REDCap module that allows you to create HTML templates and fill them with record data from your project. You can download the filled templates as a PDF.
This module works for classic, longitudinal, and multiple arm projects, and the last instances of repeatable events and instruments.
As of 2019-08-23, the Custom Report Builder has been rebranded as the Custom Template Engine, and has been re-submitted as a new module in the REDcap External Module Repository. All subsequent updates will be made to the Custom Template Engine, not to the Custom Report Builder
When switching from the old module to the rebranded module, you must disable the old module first!
- Saved Templates Folder: Required configuration that defines the storage location of all created templates.
- Compiled Templates Folder: Required configuration that defines the storage of compiled templates generated by the PHP template engine Smarty.
- Images Folder: Required configuration that defines the publically accessible storage of images uploaded by users.
- Save Filled Templates to File Repository: This is specific to downloading a filled template, and will save a copy of the PDF to the File Repository.
- [Optional] Enter templates by name and specify an alternative paper size, e.g. A4 (default is Letter), and/or select landscape orientation.
Users must have data export access in order to use the module, and perhaps additional permissions, listed below, to use certain features.
Users must have access to data exports and reports in order to edit or create a template. The content will be created in the WYSIWYG CKEditor, and saved as an HTML file in the previously configured saved templates folder. In order to pass template validation, the syntax instruction must be followed. Invalid templates will be saved under "{template name}_{project id} - INVALID.html" and can be edited but not filled, and errors will be returned to the user. Valid templates will be saved, and the user will be redirected to the module index.
Users may add optional footers and headers that follow the same syntax rules as the body.
Users may upload and browse images. However, no security is placed on what images are uploaded, and all images uploaded to the project are viewable by every user. Consider this before uploading.
The user may copy-paste pre-formatted fields and events into their template. Descriptive text fields are exempt from the list.
Users must have access to data exports and reports in order to delete a template.
The module users the PHP template engine, Smarty, to fill in the templates with the apprpriate record data. Smarty will compile the template and store it in the previously configured compiled templates folder. The user is free to make edits to the template content before downloading. When the template is downloaded, if saving templates to the file repository has been configured, then the module will do so.
File upload fields with the action tag @CUSTOM-TEMPLATE-UPLOAD will give an option for either selecting a file for upload (as normal) or selecting one of the project's templates from a dropdown list. If the user selects a template, it will be filled from the current record's data and automatically saved to the field.
Note that template filling is performed using the user's data export permissions. When performed in survey mode the "Remove Tagged Identifiers" permission is utilised to avoid exposing PII in the unauthenticated survey context.
WARNING: This module is not currently able to support REDCap instances using load balancers due to the requirement to save templates to the file system.
- This module is unable to properly embed images with PHP version >= 7.4
- v4.0.0
- Minimal REDCap version is v12.4
- Implemented support for the RC v12.4+ instrument-level data export permissions.
- Upgraded Javascript Libraries
- ckeditor to dev-full/4.21.x
- smarty to 4.3.4
- v3.2.1
- upgraded bootstrap-selector to 1.15.0-beta3 to solve bug where records would not display in pulldown when filling templates
- set maximum REDCap version to 12.1.x
- Upgrading Javascript libraries
- masterminds/html5 to 2.8.1
- smarty/smarty to v4.3.2
- v3.2.0
- Made compatible with PHP 8, tested with PHP 8.1.
- Defined EM config.json minimal compatible PHP version as 7.4.0
- upgraded included Javascript libraries:
- ckeditor to latest v4.21
- dompdf to latest v2.0
- smarty to latest v4.1