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Create a Compound Document Template

From AgileApps Support Wiki

A compound Document Template lets you combine multiple templates into a single output file.

About Compound Document Templates

Compound Document Templates have multiple uses:

Create a single file composed of multiple documents
When processing an order, you might need to generate an inventory-pull sheet, a customer invoice, and a shipping sheet. Each of those would be a separate template, but they can all be printed at one time in a single, compound document. (The templates can be of different types, as well. One might be a Word document, while another is an HTML template.)
Create a single document composed of multiple parts
For example, when printing an order form, a cover page with logo images and boilerplate could be in the first section, and the logic for looping through order items could be in a second section. A designer working on the layout of the cover page could then ignore the logic, which could be reused in different templates.
(See Example: A Two-Part Order Form.)

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Note: Every template prints on a new page, so that strategy is only useful for a multi-page invoice.

Any combination of the above
The output of the compound document is a single file. What goes into that file is up to you. You can create any combination of documents and document components you want, using Document Template Variables to access information from the record you are processing, any records it looks up to, and any records that are related to it.
Learn more:

Working with Compound Document Templates

Considerations

  • A compound template contains references to its component templates. So updating a component-template automatically updates all compound templates it is used in.
  • Compound documents are always queued. An email is sent when processing is finished.
  • Generated documents are saved in Documents > Export Data folder. The email contains a link.

To create a compound Document Template:

  1. Go to {object} > Customize this Object > Document Templates
  2. Click [New Template]
  3. Specify Type as Compound
    An [Add Template] button appears.
  4. Click the button to add a new template to the list of components

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Tip: Add templates in the order you want them to appear. It is not possible to rearrange the order later.

To remove a component template:

  • Select the empty row at the top of the template selection field.
    When saved, that row is removed from the compound template.

Example: A Two-Part Order Form

This example breaks the Sample Document Template for an Order Invoice into two parts, so that the processing logic is confined to a single module:

Cover Page Component:

<html>
<head>
<title></title>
<style>
 div {  
      padding-top: 5px;  
      padding-bottom: 5px;  
      padding-right: 5px;  
      padding-left: 30px;  
      border: 3px;  
	  margin-top: 5%;
	  margin-right: 40%;
	  margin-bottom: 5%;
	  margin-left: 5%;
    }
</style>

</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" 
      link="#0000FF" vlink="#800080" alink="#FF0000">

<div style="width:100%">

<img  width="100" height="100"  src="http://justanothermobilemonday.com/Wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/android-robot-logo2.jpg" alt="Company logo" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <---- Company Logo Here<br/>
<font size="5"><b>$company.name</b></font><b><br />
<br/>
$company.street&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>
$company.city, $company.state, <br>
$company.country - $company.zip
 
&nbsp;<br>
&nbsp;(Phone): $user.phone
<hr width="100%" size="1" />
<br />

<h2 align="center">Order<b> Invoice</b></h2>
<p></p>
<p align="center"><b>Invoice Date:</b> $Orders.date_created </p>

<br/><br/>
<b><u>Bill To: </u></b><br />
<font size="2">$Orders.account.name - $Orders.account.number</font></b>
<br />$Orders.account.street<br />
$Orders.account.city,&nbsp;$Orders.account.state, <br>
$Orders.account.country - $Orders.account.zip<br /> 

(Phone): $Orders.account.phone <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Invoice #: $Orders.order_number <br />
</b>&nbsp;
</p>
</body>
</html>

Logic Component:

<html>
<body>

<table border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="600">
<tbody>
<tr>
    <th>Quantity</th>
    <th>Product </th>               
    <th>Unit Price</th>
    <th>Amount</th>
</tr>
</tbody>

#foreach( $OrderItems_record in $OrderItems )
<tr>
<td width="350">$OrderItems_record.item_quantity</td>
<td width="100" align="CENTER">$OrderItems_record.related_to_ProductInventory.product_name</td>
<td width="100" align="CENTER"> $OrderItems_record.item_price</td>
<td width="100" align="CENTER"> $OrderItems_record.total    </td>
</tr>
#end

<tr>
<td colspan="2">&nbsp;</td>
<td style="border: solid 1px #000000;" align="Right">Sub Total</td>
<td style="border: solid 1px #000000;" align="center">$Order.grid_comptn_f5631e34b39f4ba39a98559c7215a3b4</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td colspan="2">&nbsp;</td>
<td style="border: solid 1px #000000;" align="Right">Tax</td>
<td style="border: solid 1px #000000;" align="center">$Orders.grid_tax_f5631e34b39f4ba39a98559c7215a3b4</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td colspan="2">&nbsp;</td>
<td style="border: solid 1px #000000;" align="Right">Shipping</td>
<td style="border: solid 1px #000000;" align="center">$Orders.grid_shipping_f5631e34b39f4ba39a98559c7215a3b4</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td colspan="2">&nbsp;</td>
<td style="border: solid 1px #000000;" align="Right"><b>TOTAL AMOUNT DUE</b></td>
<td style="border: solid 1px #000000;" align="center"><b>$Orders.grid_net_total_f5631e34b39f4ba39a98559c7215a3b4</b></td>
</tr>     
</table>
</body>
</html>