What are Linked Document Templates (RTF Reporting)

[Cat Walker]

The help files and RTF Reporter manual tell you how to work with Linked Document Templates. I'd like to know why you'd use them, what they are for, what they do for you?

[AndyJ]

Good morning Cat.

In my case, I'm using linked document templates so that I can prepare documents for distribution that match the corporate standard, which also contain update able links to content that is housed in the EA project.

So they are used as follows:

1. Use Case Template (word file), is used to create a specific:

2. Use Case Document, that contains

(a) Lots of fixed content;
(b) Lots of content that is manually updated (version number for example)
(c) Links (bookmarks) to domain diagrams in EA's Use Case Model .rtf file (also Use Case Diagram, Activity Diagram, State Machine etc.)
(d) Links to structured flows in EA's Use Case Model .rtf
(e) Links to glossary output as a separate .rtf file

3. The .rtf files are the intermediary step between the finished Word documents and the EA project file.

4. The word files become permanent, version controlled documents that exist outside of EA.

Does that help?

Andy

[Cat Walker]

Hi Andy

Sorry, my Outlook rules stuffed the forum alert to a far recess folder.

It seems you know what you're doing with the linked document templates. Let me just check, we are talking about the same thing - that which is in the EA help files under the page heading "Create Linked Document Templates".

Now, I understand completely steps 1, 3 and 4. I guess I lost clarity in some of the detail of step 2. Taking each bullet point in turn, my questions are:

[a]Where does the fixed content come from - is it standard corporate logo and speel type data?
[c]No, not sure. What? How?
[d]Same
[e]How?
[/list]

I'd very much appreciate your insights (and have changed my Outlook rules).

Cat

[skiwi]

Hi Andy
my questions are:

[a]Where does the fixed content come from - is it standard corporate logo and speel type data?
[c]No, not sure. What? How?
[d]Same
[e]How?
[/list]
Cat

RTF Templates are a framework which provide (word) styles, layout (eg tables, lists, sections), fixed content (eg headers, footers, logos, fixed text), and "fields" which indicate the data items from the model which are to be substituted into the document.
Recursion can be specified to include child packages and elements.

Generally a number of model documents make up a master document.
Each model document contains one or more packages (links to packages) from the model.
Each model document (can) have a different RTF template reflecting the specific layout and content required for that part of the document.

EA provides may system template resources that can be customised.

[AndyJ]

Hi Cat,

I've had a look at the Document Templates in the Resources Window and confirmed that my new .rtf templates appear in that list, so I can confirm that these are the same thing that we're talking about.

The templates contain the "instructions" that create the .rtf document when you run the .rtf report generator (F8).

Looking at your more detailed questions...


[a]Where does the fixed content come from - is it standard corporate logo and speel type data?

I started with a word document that has been set up with all of the corporate style etc. in it. The document contains the corporate logo, table of contents, distribution, headings, footers etc.

[c]No, not sure. What? How?

For each thing I want to appear in the final word document, lets say in this case the Use Case diagram... You apply the following steps.
1. Right Click the item in the Project Browser.
2. Select "Copy rtf bookmark"
3. Switch back to your word document.
4. Place the cursor where you want the diagram to appear.
5. Select Insert | File
6. Navigate to your intended .rtf (intermediary) file
7. Single click on the .rtf file name
8. Click on the range button in the same window
9. Paste (Ctrl-V) the bookmark into range field in the Set Range dialog
10. Click Insert.

If you have already generated the .rtf file that contains the bookmark, the content will now magically appear in your word document.

To generate the .rtf that contains the Use Case Diagram, you would have selected the package that contains the diagram (or the diagram itself) and generated a .rtf file using the Use Case template.

The basic and alternative flows come together as a package if you follow these steps and copy the .rtf bookmark for the Use Case itself (the bubble, not the bubble diagram).

You can't copy a .rtf bookmark for the glossary, so in that case, I generate a stand alone glossary report, and add a link to that .rtf file.

Hopefully this is helping...

[Cat Walker]

This is helping Andy, thank you. Many thanks for your patient efforts.

Now, just to round off (I hope), presumably the magical appearance of the RTF files in the master document occurs when they are generated to the same directory?

Thanks, Cat

PS does my callsign conjour up somebody walking like a cat, or somebody walking cats?

[AndyJ]

Now, just to round off (I hope), presumably the magical appearance of the RTF files in the master document occurs when they are generated to the same directory?

The only extra step you need to show updated content in your word documents is to refresh the links that you've embedded.

The easiest way is to open the document and Select All content in the document (Ctrl-A) and Update (F9).

PS does my callsign conjour up somebody walking like a cat, or somebody walking cats?

Walking cats, i.e. one person with roughly one hundred harnessed cats, similar to what is seen with professional dog walkers in Central Park, New York.  

Andy.

[Cat Walker]

Walking cats, i.e. one person with roughly one hundred harnessed cats, similar to what is seen with professional dog walkers in Central Park, New York.  

Andy.

The desired effect!