is and create your first template:
[https://poweronecalc.s3.amazonaws.com/help/template_new_variables.png | template showing variables and equation]
On iOS select **Done** to start playing with your template. On the web you can also start playing with it right here in the editor. Notice that equations hide when you select Done. Equations do not remain visible to those who use templates.
Try entering a 100,000 Loan Amount with a Down Payment of 20. Home Price will automatically calculate. (Before continuing make sure you are in the editor. Select **Edit** if you previously selected Done.)

Modifying Rows

Let's make the template more readable and easier to use. Home Price and Loan Amount are always reported as currencies. It would be nice to show a currency symbol on these rows. Furthermore, Down Payment isn't very clear. It would be nice to know that it is expected as a percentage.
Let's start with Home Price. To add a currency symbol to this row, select the row itself then change the Home Price source to the following (changes are highlighted):
You can use any of these currency symbols here: $, €, £, ¤, ¥, ฿, ₡, ₨, ₩, ₪, ₫, ₭, ₮, ₱, ₴, ₹, ₺, or ₽. PowerOne will automatically adjust the currency symbol to the one the template user picked in her Profile settings.
Select the next row or tab on your keyboard to move to the next row down. (You can also select shift-tab to go to the next row up.)
Next, change Down Payment's source to the following (changes are highlighted):
This time click on the Loan Amount row to display its source and change it to the following:
Finally, select the **[icon--app-check | accept button]** to complete editing.
We have one other change we need to make. While currency is specifically visual, percent actually changes the mathematics. When a variable uses %, PowerOne will automatically convert the value by dividing by 100 and when calculated will automatically multiply by 100. Because of this we need to adjust our equation by removing the % after Down Payment:
Try entering $150,000 for Loan Amount and see it calculate a new Home Price.

Setting Details

Each row has a unique set of options. For instance, you can choose whether a variable row is visible to the template user (yes by default), whether that row is read-only, and whether sharing results should include the row.
Variables, equations and text rows each have different options and those settings can be reached by selecting the desired row to edit then **details** directly below the editor.
In our case, it would be nice to show a fixed number of decimal places for each of our variables. Generally, currency amounts are shown with two decimal places and percentages three. To change the decimal places for Home Price:
#. Select the Home Price row so it is visible in the editor.
#. Select the **details** button directly below the editor.
#. Change **Decimals** to 2.
#. Save.
You can repeat the process for Down Payment (set to 3 places) and Loan Amount (set to 2 places).
[https://poweronecalc.s3.amazonaws.com/help/template_decimalplaces.png | template]
Note that there are two options for setting the decimal places: 1) the method described here; and 2) in the **Settings** via [icon--app-more | extras menu]. The method described here is a permanent setting available for each row for all users of the template. The method in the Settings is an override for an individual template user to see more or less decimal places for the entire template.

Solving

Let's look at the template in more depth. Notice that some rows are white (Home Price and Down Payment) and some are grey (Loan Amount). Furthmore, notice that some buttons to the left of each row are blue (Loan Amount) and others are grey (Home Price and Down Payment).
[https://poweronecalc.s3.amazonaws.com/help/template_new_indicators.png | template]
By default when you add an equation, PowerOne assumes that you only want to calculate the variable to the left of the equals sign in each equation. That's why Loan Amount is the only row with an active [icon--app-equals-known | known value] button. Furthermore, Loan Amount is never used in an equation as a calculated value and thus appears as a grey, read-only row.
It may be handy, however, to also calculate Home Price and Down Payment. To do so:
#. Select the equation row.
#. Select **details**.
#. Scroll to the bottom and check both Home Price and Down Payment.
#. Select **Done** in the details view.
#. Select **[icon--app-check | accept button]**.
Now notice how the template's read-only rows and state buttons have changed. Modifying Loan Amount to $150,000 will ask whether you want to calculate Home Price or Down Payment by indicating with an active [icon--app-unknown-inverse | unknown or unsure] button on each row. Select Home Price's [icon--app-unknown-inverse | unknown or unsure] button to calculate that row.

State

Each template has two states: using the template and modifying the template. On iOS, those two states are separate. To edit a template you've created, select [icon--app-more | extras menu] then **Edit**. When finished editing, select **Done**.
On the web you can modify and test your template at the same time. When using the template, selecting a variable row like Home Price will display a keyboard. As long as you continue in this state, selecting variable rows will display keyboards and making changes to the template will cause calculations to occur.
Selecting the editor so the cursor appears within it, however, will switch to editing mode. When this happens, selecting rows will no longer show the keyboards but instead will keep you in editing mode for the next row. Changes to source will appear in the template as you type.
Also note that the buttons along the left-side of each row, which normally indicate the row known or unknown state, now turn into [icon--app-drag-vert] multi-select buttons. Hold and drag to move rows up and down or, when entering an equation, tap to add variables to the equation.
To return to the "using template" state, select [icon--app-check | accept changes button] or tap the currently selected row a second time. The currently selected row is indicated with a blue, vertical bar to the left of the row. Any connected rows are indicated with black bars in the same location:
[https://poweronecalc.s3.amazonaws.com/help/template_new_connected_rows.png | connected rows]

Connecting Equations

Expanding a template is as simple as adding additional variables and equations. While we can calculate Home Price, Down Payment as a percentage, or Loan Amount, Down Payment, it would be nice to know what the down payment amount is as well. We will use the following variable and equation, respectively:
We'd like the Down Amount variable to display directly below the Down Payment. We can either add the row to the bottom then hold and drag its row via [icon--app-drag-vert | multi-select button] to move it to its desired location or we can insert a new row directly. We are going to do the latter:
#. Select the Loan Amount row.
#. Select [icon--app-more | extras menu].
#. Choose **Insert Row**.
#. Enter the Down Amount variable as indicated above.
#. Select **[icon--app-check | accept changes button]**.
Now you have a new variable but need the new equation to calculate it. Equations can be anywhere in the template and will calculate in the order provided, top to bottom. In this case we will add the Down Amount equation to the bottom:
#. Select **New row...**
#. Enter the Down Amount equation as indicated above.
#. Select **[icon--app-check | accept changes button]**.
Select the Down Amount's [icon--app-unknown-inverse | unknown or unsure] to calculate the variable. In the future, calculating other rows will also update Down Amount.

Learning More

There are a lot of things you can do with templates. For instance, variables can be different types, not just numbers, can include descriptions and can be units where conversion happens for you automatically. Equations can use any of over 100 functions and even use data from external sources like currencies. And text rows can be added to improve readability or offer help.
Review the [https://.../help | Creating Templates] section for more details, including details about [https://.../t/help_variables | variables], [https://.../t/help_equations | equations], and [https://.../t/help_text | text] rows. And see [https://.../t/help_functions | Math Functions] for a complete list to help you with your equations.

Keywords

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Editor
Title
Create Template
Equation
Variables
Details
Solving