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October 1, 2009

The CaptureAsLongText Command

CaptureAsLongText and InsertFormattedText. The data capture interview will provide a multi-line control into which the data for the data element can be captured: «CaptureAsLongText(PropertyDescription)» If this long text is included in the document via a simple fillpoint (in the above example: «PropertyDescription»), then any line breaks which the user may

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The CaptureDataElement and CaptureDataElements Commands

The commands in XpressDox which control the format of the interview do typically not appear on the interview unless they are required in the template being run.  This mechanism allows, amongst others, the specification of all interview-layout commands in one template which is then included (with IncludeTemplate or IncludeCodeTemplate) by the templates requiring that

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The ChooseFromList Command

This is a command which will present the user (via the interview) with a list of options from which to choose the value of a data element rather than a free-format text field.   Command structure: I live in«ChooseFromList(State,Alabama,Alaska,Arizona,Arkansas,California,Colorado,Connecticut,Delaware,Florida,Georgia,Hawaii,Idaho,Illinois,Indiana,Iowa,Kansas,Kentucky,Louisiana,Maine,Maryland,Massachusetts,Michigan,Minnesota,Mississippi,Missouri,Montana,Nebraska,Nevada,New Hampshire,New Jersey,New Mexico,New York,North Carolina,North Dakota,Ohio,Oklahoma,Oregon,Pennsylvania,Rhode Island,South Carolina,South Dakota,Tennessee,Texas,Utah,Vermont,Virginia,Washington,West Virginia,Wisconsin,Wyoming)» «ToUpper(State)»

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ChooseFromRDBList

Present a list of choices to the user on the interview in the form of ‘Radio Buttons’.   Command structure: «ChooseFromRDBList(style,free,formal,semi-formal)»   Inserting a ChooseFromRDBList command into your template does not necessarily place the control onto the interview. If the value is not needed anywhere then the list will not

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ChooseFromRepeatingData – XpressDox

Present a drop-down list in your XpressDox template   This command will present a drop-down list of values in the interview. This is similar to the action of the ChooseFromList command, except that the values to be displayed are not provided at template authoring time, but are contained in the

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The ChooseFromSamples Command

Present a list of choices to the user, in a drop down list, except that in this case the user is permitted to type their own value and is not restricted to just the items in the list.   Command structure: «ChooseFromSamples(Salutation,Yours faithfully,Yours sincerely,Kind regards)»«Salutation»   In all other respects

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Working with Help

Often the name of a data element is descriptive enough to for a user to know what to enter when capturing data. But sometimes more help is needed. XpressDox has a number of mechanisms available for the template author to provide the user with help in capturing data, in particular using the Help command.

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The Heading Command

The «Heading()» command is used to place text above a data element on the interview. Use the Heading and Footing commands to bring some context to the fields on the interview, or insert breaks in the form of blank Headings or Footings.   Command structure: «Heading(CompanyName, COMPANY INFORMATION)» This will

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The Footing Command

The «Footing()» command can be used to place text below a data element on the interview. Use the Heading and Footing commands to bring some context to the fields on the interview, or insert breaks in the form of blank Headings or Footings.   Command structure: «Footing(CompanyName, Insert the full

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The BaseTemplate Command

Letterheads are of special interest because they are used as the basis for many documents. With XpressDox it is possible to create one letterhead template, and by referring to it with the BaseTemplate command, use that template as the basis for many other documents without having to specify the letterhead formatting in those documents.

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Customizing and using base templates

Sometimes it would be useful to be able to customize a source template for more than just the letter body. For example, it may be that the Data Set contains data for more than one set of addressees and the source document needs to be able to indicate which of these addressees is to be included on the base template.

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The EndsWith Function

EndsWith tests the end of a string: «If(EndsWith(Surname,’-Smith’)» «Surname» is a double-barrelled name. «SetV(‘FirstPart’,substring(Surname,1,string-length(Surname) – 6))»«Comment(SetV(‘FirstPart’,string-before(‘-Smith’)) is equivalent)» «End()» «Name_of_Client»«If(not(EndsWith(ToLower(Name_of_Client),’s’)))»’s«Else()»’«End()»

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The ChooseUsingCheckBox Command

Use this command to display a Checkbox on the interview.   Command structure: «ChooseUsingCheckBox(Beneficiary,Y,N,N)»   Examples of usage: The command can be written as simply as this, and when the data element is chosen its value will be ‘true’ and when not chosen, an empty string. For example: «ChooseUsingCheckbox(Beneficiary)» «When(Beneficiary

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The StartsWith Function

The StartsWith function (an XSLT function) is used to test whether a string starts with a given string: «If(StartsWith(Surname,’van ‘)»«Title» «Surname» is probably of Dutch descent.«End()» «If(StartsWith(Surname,’van ‘)»«Setv(‘LastPart’,substring-after(Surname,’van ‘))»«End()» In previous versions this command was known as starts-with. Backward compatibility ensures that XpressDox will still recognize this command.

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The Debug Command

Missing or superfluous End commands When a template is run, XpressDox will check for missing and floating End commands as well as floating Else commands. Wherever possible, the error message warning about one of these situations will give some context within the document where the relevant command is, so that

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The Count Function

Count This function can be used to return the number of instances of a given repeated item. «ForEach(Child)» «Child_Name» «End()» Number of children: «count(Child)» Conditions may be added to the «Count» command, as illustrated below: «ForEach(Child)» «Child_Name», (Age «Age») «End()» Number of children 12 years or older: «Count(Child[Age >= 12])»

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The SetSavedDataFolder command

Classic Usage In addition to forcing the saving of data sets and naming them using the SetSavedDataFileName command, the template author can use the «SetSavedDataFolder()» command to define where the data sets should be saved. Here is an example: «SetDataSaveFolder(Datasets\<AccountNumber>)» If the DataSaveFolder set in this way is a relative

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The ExcludeFromIV Command

Particularly in the situation where data are included in the data set from a data source, text file or perhaps Standard Data Elements, it may be that the template author does not want the user to be able to view those data values in the interview. Such data elements can

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The ChooseFromFile Command

ChooseFromFile is in some ways similar to ChooseFromDataSource, except that the data are defined either in a simple text file, csv file, or an XML file, and the file does not have to be configured into the Data Sources configuration: «ChooseFromFile(lookups:Correspondents.txt)» «ChooseFromFile(shared:Partners.csv)» Text file The first line of the text file

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The Help Command

This command can be used to provide help text for the XpressDox interview: Command structure: «Help(Interest,Enter the rate of interest, excluding the % sign)» Examples of usage The Help command can appear anywhere in the template, not necessarily anywhere close to where the data element will be used. But keep in mind

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The SetSavedDataFileName Command

Classic Usage Much like the SetSavedDocumentFileName command, the «SetSavedDataFileName()» command not only ensures that the answer set is saved, but also how it should be named. Regardless of whether the user checks the Save Merged Document? check box on the data capture interview for that template, this command forces the

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The Contains Function

This function is used to test for a string anywhere inside another string, and would appear inside a command such as If, When or Iif.   Example: «If(contains(Surname,’prmzl’))»«Surname» is not an English name.«End()»   Related articles: Read more about testing various parts of a string here  

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The If Command

Using the If command, chunks of text can be included in or excluded from the assembled document depending on values provided by the user in the interview.   Command structure: «If(Balance_Outstanding > 10000)» «If(Beneficiary = ‘Yes’)»   Examples of usage: Suppose special wording is required when the Balance_Outstanding is greater

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The SetSavedDocumentFolder Command

Classic Usage In addition to forcing the saving of documents and naming them using the SetSavedDocumentFileName command, the template author can use the «SetSavedDocumentFolder» command in the template to have control over where the documents are stored. Here is an example: «SetSavedDocumentFolder(Documents\<AccountNumber>)» If the Document Save Folder set in this

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The ComeHereAfterRun Command

After a template is run and the document has been produced, the «ComeHereAfterRun()» command will cause the Word cursor to position itself at the point in the document where this command appears. Command Structure «ComeHereAfterRun()»   Examples of usage Typically this would be used in a general letter which is

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