Using Value Expression in OpenBots Documents

Using ‘Value Expression’ in OpenBots Documents.

This guide can help you create simple expressions that combine and manipulate data extracted from documents into what you exactly need. The Expressions using Liquid is a powerful templating language that allows you to create dynamic output by combining fields extracted from a document.

What is Liquid templating language?

Liquid is a templating language that allows you to insert dynamic content in your output. In our system, Liquid can be used to process and format data extracted from Documents. For example, you can combine the first name, last name, and gender fields to create a personalized salutation.

Basic Syntax of Liquid

Liquid templates are made up of tags, objects, and filters:

1. Tags: Tags are used to create logic or control flow in your templates

They are enclosed within `{% %}`. – Example: `{% if condition %}…{% endif %}`

2. Objects: Objects are used to display content and are enclosed within `{{ }}`. They represent the data you want to insert into the template.

– Example: `{{ FirstName }}`

3. Filters: Filters are used to modify the output of an object. They are applied using the pipe `|` character.

– Example: `{{ FirstName | capitalize }}`

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Expressions

1. Combining Fields

Let’s say you have extracted the following fields from a Document:

– `FirstName = “John”`
– `LastName = “Doe”`
– `Gender = “Male”`

You can combine these fields to create a full name with a salutation using the following expression:

{% if Gender == “Male” %}
Mr. {{ FirstName }} {{ LastName }}
{% elsif Gender == “Female” %}
Ms. {{ FirstName }} {{ LastName }}
{% else %}
{{ FirstName }} {{ LastName }}
{% endif %}

This expression checks the gender and adds the appropriate salutation before the name.

2. Using Filters

Filters allow you to modify the extracted data. Here are some common filters:

– capitalize: Capitalizes the first letter of a string.

– Example: `{{ FirstName | capitalize }}`

– upcase: Converts a string to uppercase.

– Example: `{{ LastName | upcase }}`

– downcase: Converts a string to lowercase.

– Example: `{{ LastName | downcase }}`

For instance, if you want to display the full name in uppercase, you can use:

{% if Gender == “Male” %}
MR. {{ FirstName | upcase }}
{{ LastName | upcase }}
{% elsif Gender == “Female” %}
MS. {{ FirstName | upcase
}} {{ LastName | upcase }}
{% else %}
{{ FirstName | upcase }}
{{ LastName | upcase }}
{% endif %}

3. Conditional Logic

Liquid supports conditional statements, allowing you to create expressions based on certain conditions. Here’s a simple example:

{% if Age > 18 %}
Adult
{% else %}
Minor
{% endif %}

This expression checks if the extracted `Age` field is greater than 18 and outputs “Adult” if true, otherwise “Minor”.

4. Iterating Over Collections

If your extracted data includes lists or arrays, you can loop over them using the `for` tag:

{% for item in items %}
{{ item }}
{% endfor %}

This will iterate over each item in the `items` array and output it.

Practical Examples

Example 1: Combining Name and Address

Suppose you have the following fields extracted:

– `FirstName = “Jane”`
– `LastName = “Smith”`
– `Street = “123 Main St”`
– `City = “Anytown”`
– `State = “CA”`
– `ZipCode = “12345”`

You can create an expression to combine these into a formatted address:

{{ FirstName }} {{ LastName }}
{{ Street }}
{{ City }}, {{ State }} {{ ZipCode }}

This will output:

Jane Smith
123 Main St
Anytown, CA 12345

Example 2: Conditional Output Based on Document Type

If your Document extraction identifies the type of document, you can use conditional logic to format the output accordingly:

{% if DocumentType == “Invoice” %}
Invoice Number: {{ InvoiceNumber }}
Date: {{ Date }}
Total: ${{ Total }}
{% elsif DocumentType == “Receipt” %}
Receipt Number: {{ ReceiptNumber }}
Date: {{ Date }} Amount Paid: ${{ AmountPaid }}
{% endif %}

Tips for New Users

– Start simple: Begin with basic expressions and gradually introduce more complex logic as you become comfortable with Liquid.

– Test frequently: Test your expressions with actual data to ensure they produce the desired output.

– Use Liquid documentation:

Refer to the [ Liquid documentation ] for more details on tags, filters, and other features.

https://shopify.github.io/liquid/basics/introduction/

https://github.com/scriban/scriban/blob/master/doc/language.md

Category	Function Name	Description	Sample Usage
Math	abs	Returns the absolute value of a number.	{{ abs(-5) }} → 5
Math	ceil	Rounds a number up to the nearest integer.	{{ ceil(4.3) }} → 5
Math	floor	Rounds a number down to the nearest integer.	{{ floor(4.8) }} → 4
Math	round	Rounds a number to the nearest integer or specified precision.	{{ round(4.56, 1) }} → 4.6
Math	max	Returns the maximum value from a list of numbers.	{{ max(1, 2, 3) }} → 3
Math	min	Returns the minimum value from a list of numbers.	{{ min(1, 2, 3) }} → 1
String	lower	Converts a string to lowercase.	{{ lower("HELLO") }} → "hello"
String	upper	Converts a string to uppercase.	{{ upper("hello") }} → "HELLO"
String	replace	Replaces all occurrences of a substring with another string.	{{ replace("Hello world", "world", "Scriban") }} → "Hello Scriban"
String	split	Splits a string into an array based on a delimiter.	{{ split("a,b,c", ",") }} → ["a", "b", "c"]
String	substring	Extracts a substring from a string.	{{ substring("hello", 1, 3) }} → "ell"
Array	size	Returns the number of elements in an array.	{{ size([1, 2, 3]) }} → 3
Array	reverse	Reverses the order of elements in an array.	{{ reverse([1, 2, 3]) }} → [3, 2, 1]
Array	sort	Sorts an array in ascending order.	{{ sort([3, 1, 2]) }} → [1, 2, 3]
Array	first	Returns the first element of an array.	{{ first([1, 2, 3]) }} → 1
Array	last	Returns the last element of an array.	{{ last([1, 2, 3]) }} → 3
Date	date.now	Returns the current date and time.	{{ date.now }} → "2024-08-13T12:00:00Z"
Date	date.format	Formats a date according to a specified format.	{{ date.format(date.now, "%Y-%m-%d") }} → "2024-08-13"
Date	date.add_days	Adds a number of days to a date.	{{ date.add_days(date.now, 5) }} → "2024-08-18"
Date	date.parse	Parses a string into a date using a specified format.	{{ date.parse("2024-08-13", "%Y-%m-%d") }} → date object
Control Flow	if	Executes a block of code if a condition is true.	{% if condition %} ... {% endif %}
Control Flow	for	Iterates over each item in a collection or array.	{% for item in collection %} ... {% endfor %}
Control Flow	while	Repeats a block of code while a condition is true.	{% while condition %} ... {% endwhile %}
Utility	typeof	Returns the type of a value.	{{ typeof(123) }} → "number"
Utility	print	Outputs a value to the console or output.	{{ print("Hello World") }} → "Hello World"