When you create a document from a linked Contract Express template, you may select one or more iSheet records, and then save the generated documents to either a folder in the Files module, or as an attachment in the linked iSheet.
Please visit the Contract Express video gallery for additional information.
You must 'map' iSheet columns in an 'input iSheet' to the variables required by the document template. This allows you to generate a single document, or a series of documents, from iSheet records.
You can also store information generated by Contract Express in an 'output isheet'.
Access Contact Express templates
You can add or edit templates from the site Admin module. Select Contract Express templates under Document automation.
Click on the More actions button and select Edit details.
Select a Linked iSheet, which will act as the input iSheet for the linked template:
The iSheet must be prepared in advance, with columns that match the required variables in the Contract Express template.
Ideally, you should develop the iSheet on a staging site, and move it to a live production site after it has been finalised. This avoids potential issues caused when changes are made during development.
Tip: If you need to change the column type in a linked iSheet, to avoid issues with existing names and column maps, please create a new column with a different name to the original column.
You must select a Linked view:
- All views - map variables from all columns that you have permission to view
- Specific views - map variables from columns in a specific view, useful if the linked iSheet has many columns
Template name and description
The template name and description, seen in the list of Contract Express templates, dashboard panel or the public access link, are set in the template file.
To set these values, open the template in Microsoft Word, then select Contract Express and Template Setup:
You can define the Reference, Version, Description and Name of the template. Click OK to save any changes.
The description is imported when you add the template to HighQ.
As of May 2023, if you update the description in the Contract Express template then the description in the list of templates is also updated. To avoid any performance issues checks are made overnight and the updated list of templates is available the following day.
Setting generated folder names for a set of documents
As of May 2023, you can set the name of generated folders to follow the rules set in Contract Express.
Select Use the name of the top template, even when it produces no document so that the folder name used when generating a set of documents matches the top template, which is usually the expected result.
Open Contract Express, then select Admin, Profiles and Edit Profile.
Click Save to keep any changes.
Working with the Input iSheet
The Input iSheet contains columns that are mapped to the variables required by the Contract Express template. This allows you to generate a document, or a series of documents, from iSheet records.
Map columns to variables
Click Create mapping (or Edit mapping if mapping already exists). The Mapping window provides two lists - variables from the template and the iSheet column that is mapped to that variable.
Click Add mapping pair to add a line to the mapping window.
Select the new Contract Express variable drop-down, and then select a variable from the template.
Then select the iSheet column drop-down, and then select the column that contains the correct information for the variable. The options will be limited to columns that are appropriate to the selected variable, i.e. only text, choice, or date columns.
A variable can only be mapped to a single column, if you have already selected a variable, then it is removed from the menu for later selections.
A complete map provides a list of all variables and columns, as shown in the image below. To remove a mapped pair, click on the red x on the right.
Click Save to finish mapping and return to the Edit template window.
Lookup columns with multiple lookups
If a Contract Express question is mapped to Lookup column that allows multiple lookups, when the questionnaire is auto-filled then only the first value is entered to the question field in the questionnaire for the following iSheet columns:
- Single select choice
- Number
- Date
- Time
Text columns where all values are entered from the questionnaire are not affected by this limitation.
Time questions in date and time columns
If a Contract Express time question is mapped to a Date and time column, you must set the associated 'date' in the iSheet column to '01 Jan 1920' so that it only extracts the 'Time' part of the value.
Document automation settings
After you have saved the mapping, select where the document will be saved. You can select a specific folder, or an attachment column in the selected iSheet:
Select either folder or iSheet column, and click either Change to select the folder, or select an iSheet column from the drop-down menu displayed.
Once you have selected the location to save the documents to, click Add and your template will be added to the list of templates available for this site.
You can now generate documents using your template. Click here for more information on how to do this.
