Printing (Desktop App)
The Desktop App offers the ability to print various items, such as transactions, invoices and reports. In contrast to other applications which offer direct printing only (usually in a fixed format), ContactsLaw leverages its document production features to provide much greater flexibility.
By selecting a template (or configuring one for a given purpose), you can control the structure, layout and content of the document that is generated from the item you want to print.
In addition to printing the resulting document, you can also:
- Upload it to a contact, matter or workgroup
- Save a digital copy
- Convert to Portable Document Format (
.pdf), where supported - Send via email, as an attachment
The method by which different types of items implement this functionality falls into the following categories:
Finalisable Items
This category includes:
Items which can be finalised generate (as part of the finalisation process) a document which is stored on the matter/contact. The document is permanently linked to the item, preventing its deletion (although the document can be destroyed, leaving behind a record of its prior existence). The document is intended to serve as a record of item at a particular point in time, e.g. for non-repudiation purposes.
For these items, a template must be configured for the corresponding purpose (e.g. Invoice). This would normally be part of the initial configuration for the subscription. The template draws upon the particulars of the item, which are represented as specific types of assets (e.g. Invoice, Invoice Item, etc). Specialised templates can also be configured for use in specific workgroups; if there are multiple templates, you can select the one you want to use in the editor (prior to finalisation).
Once finalised, you can print, read, edit, download or send the document from within the corresponding editor. You can also locate the document directly (via the documents view of the matter/contact). In some cases, you may be able to generate a draft version of the document prior to finalisation. Draft documents are overwritten during finalisation.
Other Items
This category includes:
For these types of items, documents are not normally generated; however, you can do so on-demand using the Generate Document command (available in the editor and context menu). Whether the document is uploaded depends on the configuration of the individual template used, which can be selected in the first step of document creation. As such, these documents are not intended to serve as permanent records and may change substantially between runs.
As above, templates must be configured for the corresponding purpose (e.g. Receipt), drawing upon the particulars of the item via specific asset types (e.g. Transaction, Transaction Line Item).
Generally, you need to save your changes before you can generate a document for the item. Transaction groups are an exception, as the document (i.e. ABA file) is used to obtain the processing details prior to saving.
Reports
This category applies to reports, which are normally presented interactively, but for which documents can also be generated on-demand. Look for the Generate Document command on the ribbon.
To avoid the need to maintain a separate template for each type of report (of which there are many), all reports use a template with the same purpose (Report). This template draws upon the data for the report, which is represented by the following assets:
- Report - Required. Contains the title of the report and its body in Markdown format.
- Report Option - Optional, multiple. Contains the description and value of each option affecting the report.
For this reason, the body of a report can only be customised by applying different styles; the structure and content are fixed.
Alternatively, you can export the data for most types of reports in Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or Comma-Separated Values (.csv) format (Export command on the ribbon). This is intended for analytical and other derivative purposes, rather than presentation.