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Author Topic: RTF Documentation issues  (Read 6994 times)

Ainsley Haslett

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RTF Documentation issues
« on: January 12, 2010, 01:02:00 pm »
I have a couple of issues with the rtf generator that I can't figure out and thought maybe someone on the forum could help?

a) Styles don't work correctly when using a master document it seems to lose the styles when it merges the multiple rtfs - even if the styles are the same in each of the individual rtf templates being compiled in the master document.

b) If using a filename field it always breaks when the master document is produced.

c) I can't make a master document generate in landscape.

On the positive side  ;D, since Office 2k7 it seems much easier to create good looking rtf templates.... here's some tips which may be useful:

The approach that I take to creating rtf templates is to first create an rtf template in EA that includes the correct data fields with any tables that are required. I do not worry about sizing, pagination etc. I then export the rtf. I then open the exported rtf MS Word 2k7 then apply the formatting, then save a version of the rtf. Re-open EA and import back the updated version of the rtf that has been modified in Word.

The main improvements I’ve noticed since moving from MS Word 2k3 to 2k7 are:
1.      When you format say font type, colour, size and background colour (if in table) in 2k3 often the formatting would restore to some default for the normal style in the EA rtf viewer, but in 2k7 the formatting would more often be interpreted correctly. This saved a great deal of time as there was less rework of the rtf templates
2.      Page layout set to A4 works – in 2k3 it always defaulted back to ‘Letter’ size for some reason (& I don't live in USA  :-X )

Dermot

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Re: RTF Documentation issues
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2010, 11:43:06 am »
Regarding point a) see the help file or the RTF whitepaper on using Normal.rtf to set your Style/Numbering to a comon source that can be uploaded back to a template. Styles are not matched by names but by internal numbering - hence the need to upload these.

Regarding export to Word - I do know that Word 2k3 truncates Bookmarks to a fixed length - Open Office does not. This can ruin the EA template structure, so we do not recomend import/export of templates with EA-Sections defined between EA and Word 2k3.

ruffp

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Re: RTF Documentation issues
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2010, 08:53:37 pm »
Hello,

I am using EA 7.1.834 and Office 2k7.

I did exactly what is described in that message but when opening the RTF in Word, the data fields are displayed with squared (unknown characters).

I modified the styles, and save it as rtf again, imported in the template in EA and all the fields were not recognised.

The template loose all their fields.

It seems the RTF generation is still under development as I am plaing since one week now and still not able to provide a well formed report.

I heard that the version 8 have a good improvement of that part (documentation generation), do you have a roadmap for that version 8 and when the beta will be available?

Thanks for your help
BR
 

Ainsley Haslett

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Re: RTF Documentation issues
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2010, 06:47:38 am »
don't worry if when you open in word squares are displayed. Just ignore this - you can still apply the font and size you need.

When you say you are updating styles, do you mean styles OR font and font size etc?

Styles is the part that doesn't seem to be straight forward, but adjusting font, font size etc should work fine.

Hope this helps  ;)