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Custom Field Type: Special – MS Word Merge

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~~[[File:PlayingCard-MSWord-Ks.jpg|thumb|150px|Click [http://www.smartsimple.com/images/customfield/cards.html here] to peruse our selection of custom fields.]]~~__TOC__

==General Description==This field type provides the ability to dynamically create an MS Word document from underlying [[SmartSimple]] data.

Configuring a Word Merge in SmartSimple is a three-step process:

# Create the MS Word document that will be used as the template. (See [[Adding Form Fields to a MS Word Document]] for instructions.)

# Upload the Word document to a [[SmartFolder]]. (See [[Uploading Word Merge Document to a SmartFolder]] for instructions.)

# '''This page describes how to create a Custom Field Type: Special - MS Word Merge custom field that maps the SmartSimple fields you wish to merge to the Word template.'''

==Set Up: Creating the Field=====Setting the Values===Now that the Word document to be used as the template [[Adding Form Fields to a MS Word Document|has been created (step 1)]] and [[Uploading Word Merge Document to a SmartFolder|uploaded to a SmartFolder (step 2)]], you can now proceed to step 3: creating the MS Word Merge custom field that will be used to dynamically populate the document. * In the '''Values''' section, the form fields you created on the MS Word document are now assigned by name to the associated [[SmartSimple]] Field Names or [[Custom Field ID|Field IDs]]. The syntax is ''Mergefield = @SmartSimple field name@;'' where ''Mergefield'' is a Bookmark you have assigned to a Form Field in [[Adding Form Fields to a MS Word Document|step 1]].

~~==Creating the MS Word Merge Field==You can now create the MS Word Merge custom field in [[SmartSimple]] that will be used to dynamically populate the document. [[Image~~:~~WordMerge1.png]]~~* In the ''Examples:'~~Values~~'~~'' section: the form fields you created on the MS Word document are now assigned by name to the associated [[SmartSimple]] Field Names or Field IDs:~~::''signatory=@me.fullname@;'' :::or ::''datesigned=@#565346#@;'': [[Image:WordMergeValues.png|link=]]* ~~'''Note''':~~ Each ''Form Field'' on the MS Word Merge Document should be represented on a different line in the MS Word Merge Field '''Values''' section, and each line must end with a semi-colon.* The variables used for the '''MS Word Merge''' are the same as for a [[Web Page View Field]] and can be found at [[Web Page View Field Variables]].* Only fields containing text can be used for the Word Merge. Please note that you cannot use image fields, file fields etc.* [[Rich Text]] fields are not suitable for including in MS Word Merges because of the additional encoding to support formatting.

* The sequence is not important, as the variables are matched using the bookmark name.

** The only exception is when SmartSimple variables are merged to a Word table; the table references must be at the bottom of the list of '''Values'''. See [[Including Tables in a Word Merge Document|this page]] for instructions on configuration.

* You can assign more than one field from SmartSimple into a single MS Word form field, and include other text and characters:

:*:''time=@starth@:@startminute@ @startpmam@;'' would display in this format: '''"12:35 pm"''' in the time form field:*::or::* ''contractdetails=@duration@ with a monthly fee of $@monthlyfee@;'' would result in '''"24 months with a monthly fee of $200"''' in the contractdetails form field

* You can include '''' in front of variables that may not be present to ensure nothing is displayed, rather than the variable name.

** An example would be ''monthlyfee=@monthly fee@;''* You can include HTML code embedded within ~~''<html></html>''~~ tags. The SmartSimple Word Merge engine will apply the HTML formatting to the value before merging to the Word document. ** Note that HTML code will only function when merging to a single record, not for the [[Exporting List View Results to Microsoft Word|batch merge mode]].* ~~You can use the following special characters in this section to control the output on the MS Word Merge document:~~:* ~~^p = Line break~~Example:* ^t = Tab

~~'''NOTES'''~~<pre>bookmarkname=</pre>[#(?object=activity)#] {| style="width: 100%;"|-!|#!|Date!|Details|-| style="width: 10%;"|~Index~| style="width: 40%;"|| style="width: 10%;"|$Activity Details$|}<pre>;</pre>* ~~The variables used for~~ * You can use the following special characters in this section to control the output on the ~~'''~~MS Word Merge~~''' are the same as for a [[Web Page View Field]] and can be found at [[Web Page View Field Variables]].~~document:* ~~Only fields containing text can be used for the Word Merge. Please note that you cannot use image fields, file fields etc.~~** ^p = Line break* ~~[[Rich Text]] fields are not suitable for including in MS Word Merges because of the additional encoding to support formatting.~~** ^t = Tab

===Custom Field IDs===

You can use the Extract IDs and Display Field Names links in the section to display associated Field IDs and Field Names. [[Image:Extract.PNG|link=|400px]]

'''See [[Custom Field IDs]] for more information.'''

===Smart Folder/File ID===

You must also specify the either the Field ID or File ID (as described [[~~#Upload to SmartFolder~~Uploading_Word_Merge_Document_to_a_SmartFolder|~~above~~in the previous step]]) of the MS Word document. [[Image:FileID.PNG|link=]] *** If you specify the Folder ID, all documents in the folder will be displayed in a combo-box upon initiating the Word merge. The [[User|user]] can select the document that he/she wishes to create.:***::''Useful if you have several different versions of a document to be generated from the same underlying data''*** If you specify the File ID, that specific document will be ~~created~~used as the template for the Word merge.

==Generating the Document==

*** In order to generate the document when viewing or editing a record you simply click the button associated with the MS Word Merge. :***:''If a Folder ID was specified in the [[Custom Field]] settings you will be prompted to select which document should be used.''*** The document will be dynamically created and the [[SmartSimple]] data added.***'''Note''': If the [[User|user]] wishes to edit or retain the document he/she may need to use the MS Word '''Save As''' feature. Some [[Browser|browsers]] may cause it to be read only initially.*** Remember to check the size of the file, header and footer pictures may interrupt the document to merge.

==Field Options==

All common options:

[[Custom Fields - General Information #General_Settings|General Settings]]

[[Custom Fields - General Information #Role Field Permissions and Status Field Permissions|Permissions & Availability]]

[[Custom Fields - General Information #Classic Options|Classic Options]]

For further information, please refer to [[Custom Fields – General Information]].

Options listed below are specific to this particular field type.

* '''Value''' - Allows the form fields you created on the MS Word document are now assigned by name to the associated [[SmartSimple]] Field Names or [[Custom Field ID|Field IDs]]

* '''Custom Field IDs''' - You can use the Extract IDs and Display Field Names links in the section to display associated Field IDs and Field Names.

{{ButtonLabel}} For Word Merge fields, the default label is "Open".

* '''SmartFolder / File ID''' - Here you can specify the either the Field ID or File ID (as described [[Uploading_Word_Merge_Document_to_a_SmartFolder|in the previous step]]) of the MS Word document.

==See Also==

[[Category:Plug-Ins for Microsoft Office~~]][[Category:Integration~~]]

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Custom Field Type: Special – MS Word Merge

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