How to use the Document Generator

How to use the Document Generator

With the Document Generator you are able to create Microsoft Word Documents form SharePoint list items. The documents can be individually configured and designed. To do this, you first need a finished Microsoft Word document that serves as a template for the Document Generator Action.

This Microsoft Word document must contain the columns whose information is to be automatically inserted into the document later as placeholders. Once this has been completed, you can upload the Microsoft Word document using the Document Generator custom action.

How to create your template

Create a new Microsoft Word Document.
Style the document to resemble the look and feel for your organization’s requirements.
Reference the fields on your SharePoint list form using square brackets around the field name. e.g. [[Title]]. (Remember to use the programmatic name and not the display name. This can be found at "Things in the background" and then "Columns".)
Save your Microsoft Word Document.

How to create the Document Generator Action

It is recommended to use the Document Generator for a saved list item. Therefore if you are using a NewForm to create New Items, the first action would need to be ‘Save Form’. If you are using the EditForm or DisplayForm, you don’t need to use a Save Form action before the Generate Document action.

To create the Document Generation action you need to

Choose "Actions" in the skybow command bar and then click on "Command Bar" to add a new action button to the top of your form.
Click the "+" icon in the Command Bar Actions side panel.
Provide a display name.
Set an icon for your custom command bar button.
Click "Configure Actions".

Select "Generate Document" from the list of action types.
Upload your saved Microsoft Word Document as a Template.
Select at "Data Source" "For single item".
Select your SharePoint List (just the main list, not the sub list).
Set the Item ID field to [[ID]].
Leave the default "Target" to "Open in Browser".
Set the filename pattern for your reports. e.g. "Candidate-Summary-[[Title]]".
Click on "Save".

You can now test your Command Bar action by opening or editing an item within your list.

Document Generator Microsoft Word Document Syntax

Template expressions	Any kind of string Template Expression	`[[Title]] [[Firstname]]`
Assignment Expressions	Start with `"[[="` and any kind of string Expression	`[[= [[Title]] + ", " + [[Firstname]] ]]`
Function Code Expressions	Start with `"[[{"` in the Tag property. Write your complex expression as content in the placeholder	`[[{ var arr = [[@Web.GetValuesForQuery('OtherList', '<View></View>', 'Total')]]; var sum = 0; arr.forEach(n=>sum +=n); return sum; }]]`
Lookup Values	Use the `[[Lookup.FieldInternalName]]` notation to get any value from the target list of a lookup *doesn't work in Scheduled & Triggered actions	Examples: `[[Department.Code]]` `[[Department.Author]]` `[[Department.Key]]` -> to get the item ID of the department
If Conditions	Start with `[[if …]]` and any kind of boolean Expression (Condition). Ends with `[[end if]]` Everything between the starting and the ending tag will be visible if the condition is true. This can be text, an image etc.	`[[if [[Budget]] > [[Outgoings]] ]]` `[[Title]]` `[[end if]]` `[[if {return ([[Budget]] > [[Outgoings]]);} ]]` `[[Title]]` `[[end if]]` `[[if [[Status]]!="Completed" ]]` `[[Title]]` `[[end if]]`
Loops	Start with `[[loop]]` for looping over multiple items of the selected list. If a CAML Query is configured for this action link, looping will be filtered according to it. Start looping over the sublist items filtered by lookup to the parent list using one of the following methods: 1.SublistTitle. For example, `[[loop SublistTitle]]` 2.List ID. In this case you need to follow these steps: - Create Variable in Action Builder with List ID as its values. During Package & Publish, this List ID will be automatically replaced with the ID of the list on the deployment site. - In the document template use Variable placeholder. For example, `[[loop [[@Variables.SubItemListID]] ]]` Note: `[[@Variables.SubItemListID]]` placeholder should have space before double brackets. Use `filterlookupfield('field_internal_name')` param to specify which lookup field to use for sublist in a case when several lookups on the same list exist. It’s optional where there is just one lookup field. Also RowLimit is hardcoded for 200 items for query, but the required number can be specified with the optional `rowlimit(number)` param. If list that is not a sublist is selected (doesn’t have lookup to the list selected in action link configuration), no filtering will be applied. Iteration ends with `[[end loop]]`	`[[loop]]` `[[Title]]` `[[end loop]]` `[[loop SubListTitle filterlookupfield('field_internal_name') rowlimit(number)]]` `[[Title]]` `[[Firstname]]` `[[end loop]]`
Filtered Loops	Where SomeView is a view .aspx page title, such as AllItems. The order and filter of the view are applied. If CAML query is added (optional), it is united with the view query using an ‘and’ operator.	`[[loop SublistTitle view('SomeView') query('<Where><BeginsWith><FieldRef Name="Title" /><Value Type="Text">[[{return [[Title]];}]]</Value></BeginsWith></Where>')]]` `[[Title]]` `[[end loop]]`
Loops over documents in sublibraries	Use the `Scope="Recursive"` property on the query to get documents in a folder, when used as sublibrary of a form. Combine recursive scope and filter in CAML query to filter the listed document’s metadata.	`[[loop SublibraryName query('<View Scope="Recursive"></View>')]]` `[[FileLeafRef]]` `[[Title]]` `[[OtherField]]` `[[end loop]]` `[[loop SublibraryName query('<View Scope="Recursive"><Query><Where><Eq><FieldRef Name="IsActive" /><Value Type="Boolean">1</Value></Eq></Where><OrderBy></OrderBy></Query></View>')]]` `[[FileLeafRef]]` `[[Title]]` `[[OtherField]]` `[[end loop]]`
Nested Loops	Looping over a sublist inside of the loop over multiple items of the parent list is supported. Looping over several sublists, or a sublist of a sublist are supported as well. In case `[[@Loop.Parent.FirstName]]` placeholder is used it allows retrieving parent loop data inside nested loop. Possible formats: `[[@Loop.Parent.Field1]]` `[[@Loop.Parent.LookupField1.Field2]]` `[[@Loop.Parent.Parent.Field3]]` `[[@Loop.CurentIndex]]` `[[@Loop.Count]]`	`[[loop]]` `[[Title]]` `[[loop SubList1]]` `[[Title]]` `[[Firstname]]` `[[end loop]]` `[[loop SubList2]]` `[[Title]]` `[[Firstname]]` `[[end loop]]` `[[end loop]]` `[[loop]]` `[[Title]]` `[[loop SubListTitle]]` `[[Title]]` `[[Firstname]]` `[[loop SubListTitleOfSublist]]` `[[Title]]` `[[Firstname]]` `[[end loop]]` `[[end loop]]` `[[end loop]]`
Loops over table rows	It is possible to loop over table rows by adding the loop inside the table. In the case of nested loops, if the loop on the parent list is placed into the external table, this will render a separate table for each parent item	`[[loop` `SubListTitle]]` `[[Title]] [[Firstname]] [[Lastname]]` `[[end loop]]` `[[loop]] [[Title]]` `[[Title]] [[Firstname]] [[Lastname]]` `[[end loop]]` `[[end loop]]`
Image	Show an image inside the document. You can optionally specify the static width and height of the image and also a max/min width and height. Width/height parameters are not mandatory; they can be `''` (empty string) or null. Note: [[image...]] placeholder works only with images on current Site for Scheduled & Triggered actions	`[[image ([[Picture]], width, height, maxwidth, maxheight, minwidth, minheight)]]` `Without width and height: [[image ([[Picture]])]]` `Static width and height: [[image ([[Picture]], 50, 50)]]` `Static width: [[image ([[Picture]], 20)]]` `Static height: [[image ([[Picture]],,150)]] [[image ([[Picture]], '', '', 100, 300)]]` `[[image ([[Picture]], maxwidth=100, maxheight=300)]]` `[[image (url=[[Picture]], maxwidth=100, maxheight=300)]]`
Link	Create a link in the document	`[[link ([[Hyperlink]])]]` `[[link ([[Hyperlink.Url]], [[Hyperlink.Description]])]]` `[[link (url=[[Hyperlink.Url]], text='linktext')]]`
HTML	Allow to insert HTML content inside the document. Supported `[[html placeholder]]` and placeholder of Multiple lines of text fields with options: Rich text and Enhanced rich text. Supported tags: <b>, <i>, <u>, <ul>, <ol>, <li>, <span>, <div>, <p>, <h1-h6>, <br>, <a>, <table>, <img>. Allow to insert inline into html placeholder. Note: Bulleted and numbered lists, table are not supported when use inline option	`[[html ([[@Variable.CustomHTML]])]]` `[[RichTextField]]`, `[[EnhancedRichTextField]]` `[[html ([[Column]], inline=true)]]`, `[[html ([[Column]], true)]]`

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