Report Templates

Template-based document generation with dynamic data binding, conditional formatting, and automated layout management.

Create professional reports using predefined templates with dynamic data binding, conditional content, and automated formatting for consistent, branded document generation.

Features

Template-based document generation
Dynamic data binding and variable substitution
Conditional content inclusion
Multi-format output support (DOCX, PDF, HTML)
Brand consistency and style management

Connector Options

The node uses reusable connector configuration that applies to all template operations:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`templateDirectory`	TEXT	No	Default directory containing template files
`outputDirectory`	TEXT	No	Default output directory for generated reports
`brandAssets`	TEXT	No	Directory containing logos and brand assets
`defaultFormat`	TEXT	No	Default output format (default: docx)

Methods

generateReport

Generate reports using templates with dynamic data and conditional content.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`templateName`	TEXT	Yes	Name or path of the template to use
`outputFileName`	TEXT	Yes	Name for the generated report file
`data`	Object	Yes	Data source for template variables
`options`	Object	No	Report generation options and formatting
`outputFormat`	TEXT	No	Output format: docx, pdf, html

{
  "templateName": "quarterly_report_template",
  "outputFileName": "Q3_2024_Performance_Report",
  "data": {
    "report_period": "Q3 2024",
    "company_name": "Acme Corporation",
    "reporting_date": "2024-10-15",
    "financial_data": {
      "revenue": 2500000,
      "profit": 450000,
      "growth_rate": 15.3,
      "expenses": 2050000
    },
    "kpis": [
      {"metric": "Customer Acquisition", "value": 234, "change": "+18%"},
      {"metric": "Customer Satisfaction", "value": 4.6, "change": "+0.2"},
      {"metric": "Market Share", "value": 12.5, "change": "+1.8%"}
    ],
    "departments": [
      {"name": "Sales", "performance": "excellent", "budget_usage": 95},
      {"name": "Marketing", "performance": "good", "budget_usage": 87}
    ]
  },
  "options": {
    "includeSummary": true,
    "includeCharts": true,
    "showBudgetDetails": true,
    "confidentialityLevel": "internal"
  },
  "outputFormat": "docx"
}

Output:

success (Boolean) - Report generation success status
filePath (String) - Path to the generated report
format (String) - Output format of the generated report
pageCount (Number) - Number of pages in the report
statistics (Object) - Generation statistics and metadata

batchReporting

Generate multiple reports using the same template with different data sets.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`templateName`	TEXT	Yes	Template to use for all reports
`reports`	Array	Yes	Array of report configurations
`outputDirectory`	TEXT	No	Directory for generated reports
`sharedData`	Object	No	Common data used across all reports

{
  "templateName": "client_report_template",
  "reports": [
    {
      "outputFileName": "client_report_acme.docx",
      "data": {
        "client_name": "Acme Corp",
        "account_manager": "John Smith",
        "metrics": {"satisfaction": 4.8, "retention": 95}
      }
    },
    {
      "outputFileName": "client_report_techco.docx",
      "data": {
        "client_name": "TechCo Inc",
        "account_manager": "Jane Doe", 
        "metrics": {"satisfaction": 4.5, "retention": 89}
      }
    }
  ],
  "sharedData": {
    "reporting_period": "Q3 2024",
    "company_logo": "/sandbox/assets/company_logo.png",
    "contact_info": "support@company.com"
  }
}

createTemplate

Create new report templates with structure definitions and styling.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`templateName`	TEXT	Yes	Name for the new template
`structure`	Object	Yes	Template structure and layout definition
`styles`	Object	No	Custom styling and formatting rules
`variables`	Object	No	Variable definitions and validation rules

{
  "templateName": "project_status_report",
  "structure": {
    "sections": [
      {
        "name": "header",
        "type": "header",
        "content": [
          {"type": "logo", "source": "{{company_logo}}"},
          {"type": "title", "text": "{{report_title}}"},
          {"type": "date", "text": "{{report_date}}"}
        ]
      },
      {
        "name": "executive_summary",
        "type": "section",
        "title": "Executive Summary",
        "content": [
          {"type": "paragraph", "text": "{{executive_summary}}"}
        ]
      },
      {
        "name": "project_details",
        "type": "section", 
        "title": "Project Details",
        "content": [
          {"type": "table", "data": "{{project_data}}"},
          {"type": "chart", "source": "{{status_chart}}"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "variables": {
    "report_title": {"type": "string", "required": true},
    "report_date": {"type": "date", "default": "{{current_date}}"},
    "project_data": {"type": "array", "required": true},
    "executive_summary": {"type": "string", "maxLength": 500}
  }
}

Template Structure

Section Types

Section Type	Description	Usage
`header`	Document header with branding	Company logo, title, date
`footer`	Document footer information	Page numbers, contact info
`title_page`	Dedicated title/cover page	Report title, author, date
`table_of_contents`	Automatically generated TOC	Document navigation
`section`	Content sections with headings	Main report content
`appendix`	Supporting materials	Additional data, references

Content Elements

{
  "contentElements": {
    "text": {
      "type": "paragraph",
      "text": "{{variable_name}}",
      "formatting": {"bold": true, "color": "#333333"}
    },
    "table": {
      "type": "table",
      "data": "{{table_data}}",
      "headers": ["Column 1", "Column 2"],
      "formatting": {
        "style": "TableGrid",
        "alternatingRows": true
      }
    },
    "chart": {
      "type": "chart",
      "source": "{{chart_data}}",
      "chartType": "column",
      "title": "Performance Metrics"
    },
    "image": {
      "type": "image",
      "source": "{{image_path}}",
      "width": 400,
      "alignment": "center"
    },
    "list": {
      "type": "list",
      "items": "{{list_items}}",
      "listType": "bulleted",
      "style": "compact"
    }
  }
}

Dynamic Content

Variable Substitution

Replace placeholders with dynamic data:

{
  "variables": {
    "company_name": "Acme Corporation",
    "report_date": "2024-10-15",
    "total_revenue": 2500000,
    "formatted_revenue": "{{currency(total_revenue)}}",
    "growth_percentage": "{{percentage(growth_rate)}}",
    "current_quarter": "{{quarter(report_date)}}"
  },
  "templateContent": [
    {
      "type": "paragraph",
      "text": "{{company_name}} achieved {{formatted_revenue}} in revenue for {{current_quarter}}, representing {{growth_percentage}} growth."
    }
  ]
}

Conditional Content

Include or exclude content based on data conditions:

{
  "conditionalContent": [
    {
      "condition": "revenue > 2000000",
      "content": [
        {
          "type": "paragraph",
          "text": "Congratulations on exceeding the revenue target!",
          "style": "SuccessHighlight"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "condition": "show_budget_details == true",
      "content": [
        {
          "type": "section",
          "title": "Budget Analysis",
          "content": "{{budget_section}}"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "condition": "confidentiality_level == 'internal'",
      "content": [
        {
          "type": "watermark",
          "text": "INTERNAL USE ONLY"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Data Transformation

Apply formatting functions to raw data:

{
  "dataTransformations": {
    "currency": {
      "function": "formatCurrency",
      "params": {"symbol": "$", "decimals": 0}
    },
    "percentage": {
      "function": "formatPercentage", 
      "params": {"decimals": 1}
    },
    "date": {
      "function": "formatDate",
      "params": {"format": "MMMM DD, YYYY"}
    },
    "number": {
      "function": "formatNumber",
      "params": {"thousands": ",", "decimals": 2}
    }
  }
}

Chart Integration

Chart Types and Data

Generate charts from data and embed in reports:

{
  "chartDefinitions": {
    "revenue_trend": {
      "type": "line",
      "data": "{{monthly_revenue}}",
      "xAxis": "month",
      "yAxis": "revenue",
      "title": "Revenue Trend Over Time",
      "formatting": {
        "width": 500,
        "height": 300,
        "colors": ["#4472C4", "#E16F24"]
      }
    },
    "department_performance": {
      "type": "column",
      "data": "{{department_data}}",
      "xAxis": "department",
      "yAxis": "performance_score",
      "title": "Department Performance Comparison"
    },
    "market_share": {
      "type": "pie",
      "data": "{{market_data}}",
      "label": "company",
      "value": "market_share",
      "title": "Market Share Distribution"
    }
  }
}

Chart Styling

{
  "chartStyles": {
    "corporate": {
      "colors": ["#1F497D", "#4F81BD", "#9CBEDF", "#B4C6E7"],
      "fonts": {"title": "Arial Bold 14pt", "axis": "Arial 10pt"},
      "background": "#FFFFFF",
      "gridlines": "#E0E0E0"
    },
    "professional": {
      "colors": ["#2E75B6", "#5B9BD5", "#A5C6EA", "#C5DBEF"],
      "effects": {"shadow": true, "gradient": false},
      "borders": {"width": 1, "color": "#CCCCCC"}
    }
  }
}

Brand Management

Style Definitions

Maintain consistent branding across all reports:

{
  "brandStyles": {
    "colors": {
      "primary": "#1F497D",
      "secondary": "#4F81BD", 
      "accent": "#F79646",
      "text": "#000000",
      "background": "#FFFFFF"
    },
    "fonts": {
      "heading": {"family": "Arial", "weight": "bold"},
      "body": {"family": "Arial", "weight": "normal"},
      "caption": {"family": "Arial", "weight": "italic", "size": 9}
    },
    "layouts": {
      "margins": {"top": 1, "bottom": 1, "left": 1.25, "right": 1.25},
      "spacing": {"paragraph": 6, "section": 18},
      "pageSize": "A4",
      "orientation": "portrait"
    }
  }
}

Brand Assets

Integrate logos and branded elements:

{
  "brandAssets": {
    "logo": {
      "primary": "/sandbox/assets/logo_primary.png",
      "secondary": "/sandbox/assets/logo_secondary.png",
      "monochrome": "/sandbox/assets/logo_mono.png"
    },
    "backgrounds": {
      "letterhead": "/sandbox/assets/letterhead_bg.png",
      "footer": "/sandbox/assets/footer_pattern.png"
    },
    "usage": {
      "logo_position": "header_right",
      "logo_size": {"width": 120, "height": 60},
      "watermark": {"opacity": 0.1, "position": "center"}
    }
  }
}

Multi-Format Output

Format-Specific Configuration

Configure output for different formats:

{
  "formatConfigurations": {
    "docx": {
      "compatibility": "word2016",
      "features": ["tables", "charts", "images", "headers_footers"],
      "optimization": "size"
    },
    "pdf": {
      "quality": "high",
      "compression": true,
      "security": {
        "password_protection": false,
        "printing": "allowed",
        "copying": "allowed"
      },
      "accessibility": true
    },
    "html": {
      "css": "embedded",
      "responsive": true,
      "compatibility": "modern",
      "includes": ["charts_as_svg", "responsive_tables"]
    }
  }
}

Format-Specific Elements

{
  "formatSpecificContent": {
    "docx_only": [
      {
        "type": "pageBreak",
        "condition": "format == 'docx'"
      }
    ],
    "web_only": [
      {
        "type": "interactive_chart",
        "condition": "format == 'html'",
        "source": "{{chart_data}}"
      }
    ],
    "print_optimized": [
      {
        "type": "high_resolution_image",
        "condition": "format == 'pdf'",
        "dpi": 300
      }
    ]
  }
}

Automation and Scheduling

Automated Report Generation

Configure automatic report generation:

{
  "automationConfig": {
    "schedule": {
      "frequency": "monthly",
      "day": 1,
      "time": "09:00",
      "timezone": "UTC"
    },
    "dataSource": {
      "type": "database",
      "connection": "{{db_connection}}",
      "query": "SELECT * FROM monthly_metrics WHERE period = '{{current_month}}'"
    },
    "recipients": [
      {"email": "ceo@company.com", "format": "pdf"},
      {"email": "operations@company.com", "format": "docx"}
    ],
    "notifications": {
      "onSuccess": true,
      "onFailure": true,
      "includePreview": true
    }
  }
}

Data Pipeline Integration

Connect with data sources for real-time reporting:

{
  "dataPipeline": {
    "sources": [
      {
        "name": "sales_data",
        "type": "api",
        "endpoint": "https://api.company.com/sales/metrics",
        "authentication": "bearer_token",
        "refresh_interval": 3600
      },
      {
        "name": "financial_data",
        "type": "file", 
        "path": "/sandbox/data/financial_export.csv",
        "format": "csv",
        "columns": ["date", "revenue", "expenses", "profit"]
      }
    ],
    "transformations": [
      {
        "source": "sales_data",
        "operations": ["aggregate_by_month", "calculate_growth_rate"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Error Handling

Template Validation

Validate templates before use:

{
  "templateValidation": {
    "structure": {
      "required_sections": ["header", "content"],
      "variable_references": "validate_all",
      "conditional_logic": "check_syntax"
    },
    "data": {
      "required_variables": ["report_title", "report_date"],
      "type_checking": true,
      "range_validation": true
    },
    "assets": {
      "check_file_existence": true,
      "validate_image_formats": true,
      "verify_chart_data": true
    }
  }
}

Error Response Format

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "type": "TEMPLATE_VARIABLE_MISSING",
    "message": "Required variable 'revenue_data' not provided for template 'quarterly_report'",
    "template": "quarterly_report_template.docx",
    "section": "financial_summary",
    "missingVariables": ["revenue_data", "expense_breakdown"],
    "suggestions": [
      "Provide revenue_data array with monthly values",
      "Include expense_breakdown object with category totals",
      "Check template documentation for required data structure"
    ]
  }
}

Usage Examples

Executive Dashboard Report

{
  "templateName": "executive_dashboard",
  "outputFileName": "executive_dashboard_october_2024",
  "data": {
    "company": "Tech Solutions Inc",
    "period": "October 2024",
    "kpis": {
      "revenue": 3200000,
      "growth": 22.5,
      "customers": 1847,
      "satisfaction": 4.7
    },
    "departments": [
      {"name": "Engineering", "headcount": 45, "budget_usage": 92},
      {"name": "Sales", "headcount": 23, "budget_usage": 88},
      {"name": "Marketing", "headcount": 12, "budget_usage": 95}
    ],
    "projects": [
      {"name": "Platform Upgrade", "progress": 85, "status": "on_track"},
      {"name": "Mobile App", "progress": 60, "status": "at_risk"}
    ]
  },
  "options": {
    "includeProjectDetails": true,
    "showBudgetAnalysis": true,
    "confidentialityLevel": "executive"
  }
}

Client Performance Report

{
  "templateName": "client_performance_report",
  "outputFileName": "client_report_q4_2024",
  "data": {
    "client": {
      "name": "Global Manufacturing Corp",
      "account_manager": "Sarah Johnson",
      "contract_value": 850000,
      "contract_start": "2024-01-15"
    },
    "services": [
      {"service": "IT Support", "utilization": 95, "satisfaction": 4.8},
      {"service": "Cloud Migration", "utilization": 78, "satisfaction": 4.6},
      {"service": "Security Audit", "utilization": 100, "satisfaction": 4.9}
    ],
    "metrics": {
      "uptime": 99.7,
      "response_time": 12,
      "issue_resolution": 4.2,
      "cost_savings": 125000
    },
    "recommendations": [
      "Expand cloud migration scope",
      "Implement advanced monitoring",
      "Schedule quarterly security reviews"
    ]
  }
}