diff --git a/scripts/datamodel-doc/ALICEO2codeFile.py b/scripts/datamodel-doc/ALICEO2codeFile.py
index cfbacb7a0189c..a5f861280d00b 100644
--- a/scripts/datamodel-doc/ALICEO2codeFile.py
+++ b/scripts/datamodel-doc/ALICEO2codeFile.py
@@ -99,7 +99,23 @@ def parseContent(self, content):
     inds = [i for i, x in enumerate(words) if x.txt == 'template']
     for ind in inds:
       line = O2DMT.block(words[ind:])
-      tempBlock = O2DMT.lineInBrackets("{","}",line,True)
+      
+      # templates can come without {} block!
+      # find out what comes first '{' or ';'
+      if ';' in line:
+        ci = line.index(';')
+        o1 = ci+1
+        if '{' in line:
+          o1 = line.index('{')
+        if ci < o1:
+          tempBlock = line[:ci]
+        else:
+          [oi, ci] = O2DMT.findInBrackets("{","}",line)
+          tempBlock = line[:ci]
+      else:
+        [oi, ci] = O2DMT.findInBrackets("{","}",line)
+        tempBlock = line[:ci]
+      
       if len(tempBlock) == 0:
         continue
         
@@ -108,7 +124,9 @@ def parseContent(self, content):
       argWords = tempLine.split(',')
       tempArgs = list()
       for arg in argWords:
-        tempArgs.append(arg.split()[-1])
+        kvpair = arg.split()
+        if len(kvpair) == 2:
+          tempArgs.append(kvpair[-1])
       
       # find struct within tempBlock
       tempWords = O2DMT.split(tempBlock)
@@ -133,7 +151,6 @@ def parseContent(self, content):
       # update restLine
       eob = nchFullLine - len(line)
       restLine += fullLine[sob:eob]
-      [oi, ci] = O2DMT.findInBrackets("{","}",line)
       sob = eob+ci+1
     
     # update restLine
diff --git a/scripts/datamodel-doc/ALICEO2dataModelTools.py b/scripts/datamodel-doc/ALICEO2dataModelTools.py
index f41076434cf03..458edafb1dbf5 100644
--- a/scripts/datamodel-doc/ALICEO2dataModelTools.py
+++ b/scripts/datamodel-doc/ALICEO2dataModelTools.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 import sys
+import regex as re
 import numpy as np
 import nltk
 
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ def expandLine(self, line):
           for ind1 in range(len(self.vars)):
             for ind2 in range(len(words)):
               if self.vars[ind1].strip() in words[ind2]:
-                words[ind2] = vars[ind1].strip()
+                words[ind2] = re.sub(self.vars[ind1].strip(), vars[ind1].strip(), words[ind2])
           expandedLine = block(words)
 
       # remove ##, which connects two strings
@@ -172,10 +173,10 @@ def countBrackets(obr, cbr, line):
 # find text in closed brackets
 # number of closing brackets matches the number of previously opening brackets
 #   obr/cbr: openening/closing brackets
-#            brackets can include more than on character
+#            brackets can include more than one character
 #   line: string
-#   withheader: all textfrom the beginning  until closing brackets match
-# return modified line and int stat
+#   withheader: all text from the beginning until closing brackets match
+# return begin/end position of brackets
 
 def findInBrackets(obr, cbr, line):
   newline = ''