How does QuickLaw integrate with OmniForm?

We do this almost exactly the same way we integrated with Word.

All of the forms were kept in the database as OLE fields, although they were simply standard OmniForm form files. Inside each form were fields with names that matched keywords in QuickLaw.

When you do a form QuickLaw:

• Makes a copy of the form and inserts it into the database for the current case
• Points an Access OLE container that is hidden on the Documents form to the new OLE record
• Opens the new form in OmniForm separately (OLE Open command)
• Loops through the Fields collection in OmniForm and inserts data from the database in each bookmark that it recognizes.
• Saves the document
• Leaves the user in the Form for editing and printing

The form is still open in an OLE field on the Documents form in Access. When the form is closed by the user a “Close” event is fired in Access, and QuickLaw asks if you want to update the database with the form data. If you answer yes, QuickLaw opens the file back up again in Word, loops through all the fields, only this time it saves the data to the database from the field rather than the other way around.

This was a great feature because you could build the case data as you did the forms and letters. The drawback is that reading the data back from the forms was s-l-o-w.

Field names

The Field names that QuickLaw recognizes come from the Party list, Case Information screen, and Case Date screen. Follow those links to find out the details.

Newer versions of OmniForm

QuickLaw can use the new versions of OmniForm, both the Filler and the full version.