Help with creating a template...unique feature

[michael4444]

This problem may not be possible with libre-office and my asking the question may only serve to illuminate my ignorance of libre-office. I have poured over the forums and wiki without finding what I am looking for.

I'm trying to make a template to use when a patient visits me. For example one of the template lines might be:

"Patient follows up for treatment of - depression anxiety ADHD."

When I open the template, I want to be able to click one or multiple choices (depression anxiety or ADHD) and have a final document with what I clicked.

If I click depression and ADHD, the output on final document should be:

Patient follows up for treatment of - depression ADHD.

I hope that makes sense.

[RoryOF]

You could write an OO BASIC macro to offer you a dropdown selection of a number of options; once selected that could be pasted at the cursor location. It will take longer to write and debug this macro than to handtype the desired word, even on hundreds of letters.

[michael4444]

I wish I could go back in time. I once worked in an outpatient office and the documentation was basically what I describe above. it was so fast and provided all I needed. It was faster than even drop down boxes because all I had to do was click through the whole template and then save.

Thank you for replying though. That's encouraging!

[Lupp]

I wish I could go back in time. I once worked in an outpatient office and the documentation was basically what I describe above. it was so fast and provided all I needed. It was faster than even drop down boxes because all I had to do was click through the whole template and then save.

Do you think that was made using some general-purpose Office software. Which one? Done without user code?

[michael4444]

Gee...I cant remember...too bad. It was openoffice is all I remember.
What is "user code"?
Any suggestions of software that might do this?

[Villeroy]

Insert>Fields>Other...
Tab "Functions"
Type "Input list"

[acknak]

Here's a sample OO Writer template with a couple of input fields, as Villeroy suggested.

When you open a template file (File > Open > ... will do), Writer will step through each field in the file and pop up a window where you can select from a list. You can always go back and click on the field to change it.

[Lupp]

@michael4444:
It isn't "illegal" to cross-post a question in two or even more places. It is, however, regarded "netiquette" to link-in the alternative postings. Otherwise contributors may miss informazion or waste their time on solved problems.
See https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question ... plication/
In addition you should thoroughly choose your subject. In this case you used two very different wordings. Wouldn't have expected the same question under both of them.

[RoryOF]

This article may be helpful, in particular the legal example file linked off it.
https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/linux-and-open-source/three-great-ways-to-use-variables-in-libreoffice-and-openoffice/

Edit: 2023-09-07: The information about variables in that link is no longer available -- MrProgrammer, forum moderator

[michael4444]

@michael4444:
It isn't "illegal" to cross-post a question in two or even more places. It is, however, regarded "netiquette" to link-in the alternative postings. Otherwise contributors may miss informazion or waste their time on solved problems.
See https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question ... plication/
In addition you should thoroughly choose your subject. In this case you used two very different wordings. Wouldn't have expected the same question under both of them.

Lupp,
I appreciate this. I initially spent way too much time trying to figure it out on my own. Coming to some sense of my limitations, I decided to post to the community forums to see if someone could help. After posting I kept looking around on the internet and playing around with libre-office (which is what I have used for the past few years). This helped me formulate an improved question which would help me better describe what I am looking for. I also remembered that I had used openoffice for way longer than I had used libre-office, so I decided to download openoffice again and try...which lead me to this forum.

What your saying makes sense and I will keep it in mind.

*I edited the post over at libre-office to link my post over here. Thanks again.

Best,
mike

[michael4444]

Insert>Fields>Other...
Tab "Functions"
Type "Input list"

This feature seems really handy. Im really looking for a one click solution. Such as the document shows the input list without a box pop-up to choose the text. Thanks for pointing out though I think it will be handy in other parts of my template!

[michael4444]

Here's a sample OO Writer template with a couple of input fields, as Villeroy suggested.

When you open a template file (File > Open > ... will do), Writer will step through each field in the file and pop up a window where you can select from a list. You can always go back and click on the field to change it.

Thanks, this is is really helpful and I will use it in another part of the template that I am building, but for this problem I am looking for the words to be next to each other on the template to choose from without a box popping up. I appreciate the reply with the sample.

[michael4444]

This article may be helpful, in particular the legal example file linked off it.
https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/linux ... penoffice/

Thank you very much. Lots to learn/review in this sample. I appreciate it.

[StudioJill]

This article may be helpful, in particular the legal example file linked off it.
https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/linux ... penoffice/

I went to this link and it rerouted me to "https://www.techrepublic.com/topic/microsoft/" Is the link old or am I just blind for not finding a "legal example file linked off it?"

Or, can anyone tell me how to accomplish the "click and insert" features as described here? Thank you!

[FJCC]

That link seems to be dead. To insert an Input List field:
Position the cursor where you want the "click and insert" field to be. Select the menu item Insert -> Fields -> Other. Choose the Functions tab. From the Type list on the left, choose Input List. In the Item box on the right side, type a word and then click the Add button. Continue typing words and clicking Add until your list is complete. Enter a name for the list in the Name box at the lower right. Click the Insert button and then the Close button.
You can now click on the field to bring up the list. It helps to turn on the menu item View -> Field Shadings to see where the field is. The shading does not print. If you have several input fields, you can press the key combination Ctrl + Shift + F9 to go through all of the fields. The name you gave the field is displayed at the top of the input dialog, so using a meaningful name will be helpful.