In a xential template, you can automatically turn a dynamic email address (from a text question or an XPath query) into a clickable email link. When the end user generates a document, the entered email address is displayed as a clickable hyperlink that opens a new email message.


Step-by-step guide

1
Add the field containing the email address to the template (for example a text question).
2
In Word, press Alt+F9 to display the field codes and note the number of the field (for example @@2.29@@).
3
Press Alt+F9 again to hide the field codes.
4
Select the inserted field in the template precisely: the selection should overlap exactly with the grey shading of the field.
5
In the Word ribbon, go to Insert and click Link under Links.
6
In the window that appears, select Email address in the left column (Link to).
7
In the Email address field, enter the field number preceded by mailto: — for example: mailto:@@2.29@@.
8
Click OK.


Result

When the end user generates the document, the entered email address is displayed as a clickable hyperlink. Clicking the link opens a new email message addressed to that recipient. For example: the entered address A@A.NL appears in the document as a clickable link that calls mailto:A@A.NL.


Tip

You can also find the field number without using Alt+F9: in xential|studio, hover over the text question with your mouse. The tooltip displays the field number in square brackets at the start, for example [2.29]. Remove the outer brackets and place the number between @@ characters, resulting in @@2.29@@.


Important

  • This method works not only for text questions, but also for fixed text and other field types whose field number you can determine.
  • If the field number itself contains square brackets (for example with nested fields), you must keep these inner brackets. Only the outermost brackets shown in the tooltip should be removed.