======Letter Templates ======

The letter templates can be found in the main menu under ''Customer'', ''Letters''.
Letter templates are pre-formatted text letters that contain fields that are substituted into the letter.   Any field in the system can be substituted into a letter, the table below contains some examples:

^ Field name ^ Description ^
| %%((name))%%          | The name of the company being emailed |
| %%((our_ref))%%        | The reference number for this document.  For an invoice this is the invoice number, for a purchase order it is the order number. | 
| %%((total_c))%%         | The total value associated with this document |
| %%((summary))%%   | A short text representation of the document. If the document is very long only the beginning of the document is represented. | 
| %%((tracking_info))%%   | For sales, this will quote the tracking number, courier name and tracking url. | 
| %%((company_name))%%    | The trading name of your business. |
 

===== How do I always use the same template for invoices =====
Then a document is emailed, you can choose a template from the template drop down box at the top of the compose e-mail dialog box.  This template can be set as the default template for this document type by clicking the save button on the right.


====== E-Mail ======
When a document is emailed a letter template is used to format the text part of the email, a PDF copy of the document will also be attach to the email.  For example,  when an invoice is emailed to a customer the text part of the email is generated form a letter template and a PDF copy of the invoice is sent as an attachment.

The default e-mail address is taken form the address book for the Customer ID.  There are two situations when a branch email address is used.
  - When there is a branch override in the letter template.
  - Documents such as invoices to branches will be send to the branch email address if it exists.

===== How do I send all statements or all invoices to a particular address? =====
Each letter template contains a ''Branch'' field, this is the branch override for this template.
If a branch override exists the software will search for a branch with the same name and use the e-mail address for the branch.  If a branch of that name does not exist the main e-mail address is used.  

A common use case for this feature is when a customer wants all statements to be emailed to the accounts department.  The letter template for statements is created with the ''Branch'' field set to //ACCOUNTS//.   For each customer that has a separate accounts department, create a new branch with the ''Branch ID'' //ACCOUNTS//.   Whenever this template is used the email address will be take from the //ACCOUNTS// branch, if there is no accounts branch, the default e-mail address is used for that customer.

====== Tracking state changes ======
Each letter template contains a ''State'' field.  This can be set to a Sales Tracking state.  Whenever an invoice/quotation is set to that particular state the software will offer to send this template as an email to the customer.  For example, if you have a //Dispatched// state, this feature can be used to send the customer an e-mail when their order is dispatched.