Using Document Templates

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Complete these steps to create a new document with a document template:

Video: Using Document Templates in M-Files

  1. Click the Create () button and then select Document.
    Result:The New Document dialog is opened.
  2. Select a class.
    Result:The available document templates for the selected class are shown. If there is more than one template available and you have used some of them before, the last used template is listed in the Default template section.
  3. Select a document template and click Next.
    Result:The metadata card for the new document is opened. Some of the properties can be prefilled.
  4. Enter values for the necessary remaining properties.
  5. Click Create.
    Result:The document is opened in the editor associated with the file format. M-Files has used the metadata that you have specified to prefill document contents.
  6. Optional: Edit the document contents.
  7. Complete one of these steps:
    • Open the M-Files tab and click Check In.
      or
    • Close the document. When you are prompted to check in the document, click Yes.
  8. Optional: If you are prompted to save your changes, click Yes.
The document is saved to the vault.

Creating a New Document Template

You can convert any document in an M-Files document vault to a document template that can then be used for creating standardized documents for a specific purpose.

Complete the following steps to convert a document in M-Files to a document template:

  1. Locate and select the document that you want to use as a template.
  2. On the metadata card, click Add property.
    Result:A new property field is added to the metadata card:
  3. Use the drop-down menu to select the property Is template.
  4. Check the Is template check box.
  5. Click Save to save your changes.
The selected document is now a document template in the vault. You may modify the template at any time by right-clicking the document and selecting Open from the context menu.

Adding Automatically Filled Fields to a Template

You can add to your document template fields that are automatically filled when you create a new document based on the template. The fields are filled with values of predefined properties specified in the metadata of the new document.

Complete the following to add an automatically filled field to your document template:

  1. Right-click your document template and select Open from the context menu.
  2. If you are prompted to check out the document, click Check Out.
  3. Click the position in the template where you want the automatically filled field to appear.
  4. Open the M-Files tab and click Insert Property.
    Result:The Insert M-Files Property dialog is opened.
  5. Select the metadata property that you want to fill the field with and then click OK.
Now, when you create a new document based on the template, the predefined field in the document is filled with the property value that you have specified in the metadata of the new document.
Now that you are familiar with document templates, proceed to Saving Emails from Microsoft Outlook to M-Files for a tutorial on how you can easily save e-mail messages in Microsoft Outlook to M-Files.