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Amalgamate Document Variations Into Each Master Template PDF Print E-mail

We currently have a list of templates to code. Most templates have one or more variation documents associated with it. Here, we go through the process of incorporating the variations into the master template. To do this, we need to identify what variation the document has, and marking those differences in the master template. In each instance, we have to mark under what circumstances the variation appears, and also the actual content of what appears.

Marking Up

This process is commonly known as marking up. Marking up is a method of "pseudo coding" - annotating code to be written, and providing a logical reason for code to be there (as well as any consequences of that code), but not actually coding it. Pseudo code is placed in the document or template and also recorded in a tracking document of some kind. When marking up, we will customarily use the "greater than" and "less than" signs to designate a pseudo code variable or statement.

For a letter to client enclosing a Form 1 for execution, the pseudo code would look something like this

<CLI Name TE>
<CLI Address Block CO>

RE: YOUR CONVEYANCING MATTER - FORM 1 ENCLOSED

Enclosed is the Form 1 to be executed by you at your earliest convenience. Please return the executed document to us as soon as possible so we may proceed with the transaction.

<IF SDUTY Paid TF = TRUE>

We confirm receipt of your cheque for stamp duty in this matter - thank you.

<ELSE>

We advise that we have not yet received stamp duty for this matter in the amount of <SDUTY Amount NU>. Please be aware that the transaction cannot go ahead until we have received these funds into our trust account.

<END IF // SDUTY PaidTF = TRUE>

This is the mark-up for a client's name (CLI Name TE) and block letter style street address (CLI Address Block CO). The < > markers denote where each variable starts and ends.

SDUTY is the "prefix" I'm using to denote stamp duty related variables. So, we are asking the user if trust funds have been received for stamp duty. If the user states they have, the first paragraph comes in thanking the recipient for their trust funds. If not, we request the recipient to supply a cheque for stamp duty, in a specific amount (STUDY Amount NU).

We have clearly marked the two variables that we have pseudo-coded into our template. We have also clearly marked that SDUTY Amount NU is only needed (at this point in time) if the user has not stated we have received funds.

Continuing On With the Templates

The remainder of developing is more of the same - across as many templates and client versions of documents as you may have.

  • replace variable text with markers, which will later become true variables
  • find differences between your master template, and the client versions of that document
  • include those differences into the master template, ensuring you clearly annotate the reasoning as to when that conditional content will appear
  • every time you mark a template, list it in the spreadsheet with a tentative variable name, type, prompt and any rules it may be subject to

Prologue

The entire goal of this process is to end up with a single tracking document that contains every variable, conditional statement, computation and piece of information that your system will need to produce correct documents first time, every time. All too often, document assembly systems are programmed before the developer is aware of everything the system will need to do. This will quite often result in poor code and additional hours (many, many hours) of re-working existing programming as new needs arise.

Our next step is to analyse our list and to start imposing some order.