This article should be read in conjunction with the immediately preceding article and with a full understanding of the article titled 'Document Calls'. We also presume that you are familiar with how the Instant Database functions (replacing variables at left with values at the right.

Your Excel spreadsheet can be used to create documents from scratch or to augment documents.

Here are the steps:

 Prepared an Excel spreadsheet with cells that Pathagoras can read, either because of position (i.e,, 'variables' in first row or first column) and values in the adjacent cells) or reference (i.e., named cells.

           Using whatever tools with which you are familiar in Excel (the 'how to' is beyond the scope of this article, but you can do so using formulas, selection and drop down lists, and other 'validation' tools), prepare a tool for inserting a <<document call>> into the appropriate cell. Of course, you can also manually type a value into the cell.

   When import a record (as discussed in the preceding article), the variables will appear in the left column and the calculated value (i.e., the <<document call>>) at the right. When you press the 'Next' button, the variables in your document will be replaced by their respective values. And if the value happens to be a <<document call>>, you have the beginnings (and actually the end) of a new document. Press Alt-P to process the <<document calls>>.