This functionality allows you to take your organisation's standard documents, mark the locations where you'd like Recordbase data to appear, and then load those templates directly into Recordbase so staff can generate these documents, pre-populated with client data, from within a client file.
This guide explains how to mark up a Word template. Once you have completed the process, simply send us the document(s) and we'll load them into Recordbase for you.
Enable the Developer ribbon in Word
Adding content controls to a Word document requires the Developer ribbon, which is hidden by default. If you haven't already enabled it, here's how:
1. In Word, choose File | Options (Options'is usually near the bottom of the left-hand blue bar).
2. In the Word Options dialog that opens, choose Customize Ribbon.
3. In the right-hand list of ribbon tabs, tick the box for Developer, as shown below.
4. Choose OK.
Check out your new ribbon!
Mark up your Word template
The next bit of the process assumes you already have a Word template complete with letterhead or branding, whatever standard content you want to use (if you don't already have this, now is a great time to whip one up). Essentially, you're going to add markers to specific locations in this document (so that Recordbase can find them), and then label them (so Recordbase knows what data to put there).
Add a content field to your Word document
Time to get tagging! To add a content control field to your Word template, follow these steps:
1. Place your cursor at the spot in the document where you want Recordbase data to appear. If you already have placeholder text for the fields, just highlight the entire bit of text as shown below:
2. From the Developer ribbon, in the Controls section, click the second Aa button (Plain text content control), as shown below:
Word inserts a content control at the location of your cursor, as shown below:
This control is now an identifiable marker in your document, which means it'll be easy for Recordbase to find it. The next step is to adjust properties to label the control, so that Recordbase knows what data belongs at this location.
Title and tag your content field
Follow these steps to set the properties of your content control:
1. Ensure your content control is still selected.
2. From the Developer ribbon, in the Controls section, click the Properties button, as shown below:
3. In the Content Control Properties dialog box that opens, specify the Title and Tag, as shown below, and choose OK:
The values entered here must be identical, and they must match one of the field names that Recordbase allows (for the full list, see the Available content control fields section). Once you have set the properties of a content control, its title will appear when the control is selected, as shown below:
That's all there is to it! From here, you can just lather, rinse and repeat to add as many content controls to your document as you need.
Available content control fields:
These are the Recordbase fields that can currently be sent to a Word template. Each field must return only a single value, which is why additive items like addresses and phone numbers are explicitly defined as, for example, the most recently modified or created address.
Generic information:
- CurrentDate (the date that you generate the report, formatted as dd/mm/yyyy)
Personal details of the client:
- FirstName
- LastName
- DateOfBirth (formatted as dd/mm/yyyy)
- ReferenceNumber
- Gender
- PrimaryEthnicity (comma-separated hierarchy)
Contact details of the client:
- PhoneNumber (most recently created or modified, of any phone number type)
- EmailAddress (most recently created or modified)
- Details of the most recently created or modified address marked as 'Primary'
- AddressLine1
- AddressLine2
- AddressLine3
- AddressLines (this joins all three address lines together)*
- AddressSuburb
- AddressCityTown
- AddressCountry
- AddressPostCode
*If a field is not filled in within Recordbase, it will be left empty in the generated document this is why the AddressLines option is available, in case you don't always complete all three address lines for every client. The AddressLines field joins together only the lines that have been filled out for this client.
Details of the Recordbase user
This is this user who runs the report in Recordbase.
- UserFirstName
- UserLastName
- UserEmailAddress
Some things to note when adding content controls
- You can use a single field multiple times within a single document; just add as many content controls as you like and give them the same title and tag.
- You do not have to use all fields; feel free to use only the ones that are relevant.
- The only place you cannot add content controls is to the header or footer of the document (but you can add other information there, such as page numbers or logos).
- Any formatting you apply to the content control will be retained when Recordbase adds data, so you can make text bold, italic, or colourful.
- If you title a content control with a value that Recordbase doesn't recognize, it will simply ignore the field when attempting to populate data.
Send us your templates
Once you're happy with your Word template, send it our way! For each template, we just need the Word document itself and the report name that you want to appear in the list of reports in the Reports tab in a client window.
If you have any questions or run into any trouble, get in touch with support at support@wildbamboo.co.nz