# Templates and tab placeholders

**URL:** <https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/templates-and-tab-placeholders/4149>\
**Category:** Features\
**Created:** [2 November 2019 12:16 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/templates-and-tab-placeholders/4149 "2019-11-02T12:16:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![boring10](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/boring10/32/1684_2.png) [@boring10](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/boring10)\
**Post date:** [2 November 2019 12:16 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/templates-and-tab-placeholders/4149/1 "2019-11-02T12:16:04Z")

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Would it be possible to create templates that have tab placeholders that can be used? See [https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/userdefinedsnippets#\_snippet-syntax](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/userdefinedsnippets#_snippet-syntax) for reference.

I’m fairly certain that this would not be a small feature but I think that it would really give templates a huge value boost because you can quickly create a template and tab through it to fill out information. For instance, you can have a recipe template that you can quickly tab to the next section to complete. I also could see this being popular if you are wanting to keep meeting notes with clients or things like that.

```auto
**Source:** $1

**Ingredients**

- [] $2

---

**Directions**

1. $3

**Notes:**
$4

---

**Nutrition**

- $5

```

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**Author:** ![CalebJohn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/calebjohn/32/356_2.png) [@CalebJohn](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/CalebJohn)\
**Post date:** [3 November 2019 03:38 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/templates-and-tab-placeholders/4149/2 "2019-11-03T03:38:45Z")

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Would it be sufficient to have the same functionality in a form? So for example, when you create a note from template, you would be prompted about each of those 5 categories?

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**Author:** ![boring10](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/boring10/32/1684_2.png) [@boring10](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/boring10)\
**Post date:** [3 November 2019 12:12 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/templates-and-tab-placeholders/4149/3 "2019-11-03T12:12:36Z")

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That would work. I imagine that an implementation like that would be far easier than trying to change the markdown editor itself.

Would it be better to have this as a setting to be enabled or for it to automatically be enabled depending on the contents of the template?

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**Author:** ![CalebJohn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/calebjohn/32/356_2.png) [@CalebJohn](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/CalebJohn)\
**Post date:** [3 November 2019 16:29 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/templates-and-tab-placeholders/4149/4 "2019-11-03T16:29:14Z")

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I think just enabling it depending on the contents of the markdown would work.

This is still not a minor change, so it might be awhile before there is any progress on it. But I would like to do something like this at some point.

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**Author:** ![boring10](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex028/user_avatar/discourse.joplinapp.org/boring10/32/1684_2.png) [@boring10](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/u/boring10)\
**Post date:** [4 November 2019 23:00 UTC](https://discourse.joplinapp.org/t/templates-and-tab-placeholders/4149/5 "2019-11-04T23:00:22Z")

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@CalebJohn I didn’t think it would be anything that is implemented soon but I was hoping that it would make it on a roadmap for Joplin. I appreciate that you are at considering this!