Sanitizing

'Sanitize' an Existing Document: The 'Create Variables' Assistant

    'Sanitizing' is a term used to describe the process of 'neutering' a document to prepare it for document automation. It involves locating and converting personal values within a document into variables.

    By way of example, let's say you have a wonderful contract that you just prepared for a client that you now want to convert into an 'automated form.' You intent to add it to your forms collection and reuse it, but first need to sanitize it. You will want to convert the actual names in the contract into something like "[Buyer's Name]" and "[Seller's Name]; the actual quantities purchased into [quantity ordered]"; etc.)

    Pathagoras has automated most of the work that is required to sanitize your documents. Instead of you hunting down each location of personal terms (names, addresses, etc.) in a document, Pathagoras can do it for you. Just find one appearance of the name, address, number, color, etc., that you want to convert, highlight it, and Pathagoras takes over.

    The tool that does all of this is called the 'Create Variables' Assistant.'

    The 'Create Variables' Assistant allows you to:

quickly convert a 'personal' word, date, phrase or name (e.g., "John Q. Doe" or "January 28, 1953") into a bracketed variable. Pathagoras will not only convert the first instance of the term it finds, but will offer to convert other instances of the same item throughout the entire document. This is a tremendous timesaver.
quickly place brackets around existing words that you want to become automated variables. Simply highlight the text, press the [Add Brackets] button and it is done. (In this situation, Pathagoras presumes that the text you highlighted is already an acceptable variable name. E.g., "Customer Name", "Date of Order", etc.)
add Optional and Options text blocks.

Click the 'Create Variables' Assistant link at the left to learn how to activate the Assistant and use it to its fullest.