Templating Application

The Templating Application allows to invoke Velocity or MS Word DOCX templates with Process Data and if required convert the output into PDF format.

A template is a document, such as a personalized form letter/email/report that is sent to many customers. Templates allow business people to have more control regarding document content and format. More details about template creation are described here.

You can perform following operations on a Templating Application.

• Viewing and Editing Properties
  • Parameters
  • Configuration
  • Comments

Viewing and Editing Properties

Following properties should be specified:

Figure: Properties - Templating Application

• UUID - A unique identifier ID gets generated as an identifier for client server communication
• ID - An ID generated automatically based on the application name. If element with the same name exists then during ID generation, a numerical suffix gets added to the ID. If the element is renamed, the ID gets regenerated.

The UUID and ID options are displayed only when you switch to Integrator profile.

• Application Name - Specify name of the application
• Description - Specify the description
• Public Visibility - By default, this check box is selected. It indicates that the element is visible and available for reference from any other model.

Parameters

You can define parameters to access the data associated with the application. The Templating Application only allows for one Output Parameter of type Text, which is representing the response content of the Velocity Template invocation. It allows for multiple Input Parameters. Input Parameters can be document or primitive/structured data,. Click the Add icon to add the parameters.

• Name - Specify name for the new parameter
• Direction - Select direction for the data from the Direction drop-down list. In - For read access parameters. Only one OUT parameter is allowed
• Data Type - Following data types are supported:
  • Primitive - If you select Primitive data type, you need to provide Primitive Type.
  • Structured Data - If you select structured data, you need to provide Structure Type. It also lists structured types from other models.
  • Document - If you select document, you need to provide Structure Type. It also lists structured types from other models.

To delete the parameters, select the added parameter and click the Delete icon.

Figure: Properties - Parameters

Configuration

In the Configuration tab, you specify the template location, format and content. It's also possible to indicate whether the template output should be converted into PDF format.

• Location - You can select following options as template location:
  • Embedded: template detail to be defined in the input box below
  • ClassPath: template file name located in the class path (for example under ipp-portal\WEB-INF\classes)
  • Repository: template file name located in the document repository
  • Data: template content defined in a process instance data variable
• Format - You can select the following template format types:
  • Text: plain text format
  • HTML
  • XML
  • DOCX: MS Word docx
• Output - By default, None is selected. You can select following Output types.
  • NONE
  • Select a Structured Data Type from the listed ones.
• Convert to PDF - Select this check box to convert the template output into PDF format.
• Output Name - if Convert to PDF is checked, enter a file name.

Text format

In the following example, an embedded template content is convert to PDF and attached to the process instance using the specified output file name.

Figure: Properties - Embedded Configuration

At runtime, the pdf attachment looks similar to the following sample

Figure: PDF Template output sample

The template could be located in the class path as shown below:

Figure: Properties - Class Path Configuration

XML format

In the following example, an embedded XML template content is used and the result is attached to the process instance using the specified output file name.

Figure: Configuration - Embedded XML template

Figure: XML document output

HTML format

In the following example, an embedded HTML template content is used and the result is converted into PDF format and attached to the process instance using the specified output file name.

Figure: Configuration - Embedded HTML template

Figure: HTML converted to PDF output

In case, the Convert to PDF check box is not enabled, the output document will be in HTML format.

Figure: HTML converted to PDF output

DOCX format

In the following example, a DOCX template content is used and the result is converted into PDF format and attached to the process instance using the specified output file name.

Figure: Configuration - DOCX template configuration

The DOCX template file is located in the repository under the Root/artifacts/templates folder.

Figure: Template repository location

The DOCX template is created using MS Word; a sample file is shown below

Figure: DOCX Sample template

A sample DOCX output converted to PDF format is shown below:

Figure: DOCX output converted to PDF format

Dynamic template configuration

In many situations, the end user would like to specify the Template and/or the Output Name dynamicaly (i.e. at runtime). This also allows the same templating application to be used with multiple template files at runtime.

Here are the main steps to follow:

• In the Parameters tab, create two IN parameters of type text:
• fileLocation
• outputName
• In the Configuration tab:
• In the Template input field, enter $simple{header.fileLocation}
• In the Output Name input field, enter $simple{header.outputName}

Figure: Dynamic Template Configuration

If you want to provide template file name and/or Output Name dynamically through structured data type, then use expressions such as: $simple{header.Person[template]} and/or $simple{header.Person[outputName]}.

Figure: Dynamic Template Configuration with SDT

Comments

Click the Comments tab to add comments for the application. To add the comment, specify the comment in the text box and click Submit. To delete a comment, select it and click the Delete icon. The user, who has submitted the comment, can delete that comment. If the other user selects the comment or no comment is selected, the Delete icon remains in disabled state.

Template creation

To create Velocity Templates having text, xml or html format, you can use your preferred text editor.

Figure: Html Template

More details about the Velocity Template Language (VTL) could be found here.

MS Word DOCX template can be easily created using MS Word as follow.

• Start with creating a new document in MS Word
• Add static content including fonts, styles, images, etc.
• Add dynamic field; for example $person.firstName
• Select Insert/Quick Parts/Fields... menu item
• Select MergeField and type $person.firstName in the Field name and click on OK button. Merge fields are placeholders for such information as name, address, etc.


Figure: DOCX Template Creation

• Field is created. Repeat previous steps for the other fields.
• Save your template and upload it to the Repository or copy it under your Class Path

Dependency

To use templating application you have to add the following dependencies in your pom.xml file:

<dependency>
	<groupId>com.infinity.integration</groupId>
	<artifactId>camel-templating</artifactId>
	<version>2.1.1</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
	<groupId>com.infinity.integration</groupId>
	<artifactId>camel-itext-convertor</artifactId>
	<version>2.1.1</version>
</dependency>