I-Deal Docs Overview, document, automation, assembly, generation, variable, prompt, clause

I-Deal Docs

document automation

for Microsoft Word

Overview

Using I-Deal Docs, you can transform any Word document or template into an automatic prompter. The transformation process is simple:

	STEP 1: Mark all changeable text with "variables". This could be as simple as marking each with #1# or 1, etc. For example, you might use #1# to mark each spot where a borrower's name is to be inserted, and #2# to mark their address. A more powerful and flexible method is to mark each with a Word Ref or DocVariable Field (these are covered in detailed during training). An overly simplified document might look like:
	STEP 2: Use a simple variable definition function within I-Deal Docs to specify the data-entry format for each variable. For example, you might define variable 1 as a single-line value with prompt text of "Borrower's Name", and variable 2 as a multi-line value with prompt text of "Borrower's Address". An example definition window for variable 1 is shown here:
	STEP 3: Save the document or template. All details relating to the definition of each variable are held as non-visible attributes inside the document or template. I-Deal Docs does not use external files to store details about any of the variables. Therefore, there is no requirement for it to be saved to anywhere in particular. It is now ready for use.

Generating one of these documents is also simple. Just use your normal method of starting a new document, then once you have the document open, click the "start prompt" button on the I-Deal Docs Toolbar (it can be setup to automatically start the prompt). Using the details that were entered for each variable, I-Deal Docs will build a prompt screen (or a series of them if it is setup that way). The following prompt might appear:

You would enter your answers, then click the Upd Doc button. This will cause I-Deal Docs to update each variable marker with the value you entered. This includes variable markers in headers, footers, text frames, etc.

The major features of I-Deal Docs are:

	Variable Prompt to dynamically build a prompt screen with a data-entry field for each variable in a document
	Print Variable Details to generate either an "answers" report or a "questionnaire/dictation" sheet
	Generate Related Documents to use the same answers to generate other "related" documents
	Keyboard Prompting for in-the-document, one-at-a-time entry of text that cannot be automated (e.g. entering a Table)
	Clause Library to store and quickly insert text, graphics, Fields, Tables, and other items that you frequently use
	Common Addresses to quickly insert commonly used addresses
	Employee Profiles to record details such as direct phone, mobile number and email address for each employee in your organisation. These details can be automatically "merged" into documents simply by selecting an employee from a list.

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