Using Templates

Templates allow additional field information to be added to entries that is not present on the originating address book file. For example, organisation information not included in the address book file can be added from the template to the contact objects when they are created on a directory.

If desired, templates can be used to override field data from the address book file, forcing a standard value to be added to all contacts matching the rule, regardless of the original value on the address book file.

Templates can be used to format data as well, setting the case of field values (uppercase, properised). Also, templates can be used to populate fields with the content of other fields, for instance, creating the display name using the first and last name values. The import date can also be added to a field.

Templates are thus highly useful when maintaining directory standards.

To open the template form, click on the ellipsis (...) in the Template field on the rule.

To add fixed values to fields, enter a free text value into the desired field on the template. This will populate this value on the contact object on the directory where this value is missing on the entry from the address book.

To force these template values to overwrite values from the address book, tick the "Force these template values to override existing mailbox data" option. The value in the template will now always be written to the contact object, regardless of whether the entry from the address book has a value or not. This will apply to all fields on the template.

To populate a field with values from other fields, placeholders can be used to indicate where a value should be inserted. These placeholders have this format: <#fieldname> where fieldname is replaced by the field name from the address book file. This placeholder will be replaced by the value of the field from the entry in the address book file. Several placeholders can be used in one field. Placeholders can be mixed with free text in a field.

If a placeholder is used but that field has no value on the entry for the address book, Contact Manager will replace it with the value in the template if one is present.

Commas are removed from the Display Name value to avoid complications when creating Alias names. To explicitly add a comma, add a hash character before the comma, i.e. "#," The hash will tell Contact Manager that the comma should not be removed. The hash will not appear in the Display Name.

To change the case of the value inserted by the placeholder, add one of the following tags to the start of the field:

• <caps> - will set all values to upper case (THIS IS CAPS)
• <lower> - will set all value to lower case (this is lower case)
• <proper> - will set all values to be proper case (This Is Proper Case)

Only one tag can be used per field and will be applied to all values inserted by placeholders. The tag will not affect free text in that field.

To insert the date in a field, use the <#date> placeholder.