Create Documents

With Intrexx, document templates can be generated from view pages in applications for the following word processing programs:

  • LibreOffice (Recommended)

    Please note that you must install the entire LibreOffice package if you plan to use LibreOffice as a word processor.

  • iText

    is already available upon installation of Intrexx. iText can be used to create simple documents without images or tables. This word processor is not recommended for more complex documents.

If a document is created in a browser or on another device, the corresponding word processing program must be open.

Any elements used in conjunction with the "Grid" element in a responsive layout are not supported during document generation.

VTL include elements are supported as long as they are located on the same page that generates the documents and are not embedded in a custom table on that page.

The "Content Editor" and "Content View" application elements cannot be used for document creation.

Documents can only be generated from data in the same data group or a directly subordinate data group. It is not possible to integrate data from lower levels.

HTML variables used in VM files or text fields must not appear in the document's header or footer. Use HTML variables only within the body of the document.

Add a text editor as an external program

To ensure full functionality when creating documents, you should have a suitable word processor installed that can open *.odt files (e.g., LibreOffice).

Generally, Intrexx checks during installation to see if LibreOffice is already installed, so the settings described here are already configured automatically.

If this is not the case, enter the program path via the main menu under "Tools / Options / General / External Programs" (e.g., C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program\soffice.exe).

Document Generation - Settings in the Portal Properties

You can find the default settings for document generation that apply across the entire portal in the portal properties, which you can access via the "Portal" main menu. Select the "Documents / Document Generation" option there.

Document Generator

Here you can select which word processor to use.

Keep the document format

This option applies the format used to create the document.

Create PDF

This option creates a PDF from the document.

The document format you set will later be available as the server default in the "Create Document" button action.

Depending on the document generator you select, you can configure various settings in the lower section of the dialog box.

LibreOffice Options

Manage LibreOffice Instances Automatically

Root Directory

Enter the root directory of LibreOffice here (e.g., C:\Program Files\LibreOffice).

Please note that the LibreOffice installation directory must be entered here from the perspective of the Intrexx Portal Server.

Here is the default installation directory for LibreOffice on various operating systems:

Windows

c:\Program Files\LibreOffice

Mac

/Applications/LibreOffice.app

Linux

/opt/libreoffice<version number>/ (e.g., /opt/libreoffice25.8/) if LibreOffice was installed later.

/usr/lib/libreoffice/ if LibreOffice is included by default in a Linux distribution.

The ` whereis libreoffice ` command lists all paths whose names contain "libreoffice ." " Which LibreOffice " displays which version of LibreOffice is currently in use.

Host / Port

Enter the host and an unused port greater than 1024 that Intrexx will use to communicate with the service. Port 8100 is usually suitable.

Test

Click this button to test the connection.

iText Options

Keep HTML formatting

HTML rendering is not available in iText. Formatting such as bold or italics is not applied. With this setting, HTML tags are included in the text when a document is generated. If this setting is not enabled, the text is inserted into the document without HTML tags. iText is only suitable to a limited extent for more complex documents.

Templates - Settings in the Portal Properties

Here you can set preferences for the layout of the templates used to generate documents.

Template Format

Select the template format here.

Basic Settings

For document and PDF generation, you can configure the font and color settings for text and tables here.

Table Headings

Here, you can change the layout of table headers.

The placement of placeholders in the template is intended to match the layout of the underlying view page, but this cannot be guaranteed. The data from the view page is dynamically inserted into the new document in place of the placeholders. Tables are created using Velocity markup. For page breaks, you can specify whether the header should be repeated.

In some cases, the colors displayed in charts in the generated document may differ from the colors specified in the chart properties. Charts may not appear in the generated document if you are using Microsoft Word. Please open the document in LibreOffice or create a PDF instead of an .odt file.

Configuring Document Generation in Applications

Create a new application using the "Basic Application" template.

In the new application, select the application node and create a new view page using the context menu option "New / View Page." Then go to the "All Entries" page.

Copy the view table there.

Go back to the view page and insert the view table there. Then open the Properties dialog box for the view page.

Properties View Page - Documents

In the properties of view pages, you'll find the following settings for document generation:

Use for document generation

This setting enables document generation.

/ Edit Template Placeholder Configuration

Click here to create a new template or to edit the placeholder assignments in an existing template.

Edit Template

Opens the word processor whose path you entered in the options to edit an existing template.

Delete Template

The template will be deleted.

Document Template

Enter a name for the template here.

Template Type

Here, depending on the settings defined in the portal properties, you can select the desired type.

Please note: We do not recommend using Microsoft Office to edit ODT files. No support will be provided for technical errors, and no liability will be assumed.

Models

If no template has been created yet, no entry will be displayed in the "Models" drop-down list either. Once you've created a document template, you'll find it here for selection. You can find all templates in the portal directory "internal/reports/document-templates".

Click "Next."

Placeholder Assignment

Here you will find the placeholders that will later be replaced with data from the corresponding application element in the document.

Available Controls

In this column, you can select the elements to be used as placeholders in the template.

Template Context

In this column, you'll see the placeholders that will be inserted into the template later.

For example, if you are configuring a page that contains a table, you can specify an iterator here to improve the document's readability. Intrexx initially automatically inserts the name of the table's "Table Records" element. This can be overridden with any iterator. The iterator is automatically inserted for each element contained in the table—such as the title—in place of the name of the table record element.

Changes to the iterator are saved only if you confirm the change by pressing the Enter key.

When creating the template, all controls on the view page are automatically selected. If additional controls are added to the view page later, they can also be added to the template, and the placeholder mappings can be adjusted accordingly here.

The following list shows the controls that can be included in documents:

  • Static Text

  • Viewport

  • Dynamic View

  • Text Field View

  • "View" checkbox

  • Line

  • List box

  • Multiple Selection View

  • Sortable List View

  • View Table

  • Freely Formatted Table

  • Image (accepted formats: jpg, png)

  • Chart (all except horizontal area charts and "Other" charts)

  • File Selection View

  • Static Text for Programming

  • VTL Include

  • Calculation

In our example, the table included on the view page is already selected for the template context. Click "Next."

If you select "Edit Template," the template will open in the word processor after you click "Finish."

The template is now complete. Click "OK" to save all settings and close the dialog box.

Configure Button

To allow users to generate documents in the browser, they need a button with the "Generate Document" action.

Create a button on the view page that contains the table. The button's Properties dialog box opens automatically.

There, go to the "Actions" tab and select the "Create Document" action type.

Select the template you want to use to generate the documents here.

The following output formats are available:

  • Standard Server

    Takes the format from the portal properties

  • Same as the original

    Output in ODT format

  • PDF

    PDF Version

Starting with Intrexx version 12.2.1

Starting with Intrexx version 12.2.1, additional options are available here under " Download Behavior":

Save As

The document is available for download. Depending on the browser you're using and its settings, a dialog box may appear asking you to select a save location and file name, or the file may download directly.

Open in browser

The document is provided with instructions to view it directly in the browser. Whether the file actually opens in the browser depends on the browser you're using, its settings (e.g., download settings for PDF files), and whether it supports the file format.

Click OK. To make the view page accessible in the browser, it must now be added to the application menu.

By double-clicking the application node, the view page can be added to the Selected Pages list on the Application Menu tab in the Properties dialog box.

Click OK and save the application.

Open the application in your browser and enter sample data on the "All Entries" page. Then go to the view page and click the button.

The new document will then open in a separate browser tab and display the relevant data in the table.

Edit Template

If you want to modify a template, open the view page's Properties dialog again.

Click "Edit Template" at . The template will then open in the word processor.

Here you will find all placeholders and elements that are configured in the placeholder mapping. You can now customize the template as desired and save it. Confirm the change by clicking "OK" in the view page's Properties dialog box, and then save the application. The modified template will then be available in the browser.

Buttons created on the view page are not included in the template.

Document Actions in Processes

The "Document Action" process element allows you to automatically generate a document when adding or modifying a record, which can then be saved directly with that record.