Legacy Template Editor

Overview

The Template Editor (or Online Editor) was developed to allow your organization to manage document templates from your NorthStar CCM Projects. Document Templates are .epr files, describing the visual look & feel, as well as the business rules that apply when producing a document dynamically from data.

Accessing Online Editor

The Online Editor can be accessed either by creating a new document template from the Projects module or by opening the edit mode from the Template Preview page.

To create a new document template:

Starting from the home screen, access Projects;
Click the New button in the toolbar, and choose Document Template;
Enter a relevant name for your template. You will then be redirected to the Online Editor.

To access template edit mode:

Starting from the Project Details page, select the document template (the .epr file format) you want to edit;
Click the down arrow icon, and choose Edit Online;
You will be redirected to the Online Editor.

Understanding the Online Editor Layout

Before you get started editing your document templates in the Online Editor, it is important to take some time to familiarize yourself with the interface and terminology used to describe what options are available.

Within the Online Editor, you will be able to find the following units:

Design Surface: the dedicated region in the Online Editor that you will use to add and remove content. This is the central and largest region of the screen and it will display what your document template will look like as you design it.
Sidebar: positioned on the left side of the screen, provides access to all the online components, content library, styles, data source, languages and other settings.
Navigation Bar: positioned on the bottom-left side of the screen, allows you to select specific components in order to modify their properties accordingly.
Toolbar Options: at the editing time, it might be necessary to consider the following options:
- Save: Use the Save ( ) button to save changes made to the current document template.
- Undo: Use the Undo ( ) button to move one step back in the undo chain.
- Redo: Use the Redo ( ) button to move one step forward.
- Zoom: Select the 100% button to zoom in or zoom out the document preview.
- Preview: Select the Preview button to see a preview of the document template. You can see the preview as PDF, Word or HTML5. Optionally, select Settings and choose the document language you want to use for the preview. Also here, you can provide values for the existing parameters.
- Save as: Use the Save as button from the More ( ) menu to save the document template in a new location within the workspace.
- Go to Folder: Use the Go to Folder button from the More ( ) menu to go back to the folder where this template is located.
- Share: Use the Share button from the More ( ) menu to generate a public link that can be copied and sent to other NorthStar CCM users with whom you may want to share it. This option allows you to make the document template public.
- Download: Use the Download button from the More ( ) menu to download the document template to your local machine.
- Versions: Use the Versions button from the More ( ) menu to view a list with all the different template versions created. You will also be able to view and modify comments for each version or upload a new one.
- Dependencies: Use the Dependencies button from the More ( ) menu to view all the files directly connected to the document template, and also the files where it is used, in a separate tab.
- Request Review and Approval: Use the Request Review and Approval button from the More ( ) menu to create a review task and assign it to another user for reviewing your document template. Note that the option is visible only when Review and Approval is enabled on your workspace.
- Copy: Use the Copy button from the More ( ) menu to copy the document template to a different folder within the workspace.
- Move: Use the Move button from the More ( ) menu to move the document template to a different folder within the workspace.
- Delete: Use the Delete button from the More ( ) menu to delete the document template altogether. You will be asked to confirm the deletion.
- Rename: Use the Rename button from the More ( ) menu to provide a new name for your template.

Online Editor

The Online Editor provides a set of tabs that can be accessed to configure different types of settings when editing a template. In the Template Editor, there are six available tabs that can be accessed directly from the left sidebar, each one with a different purpose:

Components - populating the document template with several components.
Content Library - selecting from ready-made fragments as pieces of the master template.
Styles - styling the components inserted in your document template.
Data - assigning a data source to insert dynamic fields into the template.
Languages - setting up multiple language translations.
Settings - configuring settings related to pages, sections, fonts or parameters used within the template.

Components

The NorthStar CCM Platform provides various components that can help you create and design your templates to meet your organization's needs.

Components Table

To find out more information on each component, select one from the table below:


Paragraph	Table	Image	List	Conditional Paragraph
Repeating Paragraph	Page Break	Fragment	Field	Hyperlink
Signature	Page Number	Page Count

Adding New Components

There are two ways to add new components to your document template from the Online Editor:

In the Online Editor, select the Components tab from the Sidebar. Within the Components section, select the component you want to add to your document template, then drag and drop it into the design surface.
In the design surface of the Online Editor, select the area where you want to add a new component. Once selected, select the + sign, visible in the top-left side, then select the component you want to add from the contextual menu.

Editing a Template Component

Follow the steps below to edit a component:

Select the component you want to edit in the Editor design surface;
Notice in the Sidebar that the Styles tab has been opened. Here you can access various options related to the selected component.
Your changes are applied automatically and can be seen immediately in your template.

Content Library

This editor also lets you add ready-made components, such as pre-headers, footers, or other fragments, from the Content Library.

The Content Library (Library) houses all of the content fragments found within a given workspace. The content library will be visible within the template online editor, below the Components tab.

Adding New Content Fragments

If there are no Content Fragments listed, you can create new fragments directly from the Library by following the steps below:

Starting from the Online Editor, go to the Content Library tab in the Sidebar.
Select the + button next to Library.
Within the Add Content Fragment window:
- Enter a name for your Content Fragment;
- Set up the folder in which the fragment will be saved. By default, the folder will be set up in the location of the opened template.
- Select an existing category or create a new one. Categories help you to easily find fragments within Library.
- In the Content box, add the content you want for the fragment. You can use the options available to format and structure the content.
Once you're ready, click OK.

Editing Content Fragments

Follow the steps below if you want to edit a content fragment listed in the library:

Starting from the Online Editor, go to the Content Library tab in the Sidebar.
Select the Settings ( ) button next to the content fragment you want to edit.
Update the properties that you want to change in the Edit Content Fragment dialog.
- If the content is too complex for inline editing, you can select the Open button below the preview box. You will be redirected to the Content Fragment Preview page, where you can edit it freely as an individual template.
Once you're ready, select OK.

Styles

To configure component properties within the template, use the Styles tab in the Sidebar. There you will find properties related to the selected component, from the row it belongs to, to the styles of headings and paragraphs in the template body.

To view all the available properties for each component inserted in a document template, see the Component Styles section.

Data

Since the NorthStar CCM Platform allows you to create both static and dynamic document templates, assigning and working with a data source is essential to your design process. The Data tab from the Sidebar allows you to add different types of input useful in template creation. The supported data source file types are: XML Data and Schema Files (.xml, .xsd), Modeler Diagram Files (.edx), Form Files (.efd) or Spreadsheet Files (.csv, .xlsx).

Assigning a Data Source

Follow the steps below to assign a data source to your template:

In the Online Editor, select the Data tab from the Sidebar.
Select the Browse (the three dots) button inside the Source field;
Choose the data source file for the template you are going to design. You can also select Upload File to import files from your local machine if needed.
Your data source will be added to the Sidebar, and you can start adding fields into your template.

Languages

For NorthStar CCM templates, you can set up multiple language translations, meaning that during the rendering process, a specific translation can be applied and all of the static text in your document will be replaced using the translation you set up.

Adding New Languages

Follow the steps below to add and set up a language translation for your document template.

In the Online Editor, select the Languages tab from the Sidebar.
Under the Languages section, click the + button, then choose the language into which you want to translate your document template from the contextual menu.
Notice that the language has been added in the Sidebar and is available for further formatting.
Once a new language is added, you need to add its translations manually. Select the language to open the Language Properties dialog.
Language Properties displays two columns: a column containing all the Original Text presented in your document template, and a second column containing the Translation text.
To add a translation, simply add the corresponding translated text inside the Translation column.
Optionally, you can set a language as default. A default language will be considered first at rendering time.
To remove a language from your document template, select Delete Language from the Language Properties dialog.

Template Settings

The Settings tab in the sidebar contains four categories of settings: Pages, Sections, Fonts and Parameters - all of these related to and dependent on a template. The settings configured here take priority over modifications made at the editor level. Find out below what each of these settings offers.

Pages

A page is a layout for one type of document page that controls the structure of the content you want to design. From Pages, you can define overall layout concepts such as page size, orientation or margins for your document template.

Adding New Pages

Follow the steps below to learn how to add and edit a page in the online editor.

To create a new page, starting from the Online Editor, access Settings > Pages from the Sidebar. Within Pages, select the + button, then choose a size from the contextual menu.
To edit a page, select it from the Sidebar. Use the new options displayed in the Sidebar to edit your page, such as:
- Select Edit ( ) to provide a new name for your page;
- Select Size to set up a new format for your page. The available options are: Letter(612pt x 792pt), A3(842pt x 1190pt), A4(595pt x 842pt) or A5(420pt x 595pt).
- Select Orientation to set up a viewing type for your page. The available options are: Portrait or Landscape.
- Select Margins to set up the dimensions of the page margins. The available options are: Normal(50pt H 50pt V), Narrow(36pt H 36pt V), Moderate(54pt H 72pt V) or Wide(144pt H 72pt V).

Sections

A section is formed by a page or a group of pages that follow each other in the order chosen by the user from the Sidebar.

Adding New Sections

Follow the steps below to learn how to add and edit a section in the online editor.

To add a new section, starting from the Online Editor, access Settings > Sections from the Sidebar. Within Sections, select the + button, then choose the page you want to include from the contextual menu.
To edit a section, select it from the Sidebar. Use the new options displayed in the Sidebar to edit your section, such as:
- Select Edit ( ) to provide a new name for your section;
- Select Pagination to choose another page.
- Check the Printing option you want to specify for your template. The available options are: Duplex or Monochrome.
- By default, each new section is a static section. If your document template has a data source assigned, you can configure a conditional or repeating behavior for your section by selecting the fx button. From the opened Dynamic Section dialog, you can set up:
  - A dynamic condition to display your section only when the condition is met.
  - A repeating context to repeat the section in the output for each repeating node existing in the data source.

Fonts

When creating a template for the NorthStar CCM Platform, in addition to the usual font files, you can also insert external fonts to personalize your document.

Adding New Fonts

Follow the steps below to learn how to add and edit a font file in the online editor.

To add a new external font file, starting from the Online Editor, access Settings > Fonts from the Sidebar. You can also upload a font file from your computer by selecting Upload File. In the Add Font dialog, provide a name for the font and the path where you want to store the file, then select OK to save the change.
To edit a font file, select it from the Sidebar. In the Edit Font dialog, you can provide a new name and a new path for the selected font file, then click OK to save the changes.

Parameters

When you design your template, you can add parameters with values that will be set from outside the document at rendering time. Parameters can be used for content fragments as well. When embedding a content fragment in a document template, these parameters will be passed to the document too.

Adding New Parameters

Follow the steps below to learn how to add and edit a parameter in the online editor.

To add a new parameter, starting from the Online Editor, access Settings > Parameters from the Sidebar.
Select the Add ( ) button.
Provide the Name and its corresponding Value for the new parameter, then click OK. You can repeat the previous steps until you finish adding all the necessary parameters.
To edit a parameter, select it from the Sidebar. Use the options displayed in the contextual menu after you have accessed the Settings ( ) button next to the selected parameter:
- Click Edit ( ) to modify the name or the value of your parameter.
- Click Remove ( ) to delete the parameter.

Once you've configured all the parameters you need for the template, you can use them when configuring an advanced expression, under the Parameters tab of the Insert Field dialog.

Template Properties

There is a variety of document template properties that can be used to edit information about an existing template. These properties are associated with a style, which is associated with a component inside a template.

Component Styles

In this section, you can explore all the components available in a document template, together with all their corresponding properties. Everything that you need to change about an element in the template has a style attached.

You can think of a style as a set of predefined formatting instructions that you can make use of throughout the template. For example, let's assume that each paragraph in a document must be justified and italic. Rather than styling each paragraph in the template one by one, you can apply a style to the paragraph that includes all elements of type paragraph inside the document.

Paragraph

A paragraph defines a section in a template. NorthStar CCM templates are usually created from one or multiple paragraphs. All other elements used to create a template, such as static text, tables, images, etc., are included in paragraphs. The table below lists the properties available for a Paragraph element.


Paragraph Format	Alignment	Indentation	Bullets	Numbering
Multilevel List	Background Color	Borders	Break

Table

Tables can be helpful when designing your templates, either for positioning information on the page or for placing content in rows to display information in individual cells. When adding a new table component, you will be prompted to configure the number of rows and columns your table will contain. Optionally, you can check Header or Footer to add it to your table.

Tables can be either static or dynamic. By default, a new table is static. To convert it to dynamic, in the Insert Table dialog click the Dynamic Table option. You will be prompted to select one or multiple node(s) from your data source tree that will represent the dynamic context for your table. The table below lists the properties available for a Table element.


Table	Insert Header Row	Insert Footer Row	Fill	Borders	Color
Table Column	Switch Columns	Insert Columns	Fill	Width
Table Row	Switch Rows	Insert Rows	Convert To Dynamic	Fill	Height
Table Cell	Merge	Split	Fill	Align	Borders	Color

Image

Using images in your business templates is worth a thousand words. One of the key components to designing a powerful piece of communication is having the capability to integrate images into your documents. When adding a new image component, you will be prompted to either select an existing image from your environment or upload a new one. The table below lists the properties available for an Image element.


Content	Width	Height	Aspect Ratio

List

Lists are useful when you create business documents, as they help you structure your data in a concise and well-organized way. The table below lists the properties available for a List element.


Start new list	Continue from previous list	Restart list numbering

Conditional Paragraph

Conditional Paragraphs allow you to include entire paragraphs of content, both static and dynamic, in your output, entirely dependent upon your data source. When adding a new paragraph, you will be prompted to set up a condition for your paragraph. Within the Insert Conditional Paragraph dialog, you will have to set your initial condition by:

Selecting the field from your data source on which you want to base your condition.
Selecting an operator.
Based on the operator selected, you might need to add a value for your expression.
To create more advanced expressions, click the Advanced button. The new dialog provides various functions, operators or parameters you can use within your complex expressions.

The table below lists the properties available for a Condition element.


New Condition	Edit Condition	Delete Condition

Repeating Paragraph

Repeating Paragraphs are an excellent way to display repeating content from your data source when you do not want it presented in a table format. When adding a new repeating paragraph, you will be prompted to select the node from the Data Source Tree after which you want to repeat your paragraph.


Edit Repeating	Delete Repeating

Page Break

A page break helps users split the content in a document template. The page break will move your template content to the next page.

Fragment

Content Fragments, or Fragments, help you split large documents into smaller and more manageable pieces. Once you've created a content fragment, you can use it in multiple document templates. More importantly, when you need to change something within that section, you only need to change the content fragment, and all the templates that contain it will be updated automatically.

When adding a new fragment to your template, you will be prompted to either select a fragment from your environment or upload a new one. After the fragment is inserted, you need to select how the fragment should be displayed in the template (as a paragraph, or inline within an existing paragraph), or specify the context in which the content fragment should be displayed.

Field

A Field is a placeholder in your template that is used at runtime to retrieve information from your data source and insert it into the document when rendered. Fields will show up in the Editor Design Surface by default, with a gray background and an XPath expression (the location of the information in your data source).

When adding a new field to your template, you will be prompted to select the node you want to insert from the Data Source Tree. Note that a data source needs to be assigned to your document template.

To apply a format to your field:

NorthStar CCM provides predefined formatting options to help you easily change the structure of your data source field so that it is presented the way you intend in the output.

Select the field you want to edit in the Editor design surface.
Click the Format drop-down and select the type of formatting you wish to apply to your field. Available options include Number, Percentage, Currency or Date/Time.
To create more custom formatting, select the Custom option, then add the formatting type you want in the empty box. A new formatting type is created by using the # symbol to extract characters from the input string. For example, to format a Social Security Number (SSN), use ###-##-####. 123456789 will become 123-45-6789.

Hyperlink

Within NorthStar CCM templates, you can add hyperlinks to easily reference external content. When adding a new hyperlink to your template, you will be prompted to enter the text you want to display in your output, and the URL of the external resource.

Signature

Signatures allow you to give originality to your templates and can be inserted into the document to demonstrate the authenticity of a message. The table below lists the properties available for a Signature element.


Value	Signature Tag	Aspect Ratio

Page Number

Page numbers are among the most common elements in the header or footer area of a template. Page Number can be used when you want to get the current page number out of the total number of pages included in the template. The table below lists the properties available for a Page Number element.


Value	Format

Page Count

Page Count can be used when you want to get the total number of pages included in the template. The table below lists the properties available for a Page Count element.


Value	Format

Style Properties

Component properties are listed below with a brief description for each.

Font Family

Use the font family drop-down to specify the font for your editor component.

Bold

Configure your text to be displayed as thick text, resulting in text like this.

Italic

Configure the font style of your text to be italic, resulting in text like this.

Underline

Set up your text to be displayed with a horizontal line underneath.

Strikethrough

Set up your text to be displayed with a horizontal line through its center.

Font Color

Specify a default color in which to render text.

Hyperlink

The text inserted in this field will be displayed as a hyperlink's caption.

Split Paragraph

Clear Formatting

Remove all the formatting of the text.

Signature Tag

Every signature needs a tag representing the text displayed on the signature line.

Insert Element

Add an object to the specified paragraph.

Format

Set a predefined format to a numbered field.

Paragraph Format

Represent all the formatting for a paragraph.

Alignment

Set a constant (Align Left, Center, Align Right, Justify) that represents the alignment for the selected paragraph.

Indentation

Set a constant (Left indent or Right indent) for the selected paragraph formatting.

Bullets

Add a bullet object for the selected paragraph.

Numbering

Add number formatting for the selected paragraph.

Multilevel List

Add a new level for a list by positioning the cursor at the end of a list item.

Start New List

The list starts at 1 again at the beginning of the specified paragraph.

Continue from previous list

The list numbering is modified to continue from where the last list item was counted.

Restart list numbering

The list starts at an input value again at the beginning of the specified paragraph.

Background Color

Specify the component's background color.

Borders

Add borders to an object within the template.

Break

Insert page, column and line breaks.

Value

The source field from which the element extracts its value.

Insert Header Row

Add a row on top of the table.

Add a row at the bottom of the table.

Fill

Set the color that is used to fill the table of the specified paragraph.

Switch Columns

Shift the content of the table so that the columns and rows are interchanged.

Switch Rows

Shift the content of the table so that the rows and columns are interchanged.

Insert Columns

Add a column where your cursor is located in the table.

Insert Rows

Add a row where your cursor is located in the table.

Width

Set the width value of an element.

Height

Set the height value of an element.

Convert to Dynamic Row

Convert the table row into a dynamic row.

Merge

Merge cells together either vertically or horizontally from the currently selected cell. The cells will be merged one cell at a time.

Split

Split cells horizontally or vertically from the currently selected cell. The cells will be split one cell at a time.

Image Content

Insert generated content as an image in the specified paragraph.

Aspect Ratio

Ensure the image maintains its proportional relationship between width and height. Click the lock ( ) button to set a uniform aspect ratio. Otherwise, click the unlock ( ) button to set a nonuniform aspect ratio.

New Condition

Create a new condition to be applied to the dynamic content.

Edit Condition

Edit the condition setup applicable to the dynamic content.

Delete Condition

Erase the condition applicable to the dynamic content entirely.

Edit Repeating

Make modifications to your Repeating Paragraph after inserting it.

Delete Repeating

Erase your Repeating Paragraph after inserting it, along with all active conditions.

Legacy Template Editor

Overview

Accessing Online Editor

Understanding the Online Editor Layout

Online Editor

Components

Components Table

Adding New Components

Editing a Template Component

Content Library

Adding New Content Fragments

Editing Content Fragments

Styles

Data

Assigning a Data Source

Languages

Adding New Languages

Template Settings

Pages

Adding New Pages

Sections

Adding New Sections

Fonts

Adding New Fonts

Parameters

Adding New Parameters

Template Properties

Component Styles

Paragraph

Table

Image

List

Conditional Paragraph

Repeating Paragraph

Page Break

Fragment

Field

Hyperlink

Signature

Page Number

Page Count

Style Properties

Font Family

Font Size

Bold

Italic

Underline

Strikethrough

Font Color

Hyperlink

Split Paragraph

Clear Formatting

Signature Tag

Insert Element

Format

Paragraph Format

Alignment

Indentation

Bullets

Numbering

Multilevel List

Start New List

Continue from previous list

Restart list numbering

Background Color

Borders

Break

Value

Insert Header Row

Insert Footer Row

Fill

Switch Columns

Switch Rows

Insert Columns

Insert Rows

Width

Height

Convert to Dynamic Row

Merge

Split