Document Templates
The system allows you to define two sets of templates that may be used to create working papers and other letters and documents within the audit pack. Any number of templates may be created and they can either be for the internal word processor, MS Word or MS Excel. Templates are standard documents that can contain merge codes which are used to automate the production of client documents automating the insertion of client related data.
To access a list of templates that have been created for the master pack, load the pack for editing and click on the Templates option in the Master pack index and the Templates dialog will be displayed.
Master templates dialog
This is a tabbed dialog which contains all the templates that have been defined for the data path to which you are connected. The three tabs are provided to allow the lists to be broken down into more manageable sections and to make it easier to find the template that you are after. When the dialog is first displayed the Working papers tab will be selected. To select one of the lists, click on the tab name. Each entry is shown with an icon identifying the type of document, see below.
You can restrict the contents of the list to documents of a specific type by selecting one of the radio buttons in the Show template group. You can also jump to a template in the list displayed by typing the first few letters of its code in the Template code edit box.
The type column indicates the type of template identifying it with a letter and an icon:
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I |
Internal word processor document |
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W |
Word document |
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S |
Excel document |
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E |
Associated external program |
The external word processor used is Microsoft's Word and the external spreadsheet is Microsoft Excel.
Adding a New Template
To add a new template, click on the [Add] button and the Master letter template dialog will appear.
Master letter template dialog
Enter a unique code of up to 10 digits to identify this template and press <Tab> to move to the Name field. Enter a name of up to 40 characters to describe the template and then indicate whether the template is to be created using the internal word processor, the external word processor, Excel or an associated program by clicking on the appropriate radio buttons. If you are using an associated program, select the name of the program to use from the drop-down list. Finally, select the radio button identifying the tab on which you would like the template to appear.
Select [Edit template] and the system will either launch the internal word processor, Word, Excel or the associated program and present you with a blank document for you to proceed and create your template. You may enter any information you wish, standard letters, forms or models and incorporate merge codes which the system will use to identify the nature of the data required from a client’s record. Refer to the reference manual for information on how to use the internal word processor and to your Word and Excel manuals if you are using the external word processor or spreadsheet.
Once you have created your template, further information regarding merge codes is given below, close the internal word processor if you have created an internal word processing template and the system will ask you if you wish to save your document before proceeding - alternatively you may save the document yourself by clicking on the save button before closing the word processor. If you are using MS Word or Excel you may either save and close the document or leave it open. In either case, we recommend that you do not close MS Word or Excel but minimise it to return to CCH Audit Automation as the system will then be able to reuse the same instance of MS Word or Excel for editing further templates or client documents and you will not have to wait while the program is loaded again. If you leave MS Word or Excel open and minimised, you must remember to save your work before closing the programs, or you will lose the template you have created. For associated programs, CCH Audit Automation will always launch another instance of the program each time it is called, so you are advised to save your work and close the program used as you proceed.
Warning: As you will discover, CCH Audit Automation names files using the code you have entered and an internal file sequence number where duplicate codes have been allocated. All templates are stored in the Template directory within the data path directory and you access them through the list maintained by the system.
You should therefore never save a document with 'Save as' allocating the document a different file name as CCH Audit Automation will not be able to find the revised copy which you have stored, but will reload the original on the next occasion that the document is accessed. You may, however, use 'Save' at any time to save the changes that you have made to a document as this will save the changes down to the same file name and will therefore remain accessible by the system.
You may, of course, use 'Save as' if you wish to save a document to a named file for use outside CCH Audit Automation and do not wish that file to be accessible by CCH Audit Automation using its standard access techniques.
Editing an Existing Document
To edit an existing document, select the document in the list of master templates by clicking on it with the left mouse button and select [Edit]. The Master letter template dialog will be displayed showing the information relating to the document and you may edit the name of the document, but you may not change the document type which is fixed once the document has been created. To edit the document itself click on [Edit template] and the document will be loaded and presented for edit either using the internal word processor, MS Word, Excel or the associated program.
Deleting a Document
To remove a master template from the system, highlight the template in the list of master templates using the left mouse button and click on [Delete]. The system will ask you to confirm that you wish to delete the template and if you indicate that you do it will remove the entry from the list and delete the underlying file from the documents directory.
Merge Codes
The system uses a list of predefined merge codes to enable it to insert data in respect of the client for whom the document is being created when it is based on a template. The codes which are available for merging, and the way they are entered, vary depending on whether you are using the internal word processor, external word processor or Excel. You cannot use merge codes in templates created using program associations.
Internal word processor Merge Codes
To insert merge codes in the internal word processor, position the insertion point where the text is to appear and select File | Insert merge field from the menu. Alternatively, you may click on the [Insert fields] button on the toolbar, or click on the right mouse button to display the pop up menu and select Insert field. Whichever method is used the Code selector dialog will be displayed.
Code selector dialog
To select a code, scroll through the list using the vertical scroll bar until the code appears and click on it with the left mouse button. As you do this, the code will appear in the Code to insert field and the name of the code will also be presented. To return the code to the selected Item to test field, click on the [Tick] button or double click on the line containing the code in the list. If you wish to close the Code selector dialog without returning a code, click on the [Cross] button.
Where you select one of the reference codes, for example the primary bank, the information needs to know which data field you wish to insert. This is identified by an "*" appearing as the last character of the code in the Code selector dialog. It will therefore present the Transaction category dialog for you to select the field to use.
Transaction category dialog
Merge codes appear as a red “#” followed by the code name in square brackets. You cannot edit the contents of the merge field. If you try, the system will display a message advising you of this fact, however, you can highlight the whole of the merge field including the # and the closing square bracket and delete it using the <Delete> key.
External word processor merge codes
To include merge codes in a MS Word master template document, type the name of the merge code within square brackets and surrounded by a hash sign, as follows:
[#code name#]
For example, to insert the name of the client you would include:
[#name#]
When the system creates the document for the client it searches through the word template and replaces all such codes with data from the client’s record. These codes can appear anywhere within the document, however, it should be noted that searching and replacing within a MS Word template is slower than with the internal word processor and if you are using Word 7 or later you should use the 32 bit version of CCH Audit Automation otherwise the process will be very slow.
Spreadsheet merge codes
The inclusion of merge codes in Excel documents is performed in exactly the same way as for Word documents, namely by enclosing the name of the merge code within [#…#] within the text entered in a cell. Standard merge codes can only appear in the first 15 columns and five lines of the spreadsheet. There are 4 special codes that are available for use only in Excel that allow you to embed planning information in the spreadsheet. These codes must be entered in column 1 of the spreadsheet, and within the first 100 lines.
When the document is created, the system will replace the code with the area name and insert the text of the Key facts box in the cell to the right of the code. Hence, you should set the width of this cell to accommodate the text and also set text to wrap. Refer to appendix 2 for a full list of merge codes.
Assign Default Templates with Pool Tests and Perennial checklist
When you add a document to a pool test or a perennial checklist during audit completion, if the test or question has a default working paper template associated with it, the template field will be populated with the code of the default template to be used. You can either accept this or change it as required.
Template for current audit file
It is possible for the designer of the master pack to create a default template for the current audit file. This can contain standard template working papers that will automatically appear when a client is created. Any merge codes will be resolved the first time a working paper is opened and once the client is created working papers not required can be deleted. The template can also contain entries that link to internal AA routines, e.g. the General Planning Memo option on the Planning menu.
When you change the master pack that the client it attached to, there is an option to allow you to merge the current audit file template in the new master pack with the client’s current audit file, adding any template documents which do not currently appear as working papers in the client file.
