User Defined Documents

[kklosson]

I've re-read the documentation and reviewed past forums. I guess I still don't get the UDD concept. I've set up functions for a user to upload a Word document. Embedded in the document is a tag, such as <<SomeObject.SomeAttribute>>. I have an action on a form that calls a process:

Pick From UserDefDoc Where...
DISPLAY DOCUMENT UserDefDoc.UDD_Template

Goes as planned but the document just displays the tags with as they were when uploaded.

[tford]

We make extensive use of UDDs for merging with selected records.

Below is the query





The "Merge with students" operation called a process with the selected UDD as a Process Input.

The process is:
DISPLAY DOCUMENT UserDefDoc.UDD_Name USING 'Student Merge - Selected Students' MERGE INTO ONE


A very powerful and helpful tool!

[kklosson]

So I must use a query? It seems that if the document is not receiving the data, the <<...>> will just be gone. Why is it displaying the tags instead of replacing them?

[tford]

Oops .. hit submit too quickly.

The query 'Student Merge - Selected Students' referred to in the DISPLAY DOCUMENT is:

FIND Student WHERE Student IN LoggedInRegularUser.Students_MailMerge ORDER BY Student.Name_Last,Student.Name_First


Note that in my case the user has selected a instances of the Student BO that they want to receive a certain letter & have inserted them into LoggedInRegularUser.Students_MailMerge

[kklosson]

I must have a fundamental misunderstanding. Here's what I want to do...

1. End user is able to configure a Word document with various tags
2. End user can create a User Defined Document and upload said document to the object
3. User can call the process enabling selection of one of the User Defined Documents
4. Document is created with tags replaced with with object attributes.

[kklosson]

For this exercise, I am running a trial version of AwareIM (Enterprise Edition) on a virtual machine. I see certain UDD aspects are missing. Perhaps this is my problem?

[tford]

1. End user is able to configure a Word document with various tags
2. End user can create a User Defined Document and upload said document to the object
3. User can call the process enabling selection of one of the User Defined Documents
4. Document is created with tags replaced with with object attributes.

Re: #2 -- Correct assuming you mean upload to UserDefDoc BO

The one step I don't see in your process is putting in context the BO that is in the merge doc fields. In my case, the merge doc has various fields like <<Student.Name_First>> and <<Student.Name_Last>>.

I happen to use method of storing selected students in the LoggedInRegularUser, then the instances of Student are put into context for use in the UDD by the query "'Student Merge - Selected Students' in the process below

DISPLAY DOCUMENT UserDefDoc.UDD_Name USING 'Student Merge - Selected Students' MERGE INTO ONE


You don't have to use my method of putting Student into context, but you have to have some method of putting an instance of the BO you want to use in the merge doc into context.

[kklosson]

In my case I launch from the form object so the Object is in context.

[tford]

Pick From UserDefDoc Where...
DISPLAY DOCUMENT UserDefDoc.UDD_Template

Have you tried UDD_Name instead of UDD_Template?

[kklosson]

It does not allow. I thought it was funny that the user guide said that but the configurator did not allow it. Need to move to Developer environment to give this a fair test.

[tford]

From the User Guide:


Sounds like you are on the right track.

[kklosson]

Yes. I thought you got developer edition when you download the trial.

[kklosson]

Okay, done this in the developer edition - exact same outcome. Can anyone shed some light on what I might be doing (or thinking) that is wrong?

[weblike]

Hi kklosson,

While ago I have struggled with this and I've cumulated kind of experience playing with documents (html, doc, docx, PDF's..converting, etc).
Here is a demo BSV which I hope could help you.

Steps to use it:

1. decompress zip file (contains the bsv and a MS Word document as template)
2. import BSV file
3. When going in test mode, the BSV will automatically create a folder on your pc -> C:\InvoicePath (without this folder, my method is not working)
4. In test mode: Create UDD Template (with Word document from #1)
5. Create Invoice
6. In Home query -> display invoice with process from right of the record

The bsv is not good looking (forms, queries, etc), but the processes are working (this is about here)...
There are other methods to accomplish this, but from my method is kind easy to integrate an external software to convert the .docx file in PDF or other format.

Hope this helps.
If I can be useful with further infos, please let me know...

Nice day.

[hpl123]

Nice share George, thanks .