Dynamic templates
Smart, intuitive automation
We write code to enhance and personalise the native installation of Microsoft Word for all kinds of organisations.
This page gives a picture of the main elements of a dynamic template. The images and description are a good illustration of how a Report, Proposal or New business document might work.
Client tab on the ribbon
When the user opens Microsoft Word the new client tab is visible in the ribbon:
New document button
Within the client tab are some standard Word buttons which are always handy to have available, some ‘rescue’ buttons, and the ‘New document’ button which allows a one-click launch of the relevant template:
This client has access to multiple templates.
Opening dialog box
Choosing one of the pre-constructed templates from the drop-down list launches a new document and the initial dialog box where content can be entered by the client.
The dialog box below has been filled in. The fields will vary from client to client.
- Document title and info
- Choice of office and paper size
- Choose cover variation
- Toggle for choice of disclaimers
- Choosing layout of Table of contents
- Header and footer text
- Select which elements of a document to include
Clicking OK generates a new document will all the selected elements:
Dynamic client ribbon
There are then a series of tools on the Client tab designed to help users work edit documents more easily.
We aim to have all the tools they need to work on company documents. It means that the whole team can collaborate more easily. However, the user still has access to all of Word for those odd moments they need to do something unusual.
Typical features on a client tab can include:
Some are groups are self-explanatory and others are illustrated below.
- Launch and add or update document details
- Paragraph style buttons (headings, bullets, numbered lists etc)
- Table tool – insert or reformat (see video)
- Insert image placeholder
- Insert landscape page (see video)
- Find and edit square bracketed text
- Insert text elements
- Insert profile or case study
- Utilities and recovery tools
- Handy (generic) Microsoft text tools
Launch and add or update document details
Launch a new blank document or a document with pre-prepared content (Starter Documents). If you are editing an existing document you can get back to update details.
Paragraph style buttons
The key step in working on any document in Microsoft Word is to use paragraph styles.
The buttons offer the key styles, making it simple to create consistently branded and structured documents. They are designed to echo what they will look like.
Table tool
Clicking ‘New Table’ displays a dialog box with a familiar layout but additional options added.
Having selected titles and features the tool inserts a new table – here part filled in.
A major benefit of the tool is to reformat a table brought in from other documents or programmes.
Select the Quick Reformat in the table tool…
…and choose the settings. In this instance a financial table so number columns are right-aligned. In a couple of clicks, the table is updated.
Placeholders
Adding images and charts in a controlled way plays a big part in delivering more professional-looking documents. Here there are two grids but other variations can be added.
Choose what you want to insert – an image, or an object from Excel or PowerPoint.
Here are two pictures with different aspect ratios but cleanly scaled and aligned.
Alternatively, you might want to compare two charts
Profile tool or case study tool
Not for every client, this tool is very popular when clients want to quickly insert biographies or project descriptions. We interrogate a database (ie SQL, Excel) or a web service call all without leaving Microsoft Word.
Search and select the individual/s you want and click insert.
The tool drops in the content and formats as per the client’s specification.
The same engine is used to select and insert other elements such as case studies. (It can also be used to build slides in Microsoft PowerPoint.)
So same engine, different presentation.
