Syntax of document templates

Document templates that you use in the system can contain text, variables, functions, conditions, and loops. When adding a template to a business process, these components are bound to process context variables so that the generated document is completed with process data.

Variables

All the variables in a template must be unique and have the following form: {$variable_name}. For example, you can use the {$contractor} variable to insert the contractor’s name in an agreement created within a business process.

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Using double quotes (" ") in your templates may result in their incorrect work.

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Functions

Functions for working with strings

These functions allow you to display text in different formats.

For illustration, we will use the $string1 variable and the phrase “Order shipped” as its value.

UpperCase(param1: string). Converts text to uppercase.

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Example: {UpperCase({$string1})} -> ORDER SHIPPED

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LowerCase(param1: string). Converts text to lowercase.

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Example: {LowerCase({$string1})}  -> order shipped

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Capitalize(param1: string). Capitalizes the first word in the text.

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Example: {Capitalize({$string1})} -> Order shipped

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Substr(param1: string, length: number, <from: number>). Removes part of the text according to the specified number of symbols. Example:

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Example: {Substr({$string1}, 0, 3)} -> Ord

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Example: {Substr({$string1}, 4)} -> r shipped

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ToString() function

The ToString() function allows you to insert the following data types into your document:

• Number
• String
• Category
• Yes/No switch
• Money
• Full name
• Phone number
• Date/Time

You can read more about the types of data used in the system in the System data types article.

Number

The syntax for this type of data is as follows: ToString(param1: number, format: string, locale: string)

For illustration we will use the variable $int1 and its value “546”.

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Example: {ToString({$int1})}  -> 546

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By default, the number is displayed as digits. Use the astext format to write it as text.

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Example: {ToString({$int1}, astext)} -> five hundred forty-six

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Please note that fractions cannot be displayed as text.

String

Strings allow you to add text-based information to your document.

Syntax: ToString(param1: string).

For illustration, we will use the variable $str1 and its value “sent for approval”.

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Example: {ToString({$str1})}  -> sent for approval

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Category

The Category data type is used for selecting a value from a list, for example, when users choose the payment method: credit card or cash.

Syntax: ToString(param1: category)

When a context variable of this type is created in a process, it is given a name and a code. Specify the code in the ToString function so that the name of the variable is added to the document.

For illustration, we will use the variable $enum1 and payment with credit card as its value: { "code": "card", "name": "Credit Card" }

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Example: The selected payment method is {ToString({$enum1})} -> The selected payment method is Credit Card.

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Yes/No switch

This data type has two variants: Yes and No. You can rename them, for example, to “Approved” and “Rejected”.

For illustration, we will use $bool1 = “true”. The Yes variant (yesValue) is renamed as “Approved”.

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Example: {ToString({$bool1})} -> Approved.

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Money

You can convert an amount of money to text in various formats.

The syntax for this type of data is as follows: ToString(param1: money, format: string, locale: string)

The following format values are available:

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Example:

short -> 1,005.56 (separators depend on the locale)

sign -> USD1,005.56

full -> 1,005 US dollars 56 cents

astext -> One thousand five US dollars 56 cents

wildcard -> you can specify your custom format, for example, {ToString({$money1}, "%i usd %f cents")}. In this case the amount will be converted to text in the following manner: 1005 usd 56 cents (%i is the integer part, %f is the fractional part).

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Full name

You can insert a person’s full name into the document.

Syntax: ToString(param1: FullName, <format: string>).

Available formats:

• long. Use it to insert the last name, first name, and the middle name.
• short. Use it to insert the last name and the initials.

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Example:

{ToString({$name1}) -> Winter Alexandra Jean

{ToString({$name1}, short)  -> Winter A. J.

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Phone number

You can set up a mask for phone number input by using the following syntax: ToString({$phone1}, "+1‑XXX‑XXX‑XX‑XX")

The phone number is filled in with numbers from left to right. Let’s use “16504998877” as an example.

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Example:

{ToString({$phone1}, "+1-XXX-XXX-XX-XX")} -> +1-650-499-88-77

{ToString({$phone1}, "X-XXX-XXX-XX-XX")} -> 1-650-499-88-77

{ToString({$phone1}, "XX-XX-XX")} -> 99-88-77

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Date/Time

You can add a date and time to you template, for example, to specify the delivery date in a supply contract.

Syntax: ToString(param1: date/time, format: string, locale: string).

This data type has three options: Date/Time, Date, and Time.

When using the function {ToString({$date1})} without additional arguments, the data in the document will look as follows:

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Example:

Date/Time: 8/24/22 1:30:00 pm

Date: 8/24/22

Time: 1:30:00 pm

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If you use the short format in the function ({ToString({$date1}, short)}), seconds won’t be indicated.

When using the long format {ToString({$date1}, long)}, the time will include seconds, and the date the month name:

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Example:

Date/Time: 8/24/22 1:30:00 pm

Date: August 24, 2022

Time: 1:30:00 pm

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Please note that the Date/Time type takes into account the time zone of your company and shows the date accordingly. The Date and Time types show absolute values.

Example

DateTime() function

The DateTime() function is used to display date and time in any format. You can also specify the locale.

Syntax: DateTime(<format:string>,<variable:Date/Time variable,<locale>).

For example, you can specify the date and time an app item was created.

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Example:

{DateTime("YYYY–MM–DD hh:mm:ss",{$__createdAt},"EN_en")} —> 2021–01–21 08:30:56

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Data formats

Now() function

To add the current date and time with regard to your time zone, use the Now function.

Syntax: Now(format: string, locale: string, timezone: string)

With each format value the date is displayed differently.

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The following formats are available:

date -> 8/12/22

time -> 10:52 am

timelong -> 10:52:55 am

datelong -> August 12, 2022

short (default) -> 8/12/22 10:52 am

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The timezone value must be written in the “America/Toronto” format. You can find the list of available values here.

Barcode function

To encode a String type field in an app and add it to a document as a barcode, use the GenerateBarcode() function. For instance, you can use it to generate a barcode for a contract’s registration number or another unique number assigned to a document. Later you can use this barcode to match the hard copy of a document with its digital version.

You can use barcode scanning software in ELMA365 if you configure an appropriate integration module. Read more about it in Standard modules.

The system allows you to generate barcodes for Word and Excel files.

Syntax: GenerateBarcode(<text: string:1>, <format: code format:2>, <generated barcode’s height in pixels>). Specifying the height is optional.

[1]: the content of the string depends on the format specified in the second parameter.

[2]: available barcode formats and requirements to the string:

• QR Code: any string.
• EAN-8: a string consisting either of 7 digits or of 8 digits (seven digits and a check digit).
• EAN-13: a string consisting either of 12 digits or of 13 digits (twelve digits and a check digit).

You can also specify the EAN format without indicating its type. In this case, an EAN-8 or EAN-13 barcode will be generated, depending on the number of digits in the string.

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If you don’t specify the check digit when using the EAN formats, it will be added automatically. Make sure the data format settings on the barcode scanner allow you to work with these formats.

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It is recommended to use the QR Code format, as it can be applied to a greater variety of data, while the EAN formats are limited.

For example, there is a variable $numberstring, and its value is “5901234123457”. From this string, a QR code or an EAN-13 can be generated.

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Example:

{GenerateBarcode({$numberstring}, "QR Code", "125" )}
{GenerateBarcode({$numberstring}, "EAN 13", "125" )}

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For an EAN-8, the string can only include 8 digits: $numberstring = “59012341”.

If a QR code is generated twice based on the same string in a template, but the size in pixels is different, the generated QR codes will be of the same size.

JobPosition function

This function is used to get a user’s job position.

Syntax: JobPosition(<variable:users>, <format:string>)

You can use the first format to get only the first job position or the all format to get all job positions of a user.

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Example:

{JobPosition({$__createdBy}, all)} —> The function will pass all job positions of the user specified as the app item’s Author.

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Conditions

You can display certain text in your document depending on conditions.

A condition starts with {if <condition>} and ends with {end}. Example of a condition: {$variable_name} = "Yes".

Note that for Yes/No switch type variables, you need to specify a value from the Variables field. By default, it can be Yes or No.

There are three types of conditions you can use:

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Example 1

{if {$user_name} = "John Michael"} Best regards, John Michael {end}

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Example 2

{if {$week.day} = "Friday"}

Have a nice weekend!

{else}

Have a nice day!

{end}

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Example 3

{if {$boolean} <> "No"} This text is displayed {end}

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Operators

In conditions you can use the following operators:

= equals

<> not equal to

> greater than

>= greater than or equal

< less than

<= less than or equal

For loop

Use the for loop to display a list of items in a document (for example, supplied goods listed one by one).

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{ for fr in {$goods} }

ordered {$fr}

{end}

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When you upload your template to the system, and the for loop is extracted, the field assigned for it is marked as a “list”.

For loop in apps

You can use the for loop to display items in an app:

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Example

{for fr in {$appListField} }

Contract {$fr} with {$fr.__name} for {$fr.money}

{end}

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A similar loop allows you to write data to a table:

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Example

{for fr in {$appListField} }

{end}

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When you work with apps, specify the names of fields in the template without the data prefix.

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For loop in tables

To let the loop work correctly, when you add a template to the system, specify the type of data for the variable in the loop.

If you need to extract data from a table into a document, you can use an .xlsx template. For instance, you can extract a list of purchased items with their price, quantity, and the total amount to be paid.

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When you work with tables, you need to insert the row.data prefix before names of fields in a template.

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When configuring the template, use the for loop and specify the process variable storing the table. The for and end statements need to be placed in the first column of the table; otherwise, the table will not be displayed correctly. Next, enter the codes of the app fields used in the table. For example, for the column that will list the price of each item, enter {$row.data.item_price}, where item_price is the code of the Price field. The row.data code accesses items in the loop and allows you to fill in as many rows in the .xlsx table as there are in the ELMA365 table.

Here is an example of a template for a table displaying the name of the purchased items, their price, quantity, and the total amount to be paid:

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