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...

The XpressDox caption command can be used to make the question text for a field more descriptive on the interview.   Command structure: «Caption(FieldName,Descriptive Caption Text)»   Examples of usage: Simple example: «FirstName» «Caption(FirstName,First Name of Defendant)»   Style the caption with a font and color: «Caption(FirstName,^b^@Blue/Microsoft Sans Serif/10@First Name...

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...

Capturing fields and controlling the sequence of the XpressDox interview   In v14: This article was written before the invention of the Manage Interview feature, introduced in v14. With Manage Interview, you can easily re-arrange fields on an interview with a drag-and-drop! And if you use the Question command, you...

The ChooseFromFile command This command 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:   Command structure: «ChooseFromFile(lookups:Correspondents.txt)» «ChooseFromFile(shared:Partners.csv)»  ...

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...

Present a list of choices to the user on the XpressDox 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...

Present a drop-down list in your XpressDox template   Note: ChooseFromData and ChooseFromRepeatingData are the same command.   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...

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...

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...

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...

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  

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])»

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...

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()»

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...

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...

Place text above a data element on your XpressDox 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 place the text “COMPANY INFORMATION”...

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...

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...

List repeating data in a comma separated list This is what the «List»() command does and might look like this: The parties are: «List(parties,firstnames surname,!, , and )» In some sample XML data set, suppose we have: <parties> <firstnames>Harry Charles</firstnames> <aka>Charlie</aka> <parties> <firstnames>Juliet Charlene</firstnames> <surname>Jones</surname> <aka>Charley</aka> </parties> <parties> <firstnames>Fred Reggie</firstnames>...

Min calculates the minimum of two values: The minimum of «Number1» and 100.1 is «Min(Number1,100.1)».

Now() inserts the current date and/or time into the document. It can be formatted in the same way as FormatDate.   Command structure: «Now("d MMMM, yyyy")»   Examples of usage: «Now("d MMMM, yyyy")» yields “2 September, 2020”«Now("MMMM o yyyy")» yields ‘September 2nd 2020’«Now("yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss.fff")» yields ‘2020/09/02 17:05:23.010’ which is exactly...

Use this command when a field should not be left empty on the interview.   Command structure: «Required(AccountNumber)»   Examples of usage: Mark one mandatory field as required:«Required(AccountNumber)» Add a second parameter to the command to indicate what type of data should be entered into the required field.«Required(DateOfBirth,date)» List more...

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...