When you select a document template that prescribes a particular root element in the New Document Dialog and click the OK button, the new document will be created with this root element. For example, if you select Docbook 4.5 - Article, the article will be the root element.
There are cases when a particular root element is not prescribed and you are free to specify it yourself.
When you create a document without a schema, e.g. with the Default Template or with XHTML - Without Validation template, the Enter Root Element Dialog prompts you to type the root element name in the Root Element field.
When you select a document template that prescribes a schema but does not prescribe a particular root element , the Enter Root Element Dialog offers you to select the root element from the elements that are both permitted by the schema and listed in root-elements in the document template.
For example, if you select the template Docbook 4.5 - All, the Enter Root Element dialog will offer you a list of root elements listed in root-elements in the document template.
If you want to start the document with an element that is not on the root-elements list, check the Show All Elements checkbox. The list will show all the available elements in the schema.
Figure 3. Enter Root Element Dialog offering all elements of a schema.
When you create a document with schema validation but without a template (or when a template does not prescribe any root-elements), the Enter Root Element Dialog offers you to select the root element from all the available elements in the schema.
When you have specified the root element, click OK.
Once the document has been created, the only way to rename the root element is editing it in the Text mode.