Creating a New Document Template in PICSWeb
While there are no inbuilt document templates in PICSWeb, our Document Template Library has example files available for you to use.
There are two steps to creating a new document template:
You will first need to create the docx document that will be used as the template, featuring the merge fields that will be used to export PICSWeb data.
The document will then need to be uploaded to PICSWeb and set up as a template.
Creating a Document Template in Microsoft Word
When building the template file, please be aware that the document merging process will not work if you have placed merge fields inside text boxes. You will need to use other elements such as tables or columns to control layout instead.
We also recommend that you do not use large tables spanning multiple pages in the template as this has been known to cause issues when the document is generated.
To create a template, you will first need to open a new document in Microsoft Word and enter all the text and formatting that you want to appear on the document whenever it is generated.
Next, you will need to insert merge fields for any data that you want to be exported from the record when generating the document. To do this:
1. Download a PICSWeb Report based on a Report Template that has the same data fields that you want to export in the document. You can only use fields from one report in a document template. We recommend running the report in Spreadsheet Across mode, as this will show the correct heading names for multiple entities (e.g. multiple prior qualifications linked to the same applicant).
The different reports used for document templates are listed in the Document Template Types page.
2. In the locations where you want the data to appear, enter the Column Heading for the data field as it appears in the chosen report, surrounded by two curly brackets, in the format {{Field Name}}. Field names can also be used for User Defined Forms as explained below.
3. Save the document in docx form in a location accessible from PICSWeb.
For example, if a document is to be used for applicants, you would first download this example report based on the Applicants report template.
The merge fields in the Word document would then look like this:
When you Generate a Document from an applicant record using this template, the merge fields will be replaced by the relevant data.
User Defined Form (UDF) Fields
As well as report fields, if you have User Defined Forms set up for the record types used in document generation you can add fields to your template which will display the data for specific user defined fields.
To add a user defined field, you will first need to Include it in the Report as explained in the linked page. You will then be able to copy and paste the column header into your Word template as with other fields.
Multiple Entities
If you want to include fields for multiple entities in the template (for example, multiple placements linked to a learner), you will need to specify which entity you want to use to populate each field.
To do this, you will need to add a number after every field name (after a space) to indicate which entity’s details you want to display, as in the example below. If no number is entered, details from the first entity will be used by default.
If necessary, you can use this feature to produce multiple templates, with each template showing the details of a different entity for each learner.
If you have generated the relevant report for the template in Spreadsheet Across mode, the column headers will follow this convention, allowing you to copy and paste them in as normal.
Uploading a Document Template to PICSWeb
Once you have saved your docx template file, return to PICSWeb, go to the Document Template List, and select Create from the top-right corner of the page. This will open the Create Template window, where you can enter the following details:
Name
Template For – Here you can choose the type of record to use with the template. The different types are explained in PICSWeb Document Types.
Template – Here you can either drag and drop the template file into the box or select the box to browse for the file.
Once you have completed these fields, select Save to add the document template to the list. The template will now be available to choose the next time you Generate a Document from the relevant record type.