Syntax for alternate field, when a first field is blank

[GeorgeJ4336]

I like to address my reporting and instruction letters using nicknames, if the recipients have nicknames. The contacts module conveniently has a Nickname field, so my letter template could include something like:

Dear {Matter.Client.PrimaryContact.Nickname}:

However, many contacts do not have nicknames, so their Nickname fields are empty. It would be very nice if I could put something like:

{!{Matter.Client.PrimaryContact.First}!Matter.Client.PrimaryContact.Nickname}

in my letter template to use the Nickname field if it is not blank, but use the First field if the Nickname field is blank. I suspect this syntax would also be very handy in relation to other fields.

I realize I could go through all my contacts and, for those who don't have nicknames, copy their first names into their respective Nickname fields, but being a former software developer, I'm lazy.

Is there another way to accomplish my goal?

Thanks,
George

[GeorgeJ4336]

@gregg_appcoll Thanks, Greg, however I would still find it very helpful to have a syntax for an alternate field, when a first field is blank. As I previously noted, I have several situations where such a syntax would be helpful:

(a) a client-specific USPTO customer number (if the client has one), or the firm's customer number (if the client doesn't have one) (Some of my clients want me to use their customer number, rather than mine. I have templates for responses to Office Actions, etc. that include a customer number in the document headers)

(b) a client-specific USPTO deposit account number (if the client has one), or the firm's deposit account number (if the client doesn't have one). (My template responses include boilerplate language authorizing charges to a deposit account, in case of a missed extension of time.)

(c) actual filing date or official filing date or priority date, depending on what is available. (For example, when calculating due dates for foreign applications.)

Thanks,
George

[gregg_appcoll]

@GeorgeJ4336 We accomplished this by adding a new field called {Matter.Client.PrimaryContact.NickNameOrFirst}. With this change, we will use the nickname if it exists, and if not, we will use the first name.

Sorry for the delay in following up. We hope this helps.

[GeorgeJ4336]

@gregg_appcoll Do you have an ETA for syntax for an alternate field, when a first field is blank? The examples I gave in an earlier post in this thread are still valid use cases, at least for me. Thanks.
-George

[gregg_appcoll]

Hi George,

Thank you for your suggestion. We will pass this on to engineering for future consideration.

• AppColl Support

[GeorgeJ4336]

I'd like to resurrect this thread.
As @RichardS3059 noted, there are several instances where we would like to include text from a first field (if that field is not blank), but include text from a second field (if the first field is blank), and some of us prefer "a programmatic way to accomplish the result over fields that have field-specific logic embedded into them, because they allow a more generalized result."
Examples of this situation include PTO filings (responses to Office Actions, etc.) and client correspondence that reference:

1. a client-specific USPTO customer number (if the client has one), or the firm's customer number (if the client doesn't have one) (Some of my clients want me to use their customer number, rather than mine.)
2. a client-specific USPTO deposit account number (if the client has one), or the firm's deposit account number (if the client doesn't have one)
3. actual filing date vs official filing date vs priority date.

Please consider adding syntax that enables run-time selection of alternative text, such as when a first field is blank.

@RichardS3059 posted a possible syntax:
{{Matter.ClientContact.Nickname},{Matter.ClientContact.FirstName}}
and he suggested a more generalized IF syntax be created, which is a great idea.

I suggested syntax along the lines of:
{!{Matter.Client.PrimaryContact.First}!Matter.Client.PrimaryContact.Nickname}

Thanks,
George

[support_appcoll]

Hi George and Sadiq,

Thank you for these suggestions. We have added this to our engineering list.

• AppColl Support

[ChristianS9906]

Just upvoted your original idea, Sadiq.

[GeorgeJ4336]

@SadiqA2304 That's right. I thought it sounded familiar!

[SadiqA2304]

I made this same suggestion in September: https://forum.appcoll.com/topic/128/new-field-request-contact-firstornickname/5?_=1675177027325

[ChristianS9906]

Or maybe AppColl could just introduce a new FormField called "FirstNickname" that used the Nickname if present and the First if not.

Although your approach would be more flexible in case similar substitutions are needed in other cases.