Migrating Templates from the Classic to the NextGen App

The Classic and NextGen templates are not compatible. This article explains how to create new templates from the original Classic templates to use in the NextGen app.

NextGen templates can be used in the Classic App but Classic templates cannot be used in the NextGen app.

The primary distinction between Classic and NextGen templates lies in the handling of dynamic data. Classic templates use Bookmarks, whereas NextGen templates use MergeFields and DocVariables. This variance renders Classic and NextGen templates incompatible.

If you are planning to use your existing templates from Classic, it is required to replace the bookmarks in the files before they can be used in NextGen. We will refer to this process as ‘Migrating templates from the Classic to the NextGen App’.

Before you start migrating templates from the Classic to the NextGen App, make sure you are familiar with Creating a template from a Word File.

• Creating a Template from a Word File

The article is based on Microsoft 365 version of Word. Please note that the user interface may vary slightly depending on the version of Word you are using.

Let’s start…

1. Using Microsoft Word, open the template (*.dot or *.dotx files) that you want to migrate.

   

2. In the Classic templates, dynamic data is added by inserting bookmarks as FORMTEXT. You'll need to replace each FORMTEXT with the new elements used by the NextGen app.

   If you cannot see the FORMTEXT area or find it difficult to locate where FORMTEXT is being used within the document, press Alt + F9 to show/hide the FORMTEXT fields.

   

3. To see what bookmark is for, double-click or right-click on each FORMTEXT and then click on Properties, the Text Form Field Options window will open. In the Bookmark field on the Field settings section, you can see the reference of the bookmark. Take note of the bookmark as you need to replace this element.

   

4. Go to Bookmarks panel in eBECAS/EDMISS NextGen Creating Templates and find the relevant field in the Single Fields section. Click on the field to add it to the editor and check the API name.

   

5. Go back to the Word document and replace the FORMTEXT fields in the template with the relevant bookmark using MERGEFIELD.
   See the following article for detailed instructions on how to insert fields using MERGEFIELD: Creating a Template in Microsoft Word | Insert Fields.

   

6. To replace the FORMTEXT fields used in the table, you have 2 options:

   1. Grids in Tables: Convert it to a Grid in a Table in the current word template, which can only be used within this word template.
      See this article for detailed instruction: Grids in Tables.

   2. Grid Templates: Create a Grid Template that can be reused in other templates like modules, and insert it as a DocVariable.
      See this article for detailed instruction: Creating Grid Template and Creating a Template in Microsoft Word | Insert Grid Templates or Section Templates

7. After updating all the fields, save the template as .doc or .docx format.

8. Upload the word file through eBECAS/EDMISS NextGen Templates.
   See the following article for detailed instruction: Creating a Template from a Word File | Upload a Microsoft Word Template.