Template Manager
Contents
Overview
The ITAM Template Manager is a new, more direct way to create document templates for a given form. Document templates or simply Templates provide a structure to the data in a form and allow you to output the data from a form using the template to control how it is organized and formatted. This allows you to create documents or notices which reference and include data from a form. Some examples of use might be generating a certificate of compliance which pulls key data from a form or generating an official copy of an entities data in a specific format.
You can migrate an existing template from a Word document or create a new one using the Rich Text options provided. The Template Manager also includes a field code lookup tool which can allow you to quickly find the code needed to add field data to a template.
In this section we will cover the various capabilities of the Template Manager and see how they can make creating output templates much easier than doing so manually.
Accessing the Template Manager Page
The Template Manager is accessible from the main menu using the new Template Manager button.
The initial view in the Template Manager is a grid of all existing templates with a link to edit each one. If there are no templates created, the list will be empty.
Creating Templates
[Back To Top]
There are currently two (2) ways in which a template can be created, manually using the WYSIWYG rich-text editor or by copying a template (cut-and-paste) from a Word document. The two options are not mutually exclusive so it is possible to migrate an existing template from Word by copying it into the Rich Text Editor and then tweaking the template using the Rich Text Editor. Either way you choose, you start the process by clicking the Create New Template button in the top right of the Template Manager screen. After the button is clicked, you will be navigated to the Create New Template page and shown a field for the Template Name, a blank Rich Text Editor Screen titled Template Data along with a Form Field code finder.
Start out by creating a name for your template and entering it into the Template Name field. At this point you are ready to start creating the actual layout and content of the template. The content you add or paste into the template will be used to format and provide context to the data imported from the form.
Adding/Editing Rich Text Content
Content can be added directly to the Rich Text Editor by typing in the desired content and using the tool bar at the top of the content area for layout and customization.
Adding Content from Word
Content can be added from Microsoft Word to the Rich Text editor to help create a Template. To do so, simply copy the content from a Word Document and paste it into the Rich Text content area of the new Template. Content added in this way will keep most of its structure, however it should be reviewed for layout consistency.
Adding Field Codes
In order to add content from a field on an associated form, the Template needs to include the Field Code from the appropriate form.
Field Codes represent data from a particular field on an instance of the form. They are used to insert data from the form into a template when generating a document from the data.
If you already have those codes in an existing Word Template they should port over successfully. If you do not know the code for a particular field you can look it up using the Form Field Code Finder.
To use the Code Finder, simply choose the Form in the first dropdown. This will populate the second dropdown with the existing Fields on that form. Select the desired field and the tool will populate the Machine Code into the text box at the bottom. You can click the Copy link to place the code into your clipboard. It can then be pasted into the Template where ever the content should be displayed.
Be aware that a Template is only aware of data in the associated form. If you include code from multiple forms, the Template will only be populated with data from the form with which you are currently working and will ignore the other codes.
Editing Templates
[Back To Top]
Editing works just like Creating a template except you are updating an existing template using the WYSIWYG Rich Text Editor. The ability to edit a Template is accessed by clicking on the Edit Icon in the data grid row which corresponds with the template you want to edit.
After the button is clicked you will be navigated to the Edit Template page which provides the same options as the Create Template page except that you are working on an existing form. Once you are done making the desired changes click the Save Template button to save your changes and return to the Template Manager home page.
Deleting Templates
[Back To Top]
If a Template was created in error, it can easily be deleted. The delete capability can be access from the main screen of the Template Manager. Just find the template you want to delete in the list and click on the Delete icon.
ITAM will ask for confirmation and once you confirm it, the order will be deleted.
Deleting a template is a permanent action and cannot be undone.
Importing and Exporting Templates
[Back To Top]
Templates can also be imported and exported into and out of the Template Manager, typically between two different instances of ITAM.
Importing Templates
Templates are imported into the Template Manager using the Import Template button on the main page. This will open up the default file selector on your computer which will allow you to find the select the file to import. Template files are saved as a JavaScript Object Notation or JSON file and have the extension “json” (i.e. template.json). The system will attempt to import the file selected and notify you whether the import was successful.
Exporting Templates
Templates are exported by selecting the Export icon on the line item corresponding to the template you want to export.
Clicking on this icon will encode your template as a JavaScript Object Notation or JSON file and initiate your browsers default action for downloading the file. It will be a file with the extension “json” (i.e. template.json).
Associating a Template with a Form
[Back To Top]
A Template can be associated with one or more forms, which will allow it to be used to generate documents for those forms. Associating a template is done through the Form Properties of the Form (See Form Builder page of the guide to learn how to access the From Properties).
There are two options for Templates. The legacy way in which a template was uploaded and associated with the form and the new Template Manager. Select Enable Uploading Templates to use the legacy way of uploading templates. Select Enable Template Manager to enable the new Template Manager and then select the appropriate template from the ones displayed in the list. Once you save the changes to the Form, the template will be associated with the form and will be used when generating documents.
ITAM is designed to use only one option for Templates. Either upload a template or enable the Template Manager, but it is not recommended to do both.
In this section we covered the Template Manager and how it is used to modify existing data output templates and create new ones. In the next section we will start looking at some of the Additional Options which are provided by ITAM.
[Previous Topic → User Manager] | [Next Topic → System Settings]