Tagging User Guide
Modified on Tue, 6 Aug at 8:11 PM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Guide Overview
- Tagging in Practice Evolve
- Simple Tags
- Simple Tag Formatting
- Custom Tags
- File Name Tagging
- Inserting and Automatically Updating a Document ID into your Precedents
- Generate An OFT Template Email With HTML Formatting Intact
- Create An Email Using a Tagged Precedent
- Adding an IF Tag to Your Document
- The CHOICE Tag
- Looping Tags (FOREACH, INLINEFOREACH and TABLE)
- Other Tags (SUM and CHECKBOX)
- SUM Tags are tags which allow arithmetic operations on a collection of simple tags.
- The CHECKBOX Tag
- Boilerplates
- Quick Reference Types and Examples
- Custom Table of Contents Tags (for use with Briefs/Bundles)
Guide Overview
The look and feel of precedents in Practice Evolve can be completely controlled by you through the use of tags. Tagging documents in Practice Evolve refers to the process of adding merge fields into a word document in order to have it auto populate client and matter information.
A precedent template is created once, and stored in the Practice Evolve library. Precedents can then be created in the matter from the master template stored in the library and edited accordingly on a matter by matter basis. The tags you put in a precedent reference the fields in the Client Properties and Matter Properties tabs. These are located on every client and matter in your system. When you import a document, the tags will search through the matter in which you have imported the document and insert the relevant information in the position the tag was placed.
This guide will take you step by step through creating libraries, adding precedents and tagging them up
Tagging in Practice Evolve
There are five steps to the tagging process in Practice Evolve:
1. Create a library
2. Add a document to the library
3. Open the precedent tag list
4. Insert tags into the document
5. Test your precedent by importing it into your matter
Step One: Create a Library
The first thing you need to decide is how you want to organise your Library as this is where your precedents and templates are kept in Practice Evolve.
Libraries can be accessed by clicking on the Home tab then selecting the Libraries icon.
To create a new Library:
1. Right-click on the library tabs bar
2. Select Add Library...
The new library form will pop-up as shown below.
The only required information is the Name field which is what your library will be called.
By selecting Public this library can be accessed by anyone, if you untick Public, you will be the only one with access to this library.
The library you created will show up as a new tab in Libraries. You can create as many libraries as you want.
Within the library, you can create folders and subfolders as required by right-clicking and selecting Create Folder… This will bring up a pop-up box where you can name your folder.
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Step Two: Add a Document to the Library
To start creating precedents and templates, you first need to add a blank Word document into your library. To do this:
- Open MS Word
- Save a blank document to your computer desktop
- Drag the blank Word document from your desktop into your Practice Evolve library
This is the document that you will use to insert tags.
Once the blank document is in your library, check it out by right-clicking and selecting Check-Out, and then double-click on the document to open.
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Step Three: Open the Precedent Tag List
The precedent list is where you access the tags to drag and drop into the blank document.
- Right-click on a matter
- Select Tools > Show Precedent Tags.
- This will bring up the precedent tag box.
Handy Tip It is a good idea to first set up a test client/matter especially for testing the template documents you tag |
Step Four: Creating the Precedent or Template
To create a precedent or template, drag and drop the tags you need into your blank word document.
Once you have inserted all the tags into the blank document you need, save and close it.
Handy Tip The tags in this list directly relate to the information fields on your client/matter. If the tag you want is not in this list, make sure there is a value entered in the relevant field on the matter. |
You can use the filter at the top of the window to search for the tags you want |
Next to the filter are two checkboxes:
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The document will now be saved into your Library.
You can rename the document by right-clicking on it and selecting Edit >Rename.
Check the tagged document back into the Practice Evolve library by right-clicking and selecting Check-In.
Step Five: Add the Document to a Matter
To add the newly created precedent or template to a matter:
- Double-click on the matter you want to create the document for
- Select the Documents tab
- Right-click on the folder you want to add the precedent or template to (correspondence, documents etc.)
- Select Add From Library
Select your document from the Library and click Next
If there are any choices that that need to be made, for example, if the client has two addresses, there will be x choices under the Options column.
Click on the choice you want and then select the address you want in the document, and select OK.
Click Next and then Finish in the bottom left hand corner.
You can now see the document in the matter in the folder you selected.
Important Note If you create a tab titled 'Templates' in your Library anything stored in this template library will be in a drop down box box when you select 'Add New' from the right click context menu in your matters.
The system will not generate any tags on these documents and will treat the as plain text. Its best used as a location to store blank word documents or blank untagged memos and file notes. |
Simple Tags
Aside from simple dragging and dropping as explained in the previous chapter there are a couple of other items to note in regard to the Simple tags.
Simple Tag Formatting
Formatting can be set up in your precedents so that it is implemented every time the template is imported into a matter.
There are two ways to format the tags in a document:
- Use normal Word formatting on the tag. For example, if you want the matter to be underlined, underline the tag in Word; or
- Add the word format[ ] to the end of the tag (just before the tag's closing pointed bracket >) with the type of formatting you want inside the square brackets. For example, if you want the matter to be underlined you would edit the tag to read
Note: you can also combine multiple formatters, by separating each one with a space. eg: <MatterNumber format[b u upper]>
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Eg:<MatterNumber format[u]>.
The table below shows some basic formatting using both Word and Tag formatters, and what the tag would look like once the precedent has been generated.
Formatting | Word Formatting | Formatting in a Tag | Result |
Bold | <MatterNumber> | <MatterNumber format[b]> | abc1234 |
Italics | <MatterNumber> | <MatterNumber format[i]> | abc1234 |
Underline | <MatterNumber> | <MatterNumber format[u]> | abc1234 |
Strikethrough | < | <MatterNumber format[s]> |
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Text Colour | <MatterNumber> | <MatterNumber format[fc:blue]> | abc1234 |
Background | <MatterNumber> | <MatterNumber format[bc:yellow]> | abc1234 |
Sentence case | * | <MatterNumber format[titlecase] | Abc1234 |
Force Uppercase | * | <MatterNumber format[upper]> | ABC1234 |
Force Lowercase | * | <MatterNumber format[lower]> | abc1234 |
Currency | * | <EstimatedFees format[c:c2]> | $10,000.00 |
Date | * | <CurrentDate format[c:dd MMMM yyyy]> | 6 March 2014 |
Date | * | <CurrentDate format[c:dd]> | 06/03/2014 |
Mandatory** | * | <CurrentDate format[m]> |
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*Unable to do this type of formatting with formatting option 1
** This is explained in below in relation to Custom Tags
Custom Tags
The tags that show up in the "precedent tag box" come directly from the Client and Matter Properties tab.
Custom tags are just tags that don't exist in the system, because they don't exist they will be blank and the user will be prompted to fill them in on the document generation screen.
For example, if you wanted a new tag that isn't available in the precedent tag box, called, for example <abc> you could type this directly into your precedent.
This is useful for filling in information that would not otherwise be held in Practice Evolve.
When you generate the precedent, you will be able to insert any information you like into the custom tag on the Document Import Screen.
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File Name Tagging
You can use simple tags in the title of a document by using the minus character (-) instead of pointed brackets (< >) at the start and end of the tag.
For example, if you want to have the current date in the title of all letters sent to the client you can name the document:
This can make your document title appear complicated to the users in your firm, to avoid this you can give the precedent document a display title by using the following code title[Clean Title] for example
-CurrentDate- Letter to Client RE -MatterNumber- title[Letter to Client].docx
This will display to the users when selecting the precedent as:
Letter to Client.docx
But will generate in the matter as:
16.05.2016 Letter to Client RE 160032.docx
Important Note You cannot use complex tags when tagging file names.
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Inserting and Automatically Updating a Document ID into your Precedents
Practice Evolve tags when merged become inert and will not update. This will mean that if you use a simple field to insert the Document ID for later reference, if the ID is updated (for example, if you copy the file to a new matter) the ID written inside the in the document will not update. There is a custom Word merge field that will insert the Practice Evolve Document ID into your document that will stay up to date.
The document must already be in Practice Evolve for the following to work.
STEP ONE: Open your precedent in Word and go to the 'Insert' tab, select 'Quick Parts' and then select 'Field'.
STEP TWO: Go to DocProperty and highlight DocumentID then hit OK.
Generate An OFT Template Email With HTML Formatting Intact
Emails with an .oft extension are template emails that are created using Microsoft Outlook. The pre-formatted layout is set for message templates, it is then used for sending out emails with common information to save time.
You can create emails using the tagged precedent fields to build your email content. If you select As HTML, you will ensure the images included in the email signature will be visible. To do this:
1. Compose your email in Outlook using the tagged fields you require:
2. Click on the Format Text Tab and choose As HTML:
3. Select File, Save As:
4. Save the email to a secure network area and from the Save as type field choose Outlook Template, click Save:
5. Drag and Drop the Outlook Template to the required PE Precedent Library:
To add a precedent email to a matter:
1. Right-click on the folder that you want the email saved to and select Add from Library
2. In the Document Library Import wizard, select the relevant Document Library and navigate you your email template:
3. Click the plus symbol (+) to expand the relevant document folder, and use your mouse (or space bar) to tick the box next to the email:
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4. Click Next in the bottom-right of the screen.
5. In the Tag Interrogation Screen, edit all or any empty fields by clicking into the Value column as follows:
6. Select Next:
7. All information has now been gathered. You are about to create the email, double click to rename, or hit Finish to complete:
8. The email is created and ready to send:
Create An Email Using a Tagged Precedent
You can create emails using the tagged precedent fields to build your email content.
1. Compose your email in outlook using the tagged fields you require:
2. Select File, Save As:
3. Save the email to a secure network area and from the Save as type field choose Outlook Template, click Save:
4. Drag and Drop the Outlook Template to the required PE Precedent Library:
To add a precedent email to a matter:
1. Right-click on the folder that you want the email saved to and select Add from Library:
2. In the Document Library Import wizard, select the relevant Document Library and navigate you your email template:
3. Click the plus symbol (+) to expand the relevant document folder, and use your mouse (or space bar) to tick the box next to the email:
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4. Click Next in the bottom-right of the screen.
5. In the Tag Interrogation Screen, edit all or any empty fields by clicking into the Value column as follows:
6. Select Next:
7. All information has now been gathered. You are about to create the email, double click to rename, or hit Finish to complete:
8. The email is created and ready to send:
Complex Tags - Logic Tags (IF, CHOICE and QUESTION)
The IF Tag
What is an IF Tag?
An IF Tag allows you to populate a document with different information depending on whether a condition is true or false. The IF Tag asks the system a true or false question, if the answer is found to be true, it displays one thing, and if the answer is false, something else is displayed.
When is an IF Tag used?
An IF Tag is used when you need a template to assess whether something is true or false. For example, if the client is an individual, you want to address them in a letter by their first name, otherwise you want to address the letter as To Whom it May Concern.
What is a Condition?
In the above example the condition is 'ClientType'="Individual". A condition must be either true or false.
Condition: Client Type = Individual
In this instance, client type is tested by the system and assessed to be either true (the client type is individual) or false (the client type is not individual).
What does an IF Tag look like?
The general format of an IF Tag is:
Therefore, the above example would be written as:
The tag reads as follows: if the client type is individual (i.e. the condition is true) then Dear <Client
Salutation> will be displayed, however, if the client type is not individual (i.e. the condition is false) then To Whom it May Concern will be displayed.
Important Note The tags that are used within an IF statement need to have their pointed brackets (<>) replaced by single quotes('')
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More on the IF Tag Condition?
The above example of an IF statement is comparing a tag in the 'condition' to a value (some text). If you are comparing a tag to a value, like in the example above, the tag needs to be surrounded by single quotes, and the value needs to be surrounded by double quotes(""), for example <if'ClientType'="Individual"…
You can also compare a tag to another tag in the condition of an IF Tag. When using this type of comparison, both tags must be surrounded by single quotes.
For Example, if your reference in correspondence is comprised of the Responsible Persons initials, the Acting Persons initials and the Matter Reference (eg SW/FL/HAR10002) and in some matters the Responsible Person and the Acting Person are the same user, you may only want to include the initials once (e.g. SD/HAR10002).
The tag in this example would be: <if 'ResponsiblePersonUserInitials'='ActingPersonUserInitials' ? 'ResponsiblePersonUserInitials'/'MatterNumber' : 'ResponsiblePersonUserInitials'/'ActingPersonUserInitials'/'MatterNumber'> | |
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Adding an IF Tag to Your Document
The Show Precedent Tags list allows you to format an IF statement automatically by selecting IF from underneath the filter bar
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Select 'if' and then select the tag acting as the condition and drag it into your document. The tag will come up fully formatted (as shown below) so that all you need to specify is what is to be done if the condition is true and what needs to be done if the condition is false.
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What will an IF Tag look like once the Precedent has been Generated on a Specific Matter?
Once you have your IF Tag inserted and have completed your template, create the letter on your matter from this template (see Chapter 1, Step Five for how to do this).
Below is what the generated template looks like when:
1. The condition is true (the client type is individual)
2. The condition is false (the client type is not individual)
Another IF Tag Example?
If the clients preferred method of communication is email then you may want to insert by email and the email address at the top of the letter, otherwise you may wish to insert the clients postal address
In this example the condition is: Clients preferred method of communication = email
The IF Tag would be written as:
You could use this IF Statement in a letter to client template to ensure the correct method of delivery is inserted:
If the preferred method of communication is email, the document will generate as:
If the preferred method of communication is not email, the document will generate as:
Complicated IF Tags: Comparing More than One Value
If you want to create an IF Statement that tests more than one condition, you can use the keyword AND. The AND means that all the conditions you specified must be met for the 'true' content to be displayed. If one of your conditions is met and the other isn’t, the 'false' content will be displayed.
If you want either the first condition or the second condition to be met but don’t need both, you can replace the AND with an OR
For example, if the clients preferred method of communication is email, you want to send letters via email, however, you also want to check that the clients email address has been provided. Here are the two conditions:
- Is the clients preferred method of communication email?
- Is there an email address provided for the client?
The IF Tag changes slightly to accommodate both conditions:
<if AND('ClientPreferredCommunication'="Email",'ClientEmail'<>"") ? By Email to 'ClientEmail' : 'ClientLongAddress'>
This can be read as: If the clients preferred method of communction is email and the client email field is not blank, address the letter as By Email : [Clients Email Address] otherwise [Clients Full Address]
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The CHOICE Tag
What is a CHOICE TAG?
A CHOICE Tag is similar to an If Tag in that it performs alternative actions depending on conditions you specify. However, a CHOICE Tag allows you to choose from several options depending on the condition being met (Not just true or false)
When is a CHOICE Tag used?
A CHOICE Tag is used when you need to display different content depending on a variety of options.
For example, when the clients preferred communication is email perform action sequence A, when the clients preferred communication is post perform action sequence B, and when the clients preferred communication is facsimile perform action sequence C.
What does a CHOICE Tag look like?
A CHOICE Tag can span any number of sentences and paragraphs and can include formatting, text, tables, images etc.
The format of a simple CHOICE Tag is:
<:choice list of named fields>
<:when Condition >
</when>
<otherwise>
</otherwise>
</choice>
The above example will therefore look like the below:
<:choice tag='ClientPreferredCommunication'>
<when tag="Email"
By email: <ClientEmail>
</when>
<:otherwise>
<ClientLongAddress>
</otherwise>
</choice>
This can be read as, if the clients preferred communication method is email, enter the words 'By Email: [Clients Email Address]', otherwise, insert the clients postal address.
Break down of the example:
<:choice tag='ClientPreferredCommunication'>
This tag tells the system that the conditions it will be testing come from the ClientPreferredCommunication tag. It renames 'ClientPreferredCommunication' to tag for future reference in this specific CHOICE tag
<;when tag="Email">
By Email: <ClientEmail>
This tag states that when ClientPreferredCommunication (referred to as tag) is email, the document will enter the words 'By Email: [clients email address]
</when>
This tag is there to mark the end of the sequence of actions that occur when the ClientPreferredCommunication is email.
<:otherwise>
<ClientLongAddress>
This tag states that if the preferred communication is not email, the system should put the clients address into the document.
</otherwise>
This tag is there to end the sequence of actions that occur when the 'ClientPreferredCommunication' method is not email.
</choice>
This tag marks the end of the CHOICE Tag.
Adding a CHOICE Tag to a Document
The precedent list allows you to format a choice tag automatically by selecting 'choice' from under the filter bar.
Select 'choice' then drag the tag acting as a condition into your document. The tag will come up fully formatted so that you only need to specify what needs to be done if the condition equals a certain value.
What does a CHOICE Tag look like on a Generated Document?
Once you have your CHOICE Tag inserted and have completed your template create the letter on your matter from this template (see Chapter 1, Step Five for how to do this).
Below is what the generated template looks like.
When ClientPreferredCommunication is email
When ClientPreferredCommunication is not email
Another CHOICE Tag Example
The following CHOICE Tag example specifies different actions to perform based on what the clients preferred communication method is. If the preferred communication is email, the document will show the clients email address, if it is fax the document will show the clients fa number, and if it is postal the document will show the clients postal address.
If none of these conditions are met (the oreferred communication method is not email, fax or postal the document will show the words 'The Client has not specified a preferred communication method'.
<:choice tag='ClientPreferredCommunication'>
<:when tag="email">
<ClientEmail>
</when>
<:when tag="fax">
<ClientFaxPhoneNumber>
</when>
<:when tag="postal">
<ClientLongAddress>
</when>
<:otherwise>
The client has not specified a preferred communication method
</otherwise>
</choice>
Complicated CHOICE Tags: Comparing More than One Value
This example follows on from the previous example where the condition was ClientPreferredCommunication, this time the tag runs two tests on each condition:
- Is the preferred communication email/fax/postal
- Has the client specified a preferred email/fax number/postal address
<:choice tag1='ClientPreferredCommunication' tag2=' ClientEmail' tag3='ClientLongAddress' tag4='ClientFaxPhoneNumber' >
<:when AND(tag1="Email", tag2<>"")>
<ClientEmail>
</when>
<:when AND(tag1="Postal", tag3<>"")>
<ClientLongAddress>
</when>
<:when AND(tag1="Fax", tag4<>"")>
<ClientFaxPhoneNumber>
</when>
<:otherwise>
The client has not specified a preferred communication method
</otherwise>
</choice>
Break down of the example:
<:choice tag1='ClientPreferredCommunication' tag2=' ClientEmail' tag3='ClientLongAddress' tag4='ClientFaxPhoneNumber'>
This tag tells the system that it will need to run tests on four different tags,
ClientPreferredCommuncation, ClientEmail, ClientLongAddress and ClientFaxPhoneNumber.
It also renames each tag with the word 'tag' and gives it a number. This is what the tag will be referred to throughout the rest of the Choice Tag (e.g. tag1, tag2 etc).
<:when AND(tag1="Email", tag2<>"")>
This tag runs two tests. First, it tests that tag1 (ClientPreferredCommunication) is email. Secondly, it tests that the tag2 (ClientEmail) field does not equal nothing, i.e. that there has been an email address provided for the client.
<ClientEmail>
</when>
If both tests are true, then the clients email address is put onto the document
</when>
The </when> tag marks the end of the sequence of actions that occur when the ClientPreferredCommunication is email and the email field is not blank.
<:when AND(tag1="Postal", tag3<>"")>
<ClientLongAddress>
</when>
Is the same as the above but testing whether the clients preferred communication method is post and whether a postal address has been entered for the client.
<:when AND(tag1="Fax", tag4<>"")>
<ClientFaxPhoneNumber> </when>
Is the same as the above but testing whether the clients preferred communication method is fax, and whether a fax number has been entered for the client.
<:otherwise>
The client has not specified a preferred communication method
</otherwise>
If none of the above conditions are met, then the document will show the sentence 'The Client has not specified a preferred communication method'
</choice>
This tag marks the end of the CHOICE Tag.
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Logic Operators
For your reference there a number of basic operators you can use in IF and CHOICE Tags.
Logic | Operator | Example | |
Equal To | = | <if 'TagA'="Text"?... | |
Not Equal To | <> | <if 'TagA'<>"Text"?... | |
Less Than |
| <if 'TagA'<"Text"?... | |
Greater Than |
| <if 'TagA'>"Text"?... | |
Less Than or Equal To |
| <if 'TagA'<="Text"?... | |
Greater Than or Equal To |
| <if 'TagA'>="Text"?... | |
Contains Certain Text | CONTAINS | <if 'TagA' CONTAINS "Plaintiff"?… | |
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The QUESTION Tag
What is a QUESTION Tag?
The QUESTION Tag asks the user a question and depending on their answer performs a certain set of actions (rather than testing a condition like the choice and if tags).
When to use a QUESTION Tag?
A QUESTION Tag can be used when a user needs to provide a response to a question, and what information is pulled into the document depends on the answer given.
For example, is the acting person for a matter also a partner?
What does a QUESTION Tag Look Like?
<:question="is the acting person a partner"
<:when answer="yes">
Partner: <ActingPersonUserDisplayName>
</when>
<:when answer="no">
Lawyer: <ActingPersonUserDisplayName>
</when>
<:otherwise>
--noline--
</otherwise>
</question>
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Adding a QUESTION Tag to a Document
The precedent list allows you to format the QUESTION Tag automatically by selecting 'question' from under the filter bar.
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Select 'question' and then drag the tag acting as the condition into your document. The tag will come up fully formatted so that you only need to specify what needs to be for each entity in the collection.
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Once you have put the QUESTION Tag into the document, add the document to the relevant matter (See Chapter 1, Step 5 for how to do this).
When creating the document, you need to provide an answer for the QUESTION Tag, as shown below.
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The answers that you specified in the tag, which in the above example were 'yes' or 'no' will appear as choices in the drop down menu.
What is generated in the document will depend on what you select from the drop down menu here.
What Does a QUESTION Tag Look Like on a Generated Document?
Below is what the generated template looks like if:
1. You supply the answer 'no' at the above screen (i.e. The solicitor is not a partner)
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2. You supply the answer 'yes' at the above screen (i.e. The lawyer is a partner)
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Looping Tags (FOREACH, INLINEFOREACH and TABLE)
The FOREACH Tag
What is a FOREACH Tag?
A FOREACH Tag repeats the same information over a collection of objects. It allows a lot of information to be presented in a document using only one tag.
When is a FOREACH Tag Used?
The FOREACH Tag is used when you have a collection of items within a matter, e.g. a collection of people, a collection of addresses, and so on, where text needs to be repeated for each item.
For example, if you have a collection of four plaintiffs and for each one you want to list their name, address and phone number on a document, you would use a FOREACH Tag.
What does a FOREACH Tag Look Like?
The format of a FOREACH Tag:
<:foreach collection='Plaintiff'>
<text wanted for each entity within the collection>
</foreach>
The above example will therefore look like the below:
<:foreach collection='Plaintiff'>
<:foreach
<PlaintiffName>
<PlaintiffLongAddress>
<PlaintiffPhoneNumber>
</foreach>
This can be read as, for every plaintiff listed in the matter show their name, address and phone number.
Adding a FOREACH Tag to a Document
The precedent list allows you to format a FOREACH Tag from under the filter bar.
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Select 'foreach' and then drag the tag acting as the condition into your document. The tag will come up fully formatted so that you only need to specify what needs to be for each entity in the collection.
You can insert as many tags after the <:foreach collection='xxxxx'> tag as you like. The information specified by the tags will be detailed for each entity within the collection.
What Does a FOREACH Tag Look Like on a Generated Document?
Once you have your FOREACH Tag inserted and have completed your template, create the letter on your matter from this template (see Chapter 1 for how to do this).
Below is what the generated template looks like using a collection of four plaintiffs
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Using just this foreach statement, the document produces the information line after line with not space between each entity in the collection. There are four different ways to separate entities:
- Newline: this is the default setting for a FOREACH Tag where the entities of the collection are listed on a newline. To add another newline between each, you add two newline tags, (i.e. <newline><newline>) before the closing FOREACH Tag (i.e. </foreach>).
<PlaintiffName> <PlaintiffLongAddress> <PlaintiffPhoneNumber> <newline> <newline> </foreach> |
- Newpage: by using newpage, each entity will be separated using a page break. Here you need to use a separator attribute in the foreach statement as shown below.
<PlaintiffName>
<PlaintiffLongAddress>
<PlaintiffPhoneNumber>
</foreach>
- Tab: by using tab, each entity will be separated using a tab character. To separate with more than after the word separator as shown below.
<:foreach collection='Plaintiff' separator='tab'>
<PlaintiffName>
</foreach>
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- ,and: using and, each entity will be separated using the text 'and'.
<:foreach collection='Plaintiff' separator='and'>
<PlaintiffName>
</foreach>
The INLINEFOREACH Tag
What is an INLINEFOREACH Tag?
An INLINEFOREACH Tag repeats the same information over a collection of objects in a single line. By default
What is the Difference Between the FOREACH and INLINEFOREACH Tag?
The INLINEFOREACH Tag allows you to put all your repeated information on a single line, whereas the Foreach tag allows you to have returns in your repeated information.
When is an INLINEFOREACH Tag Used?
The INLINEFOREACH Tag is used when you have a collection of items within a matter, e.g. a collection of people, a collection of addresses etc where text needs to be repeated for each item in a single line.
For example, if you have a collection of four defendants and for each one you want to list their names on the same line, you would use a INLINEFOREACH Tag.
What does an INLINEFOREACH Tag Look Like?
The format of an INLINEFOREACH Tag:
<inlineforeach collection='CollectionName' separator='tab' value='TagsToInclude'.
The above example will therefore look like the below:
<inlineforeach collection='Defendant' value='DefendantPreferredName'>
This can be read as: for every defendant listed in the matter show their name.
The TABLE Tag?
What is a TABLE Tag?
The TABLE Tag is similar to the FOREACH Tag in that it allows you to insert text for each item of a collection, however it inserts the information for each entity into a table.
When to Use a TABLE Tag?
The TABLE Tag is used when you have a collection of items within a matter, e.g. a collection of people, a collection of addresses etc where text needs to be repeated for each item and put into a table.
For example, if you have a collection of five contacts for a matter and you want to create a contact list table with each clients name and phone number.
What does a TABLE Tag Look Like?
The TABLE Tag must contain a table. The format of a TABLE Tag is:
<:table collection='CollectionName'>
Title of Column | Title of Column |
<tag> | <tag> |
</table>
The above example will therefore look like the below:
<:table collection='Contacts'>
Name | Contact Number |
<ContactName> | <ContactPhoneNumber> |
</table>
This can be read as, for every contact within the matter add their name into the first column of a table and their contact number into the second column.
Adding a TABLE Tag to a Document?
The precedent list allows you to insert a TABLE Tag automatically by selecting 'Table' from under the filter bar.
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Select 'Table' and then drag the tag acting as the condition into your document. The tag will come up fully formatted so that you only need to specify what needs to be for each entity in the collection. You will have to insert your own table into the tag so that you can control how many columns it needs.
You only need to insert the details you want once, i.e. insert <ContactName> into one of the table cells and it will iterate for each contact.
What does a TABLE Tag Look Like on a Generated Document?
Below is what the generated template looks like using a collection of four contacts.
Running a Loop Tag Over More Than one Collection
It is possible to include more than one collection in a Foreach , InlineForeach or TABLE Tag.
For example, if you wanted to display the names of the Executors and Administrators in an Estate precedent you could use one of the below tags:
<inlineforeach collection='Executor;Administrator' value='ItemPreferredName'>
<:foreach collection='Executor;Administrator'>
<ItemPreferredName>
<ItemPreferredLongAddress>
</foreach>
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Ranges
It is possible to specify a range within a loop tag. For example, by using a range, you can have the names the first and second plaintiff only come into a document.
<InlineForeach collection='Plaintiff' range='1-2' value='PlaintiffPreferredName'>
The range, does not need to be sequential. For example, if you want to bring in the names of the first and third plaintiff to the document you can use the below range.
<InlineForeach collection='Plaintiff' range='1,3' value='PlaintiffPreferredName'>
You can also specify a range of, for instance, the third plaintiff to the last plaintiff without having to specify an actual number. For instance, if you are unsure of how many plaintiffs are on a matter you could use the below range.
<inlineforeach collection='Plaintiff' range='3-end' value='PlaintiffPreferredName'>
Where
It is possible to restrict a loop tag to only list items if they meet particular criteria. For example, list all the Plaintiffs that are Organisations. This is done with the where condition. It works just like the logic statements in an IF or CHOICE Tag.
To code the example above you would enter the following:
<foreach collection='Plaintiff' where['PlaintiffType'="Organisation"]
It is also possible to put in more complex logic statements, just like IF and CHOICE Tags. eg:
<:foreach collection='Plaintiff where[AND('PlaintiffType="Individual",'PlaintiffCurrentAge'>21)]>
SortBy
By default, the list will be sorted in the order they were entered into PE, or if the collection is numbered, in number order. However it is also possible to have the list sort by a specific tag in the collection, eg their date of birth.
To code this example you would enter the following:
<:foreach collection='Plaintiff' sortby='PlaintiffDateOfBirth'>
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Other Tags (SUM and CHECKBOX)
The SUM Tag
What is a SUM Tag?
SUM Tags are tags which allow arithmetic operations on a collection of simple tags.
When to Use a SUM Tag?
A SUM Tag is used when you need to perform any calculations between tags, including:
Addition | + |
Subtraction | - |
Multiplication | * |
Division | / |
Power of | ^ |
Square Root | Sqrt('tag') |
A SUM Tag can also be used to perform functions such as Cos, Sin, Tan, Floor, Ceiling, Max, Min, Log, Log10, Abs, Round, RoundDown and RoundUp. Note: These functions are enclosed in round brackets and all functions are case insensitive.
The SUM Tag will be able to handle any calculation that you could pass to Microsoft Excel as in a formula.
For example, the SUM Tag can show the total of estimated fees and estimated disbursements.
What does a SUM Tag Look Like?
A SUM Tag contains the word 'sum' followed by the calculations you require:
<:sum 'attribute1'+'attribute2'>
The above sum example would look like:
<:sum 'EstimatedFees'+'EstimatedDisbursements'>
Adding a SUM Tag to a Document
The precedent list allows you to insert a SUM Tag automatically by selecting 'Sum' from under the filter bar.
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Select 'sum' and then drag the tag(s) you are performing the mathematical operation between into your document. The tag will come up fully formatted so that you only need to specify what operation needs to be completed.
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What does a SUM Tag Look Like on a Generated Document?
Once you have your TABLE Tag inserted and have completed your template, add the template to the matter you need it for (see Chapter 1 for how to do this).
Below is what the generated template looks like if the above SUM Tag is generated for a matter where the EstimatedDibursements equals $5,000 and the EstimatedFees were $20,000, the result would be $25,000.
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Using the SUMDATE Tag to perform Calculations on Dates
The SUM Tag will not add dates, this requires a special tag just for date values Sumdate. If you add a number to a date it will take this as adding days to that date: eg
<:sumdate 'SettlementDate'+3>
Will result in the date 3 days after the settlement date.
The calculation library is identical to Excel, so you can use any of the calculators that are available there.
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The CHECKBOX Tag
What is a CHECKBOX Tag?
A CHECKBOX Tag inserts a checkbox like those shown below into your document:
![](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/euc-cdn.freshdesk.com/data/helpdesk/attachments/production/101141000746/original/7hHqFtzrxZHHM5i8T6jjlH1nXeVDBAQZhA.png?1707819378)
When to Use a CHECKBOX Tag?
CHECKBOX Tags can be used when you need to show an option on a document.
For example, if you want to show who you are acting on behalf of from a list of the following: plaintiff, applicant, appellant, claimant, defendant, respondent, you could insert a checkbox next to each role, and check the one that you are acting for.
What Does a CHECKBOX Tag Look Like?
A CHECKBOX Tag is a simple one lined tag that is often used multiple times throughout a document.
The format of a simple CHECKBOX Tag is:
<checkbox:TagName>
You can also free-type what you want the checkbox to show up next to. You would use free-typing with the above example, it would look like:
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How to Add a CHECKBOX Tag to a Document
CHECKBOX Tags need to be added manually to documents. This is done by free typing straight into the document: <checkbox:xxxx>.
Once you have put the CHECKBOX Tag into the document, add the document to the relevant matter (See Chapter 1, Step 5 for how to do this).
When you get to the screen that shows details, you need to provide an answer for the CHECKBOX Tag, as shown below (you can use True/False, Yes/No).
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What Does a CHECKBOX Tag Look Like on a Generated Document?
Below is what the generated template looks like if you specify the value for Plaintiff as 'True' and everything else as 'False':
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Boilerplates
Boilerplates are a key part of creating a library of precedents in Practice Evolve. They allow you to reuse a piece of code throughout other documents. An example of this would be a firms letterhead image. Instead of repeating this image throughout all the documents, it can be stored in one place and then used throughout all correspondence. Then, if it is modified in future, it only needs to be updated in one place.
The document that contains the tag to be imported into the template or precedent is called the Boilerplate.
Adding a Letterhead to your Precedent
Adding a letterhead to a document is very similar to adding an image.
1. Save your letterhead document to your desktop and then drag it into Practice Evolve.
2. Right-click on the letterhead document you have dragged into Practice Evolve, and select Tools > Show Precedent Tags.
3. Instead of selecting Image, you now need to select Letterhead from under the filter bar in the Precedent Tag Box.
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Again, select any tag and drag it into the document you want to insert the letterhead into.
The tag will automatically format to look similar to the below example.
When you add the document to a matter, it will generate with the letterhead you selected.
Adding an Image to your Precedent
Tagging can be used to include images, for example, digital signatures or maps, into documents.
To do this:
1. Save the image as a .jpg, .png or any other image type onto your desktop.
Add the image into your Practice Evolve Library by right-clicking on the library folder you want to keep it in, and select Add Existing or dragging and dropping.
2. Right-click on the image in the Library and select Tools > Show Precedent Tags
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3. In the Precedent Tag Box, select Image from below the filter bar.
Select any tag from the list (it doesn’t matter which tag you choose) and drag it into the template or precedent you want to insert the image into.
The tag will automatically format. Notice that there is no reference to the tag you chose to drag over from the Precedent Tag List.
When you add the document to a matter, it will generate with the image you selected.
Adding Boilerplate Text to your Precedent
Drag a blank document into the Practice Evolve library and construct the long tag here. Save the document and check it back in.
Right-click on the boiler plate you have the tag in from the library, and select Tools > Show Precedent Tags.
Instead of selecting Image or letterhead, you now need to select Document from under the filter bar in the Precedent Tag Box.
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Select any tag and drag it into the document you want to insert the letterhead into. The tag will automatically format to look similar to the below example.
You can insert the boiler plate document anywhere in a template or precedent. For example, if you use a boiler plate to insert an electronic signature into a document, the boiler plate tag would be inserted near the end of the template.
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3 Boilerplate Example
The following tag gets the document to insert each number the client has recorded against them, if a certain number type is not present there will be nothing inserted for that number type.
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Instead of inserting this page-long tag into file note, it can be saved as a separate document and inserted into the file note as a boiler plate, as shown highlighted in yellow below.
Insertion Types & Description of each
This following list details the different document insertion mechanisms and a description of how that insertion effects to resulting document.
Insertion | Description |
document | This inserts the body of the document, leaving behind any header footer detail. |
image | This signifies that the document to be inserted is an image, and therefore should be inserted as a Picture Box |
letterhead | This inserts the body of the document, as well as replacing all Headers and Footers of the destination document with those of the insert document |
header | This replaces all Headers of the destination document with those of the insert document |
Footer | This replaces all Footers of the destination document with those of the insert document |
firstpageheader | This replaces the First Page Header of the destination document with that of the insert document
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firstpagefooter | This replaces the First Page Footer of the destination document with that of the insert document
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firstpageheaderfooter | This combines firstpageheader and firstpagefooter. |
followonheader | This replaces the all Headers, except for the First Page Header, of the destination document with those of the insert document |
followonfooter | This replaces all the Footers, except for the First Page Footer, of the destination document with those of the insert document |
followonheaderfooter | This combines followonheader and followonfooter. |
oddheader | This replaces all the Odd Headers of the destination document with those of the insert document |
oddfooter | This replaces all the Odd Footers of the destination document with those of the insert document |
oddheaderfooter | This combines oddheader and oddfooter |
evenheader | This replaces all Even Headers of the destination document with those of the insert document |
evenfooter | This replaces all Even Footers of the destination document with those of the insert document |
evenheaderfooter | This combines evenheader and evenfooter |
Tagging PDF Precedents
It is possible to tag PDF precedents in Practice Evolve. However, the steps are slightly different to tagging a Word document.
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Step One: Add a Form Field
Open up the PDF writer and add a form field.
(The process of adding a form field differs between PDF software, the examples in this document are from Cute PDF Professional)
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Step Two: Provide a Reference for the PE Tag
In the pop up that appears when you select Text Field Tool put a word, such as Tag1 or ClientName to reference later. Keep repeating steps one and two until you have all the fields referenced.
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Step Three: Import the PDF into Practice Evolve Library
Save and close your PDF and import it into the Practice Evolve library (via drag and drop or Add Existing).
Step Four: Link a Word Document to the PDF
Save a blank Word document onto your desktop, then drag and drop it onto the PDF precedent to create a linked or child document. This document must as in the example below.
Once complete you should have a structure like the below in your library:
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Step Five: Link the PDF Form Field References to PE Tags
Check out and open the Word document and insert a table with two columns and several rows.
The first column will contain the reference name you gave the form field in the PDF, and the second column will contain the Practice Evolve tag that you want to populate into the PDF.
For example:
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Quick Reference Types and Examples
Complex Tags
Type | Example |
IF | <if'tagA='tag'?Do this if true : Do this if false |
CHOICE | <:choice tag='tagA'> <:when tag="text" DO THIS IF ABOVE STATEMENT IS TRUE </when> <:otherwise> IF NONE OF THE ABOVE ARE TRUE </otherwise> </choice> |
QUESTION | <:question="Ask the user this question"> <:when answer="Yes"> DO THIS IF ANSWER IS YES </when> <:otherwise> IF NONE OF THE ABOVE ARE TRUE </otherwise> </question> |
FOREACH | <:foreach collection='Collection'> REPEAT THIS </foreach> |
INLINEFOREACH | <inlineforeach collection='Collection' value=REPEAT THIS> |
TABLE | <:table collection='Collection'> </table> |
SUM | <:sum 'tag1'+'tag2'> <:sumdate 'datetag'+5> |
Formatters
Formatting | Word | Formatting in a Tag | Result |
Bold | <MatterNumber> | <MatterNumber format[b]> | abc1234 |
Italics | <MatterNumber> | <MatterNumber format[i]> | abc1234 |
Underline | <MatterNumber> | <MatterNumber format[u]> | abc1234 |
Strikethrough | <MatterNumber> | <MatterNumber format[s]> | abc1234 |
Text Colour | <MatterNumber> | <MatterNumber format[fc:blue]> | abc1234 |
Background | <MatterNumber> | <MatterNumber format[bc:yellow]> | abc1234 |
Sentence case | * | <MatterNumber format[titlecase]> | Abc1234 |
Force Uppercase | * | <MatterNumber format[upper]> | ABC1234 |
Force Lowercase | * | <MatterNumber format[lower]> | abc1234 |
Currency | * | <EstimatedFees format[c:c2]> | $10,000.00 |
Date | * | <CurrentDate format[c:dd MMMM yyyy]> | 6 March 2014 |
Date | * | <CurrentDate format[c:dd]> | 06/03/2014 |
Mandatory** | * | <CurrentDate format[m]> |
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Logic Operators
Logic | Operator | Example |
Equal To | = | <if'TagA'="Text"?... |
Not Equal To | <> | <if'TagA'<>"Text"?... |
Less Than | < | <if'TagA'<200?... |
Greater Than | > | <if'TagA'>200?... |
Less Than or Equal To | <= | <if'TagA'<=200?... |
Greater Than or Equal To | >= | <if'TagA'>=200?... |
Contains Certain Text | CONTAIN | <if'TagA' CONTAINS "Plaintiff"?... |
Separators
Separator | Example | Result |
Comma separated list | separator=',and' | A, B and C |
Tab separated | separator='tab' | A B C |
New Line | separator='newline' | A B C |
New Page | separator='newpage' | A…B…C |
Custom | separator='custom text' | A custom text B custom text C |
Custom Table of Contents Tags (for use with Briefs/Bundles)
One option when creating a brief is to use a Custom Table of Contents.
To create a table of contents template you must first add in a table with 2 rows (and as many columns as required)
The Header Row and its tags
The first row is the Header row, this will be for each header (section) within a brief, the below table contains the tags to use in your header row;
Tag | Purpose |
<HeadingName> | Section name |
<HeadingLetter> | Section is seen as an alphabetical list and corresponding section alphabet is displayed |
<HeadingNumber> | Section is seen as a numerical list and corresponding section number is displayed |
The second row is the Document Row, each document within the section will be listed here, so these tags relate to the document;
Tag | Purpose |
<DocumentTitle> | Document Name |
<DocumentID> | Document ID |
<DocumentNumber> | position of Document in the brief in numerical form |
<DocumentLetter> | position of Document in the brief in alphabetical form |
<DocumentPage> / <DocumentPageStart> | Returns document start page number(Fancy words for 1) |
<DocumentPageEnd> | Returns documents last page number |
<DocumentPageCount> | Number of pages in the attached document |
<DocumentHeadingNumber> | Section is seen as an numerical list and corresponding section number is displayed |
<DocumentHeadingPage> | Shows the section wise page number, starts at 1 at each section |
<DocumentHeadingPageStart> | Starting page of section |
<DocumentHeadingPageEnd> | Ending page of section |
Example of a Table of Contents template with heading row and document row (note not all cell entries need be a tag);
<HeadingNumber> | <HeadingName> | Document ID | Page Number |
<DocumentNumber> | <DocumentTitle> | <DocumentID> | <DocumentPage> |
Tag | Purpose |
<HeadingName> | Section name |
<HeadingLetter> | Section is seen as an alphabetical list and corresponding section alphabet is displayed |
<HeadingNumber> | Section is seen as an numerical list and corresponding section number is displayed |
<DocumentHeadingPage> | Shows the section wise page number, starts at 1 at each section |
<DocumentHeadingPageStart> | Starting page of section |
<DocumentHeadingPageEnd> | Ending page of section |
<#> | Page number for the whole brief |
<TotalPages> | Total page number of the brief |
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