What is the document content updater?

About this article

This article explains what the document content updater functionality is and how to enable or disable it.

• What is the document content updater?
• How to enable or disable the document content updater on a template
• When is updating supported?

 

Prerequisites

Library and at least one Dynamics module enabled Templafy Desktop and Office VSTO add-in installed Tenant admin/owner access or Space owner access

 

What is the document content updater?

The document content updater is a dynamics functionality that allows the update of a smart template after its generation:

• Change the user profile that was initially chosen to create the document
• Update the answers provided in the response form of the document

 

 

How to enable or disable the document content updater on a template

The document content updater must be first enabled on the template level through the Template designer settings. 

In Word, PowerPoint, or Excel: 

1. Click on the ellipsis menu in the Template designer.
   
   
2. Select Settings.
   
   
3. Toggle on or off Document content updater.
   
   
4. Click Close.

 

The document content updater is enabled by default on smart templates.

 

Additionally, some smart fields can be individually set to use the document content updater via the Advanced section: 

• Allow updates: allow the smart field to be updated when edited by the user through the document content updater.
• Replace on update: update the inserted text element when using the document content updater.
• Remove and keep content: this will effectively disable the document content updater as the content control will be removed on document generation.

 

When is updating supported?

When updating a document (or presentation or spreadsheet) is supported, then the ribbon shows an enabled Update Document button in the ribbon and an Update Document button in the task pane:

 

When updating a document (or presentation or spreadsheet) is not supported, then the ribbon shows the Update Document button greyed out and the button is not available in the task pane:

 

In PowerPoint the button is called Update Presentation and in Excel Update Spreadsheet.

 

The criteria for the button to be shown in the task pane and enabled on the ribbon are:

• The template contains any dynamic content (form fields or smart fields).
• Document Content Updater is enabled (this is by default).
  
  
  
  
• The Templafy desktop MSI installed on the PC must match the tenant from which the document was generated.
  
  

  Document content updater only works on PC using VSTO add-ins and Templafy Desktop. Dynamic slide insertion, adaptive sections, and data input from an App connector (HostSystem) will not be updated with the Document content updater.

   

Text Elements (Library)

• Web App generation: When generating from the Web App, the generated Word document can be updated.
• Text Element insertion (compile scenario): When used as a text element insertion, the document content updater setting in the text element is ignored flag, since the main template determines whether updating is supported or not. For a text element to be updated this means Replace On Update must be enabled in the template.
• Templafy task pane (Word): When the asset is used from the Templafy task pane in Word it is always inserted as static content and cannot be updated, regardless of where it is inserted.

 

Slides (Library)

When Group as slide collection is enabled:

• Web App generation: When generating from the Web App, the generated PowerPoint presentation can be updated.
• Slide insertion (compile scenario): When used as slide insertion, the document content updater setting in the slide template is ignored since the main template determines whether updating is supported or not.
• Templafy task pane (PowerPoint): When the asset is used from the Templafy task pane in PowerPoint it is always inserted as static content and cannot be updated, regardless of where it is inserted.

When Group as slide collection is disabled:

• Web App Generation: When generating from the Web App, the generated PowerPoint file cannot be updated since it is not a presentation but a single slide.
• Slide Insertion (compile scenario): It is not possible to insert a single slide, in this case it falls into the behavior of Group as slide collection enabled, where all slides are inserted.
• Templafy task pane (PowerPoint): When the asset is used from the Templafy task pane in PowerPoint, it is always inserted as a single slide of static content and cannot be updated, regardless of where it is inserted.

 

Slide Elements (Library)

• Web App generation: When generating from the Web App, the generated PowerPoint presentation cannot be updated since it is not a presentation but a single slide.
• Templafy task pane (PowerPoint): When the asset is used from the Templafy task pane in PowerPoint it is always inserted as static content and cannot be updated, regardless of where it is inserted.
  
  

  Since updating a Slide element is not supported, it is not possible to upload a file with document content updater enabled to the Slide elements library.

   

Email Elements (Library)

• Web App generation: When generating from the Web App, the generated Word document can be updated.
• Templafy task pane (Outlook): When the asset is used from the Templafy task pane in Outlook it is always inserted as static content and cannot be updated, regardless of where it is inserted.

 

 

Related articles

What are Dynamics and smart templates? How to create a smart template with Template Designer? What data can be used to create a smart template? What is the binding syntax used in smart templates? What are smart fields? What is a response form? What are functions, conditions, and operators? What are template settings and properties?