Using merge fields within Word document on File->New Document

Hi all;

I would like to use word mail-merge fields in one of our projects. I saw the SBO code in developer network to use mail merge fields in Documentum.

But in that example you can run SBO code on the document which is already put into repository. Because that code checks-out / saves / checks-in the content file, it is not suitable for my purpose.

Using this scenario:

1) User selects "New Document",

2) Selects a specific type and fills the meta-data about doctype

3) Selects a template for his/her file.

4) Presses Finish

After this point webtop copies the template file to users PC via UCF and opens it for editing.

What I'm planning to do is, before UCF copy the template file, I'll modify the template file within the repository (I'll fill in the merge fields with metadata values), so user will fetch the modified file.

By doing this; user won't have to enter the data twice, and he/she will see the effects of entering data immidiately.

Can I do this by using a TBO or WDK customization is required?

If TBO is enough; which function is the right to place such a code? (doSave, doLink, doSaveAsNew, etc.)

I am aware that 2 users would try to create the same type of document at the same time. I think I can use sychronized functions in TBO to avoid this problem.

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Comments

DCTM_Guru

"What I'm planning to do is, before UCF copy the template file, I'll modify the template file within the repository (I'll fill in the merge fields with metadata values), so user will fetch the modified file."

- This is a problem with this approach - in that if you have multiple users trying to do this at the same time, and update to the actual template file may propagate the wrong updated values. Trying to solve this using synchronization may cause you more problems than whats its worth.

Question:

1) Why dont you try to populate the metadata fields upon checkin? This way you dont have to worry about touching the template file. You can also synchronize merge fields with the metadata fields at point after checkin (via WDK or TBO).

bdipso

Well the reason that I want to populate merge fields upon editing is Usability.

If the user sees the data he/she entered filled into the document, it'll be more convinient. User can edit or delete the lines easily, because info is already in it.

I used that SBO from the developer site. If I want to make changes after check-in it is pretty easy using that code as you said.

Regards

bdipso

Ok I used TBO to resolve my problem. And I used the code from SBO to merge fields.

I checked Webtop CreateDocument.class and CreateService.class classes (both in "com.documentum.webcomponent.library.create" package), and I saw that during document creation it adds a new version label into copied document template, which is "_NEW_". I used that information.Any comments are welcome.

Here is my TBO code :

    protected void doSave(boolean keepLock, String arg1, Object[] arg2) throws DfException {
        System.out.println("DO SAVE");

        boolean hasNewVersionLabel = false;
        for (int i=0; i<this.getVersionLabelCount(); i++ ) {
            if (this.getVersionLabel(i).equalsIgnoreCase("_NEW_")) {

                hasNewVersionLabel = true;
            }
        }

        System.out.println("Checked Out:"+String.valueOf(this.isCheckedOut()));
        System.out.println("hasNewVersionLabel:"+String.valueOf(hasNewVersionLabel));
        System.out.println("isNew:"+String.valueOf(isNew()));

        if ((!isNew()) && (hasNewVersionLabel)) {
            System.out.println("DO SAVE(hasNewVersionLabel)");

//CODE FROM SBO

File swapFile = null;
File adquiredFile = null;

            try {
                adquiredFile = new File ( this.getFile( null ) );
                swapFile = File.createTempFile( this.getObjectId().getId(), ".doc" );
                swapFile.deleteOnExit( );

            } catch ( IOException f ) {
                throw new DfException( f );
            }

if ( adquiredFile == null )
throw new DfException ( "Unable to adquire content file from sysobject id '" + this.getObjectId().getId() + "'" );

            if ( swapFile == null )
                throw new DfException ( "Unable to create swap file. Check permissions on temp directory.");
            WordApplication wordApplication = null;
            Document wordDocument = null;

            try {
            for ( wordApplication = new WordApplication(),
                  wordDocument = wordApplication.open( adquiredFile.toString( ) )
                ; ; )
            {

//GET METADATA ON THE DOCUMENT
                for (int i=0; i< fieldNames.length; i++) {
                String fieldName = fieldNames[i];

                String value = "";
                if (getAttrDataType(fieldNames[i])==IDfAttr.DM_TIME) {
                    IDfTime tm = getRepeatingTime(fieldNames[i],0);
                    if (tm!=null) {
                    value = tm.asString(IDfTime.DF_TIME_PATTERN13);
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    value = getRepeatingString(fieldNames[i],0);
                }

                if (getValueCount(fieldNames[i])>1) {
                    value = value + ",";
                    for (int j=1; j<getValueCount(fieldNames[i]); j++) {
                        value = value + getRepeatingString(fieldNames[i],j);
                        if (j!=getValueCount(fieldNames[i])-1) {
                            value = value + ",";
                        }
                    }
                }

                if (value==null) {
                    value = "";
                }

                String fieldCode = null;
                MergeField mergeField = null;
                Element[] fields = (Element[])wordDocument.getElements( Element.Type.MergeField );
                for ( int x = 0; x < fields.length; x++ )
                {
                    fieldCode = ( (MergeField)fields[x] ).getCode( );
                    if ( fieldCode != null )
                        if ( fieldCode.indexOf( " " + fieldName + " " ) > -1 )
                            mergeField = (MergeField)fields[x];
                }

if ( mergeField == null )
throw new DfException ( "Merge field not found. Unable to find field '" + fieldName + "' in document.");

Element content = mergeField.getContents( );

                content.deleteElement( );
                content.insertTextBefore( value, false );

                } //for i fieldNames.length

                DfLogger.info( this,
                            "Stream document to " + swapFile.toString( ) + " ...",
                          null,
                         null );

wordApplication.save( wordDocument, swapFile.toString( ) );

                break;
            }

        DfLogger.info( this,
                    "Saving document to Docbase ..." ,
                  null,
                 null );


           this.setFile( swapFile.toString( ) );

            } catch ( Exception e ) {
                throw new DfException( e );
            } finally {

            }

        }

        super.doSave(keepLock, arg1, arg2);
    }

    public static String[] fieldNames = {"a", "b", "c", "subject", "owner_name", "repeating1", "repeating2", "repeating3" };

lazo983

hi all,

I create a new thread for my problem with word document.

https://community.emc.com/thread/145553

Please help me, give me your opinion/advice.

Thank you in advance.

Regards