[libreoffice-users] Invoice automation using macros

Hi,

I have quite simple LibreOffice invoices, one file per invoice. There are 
2 items in each invoice I would like to make dynamic.

 1. Invoice number
 2. Due date

For the invoice number, I created a user field "InvoiceNumber" and a macro 
"UpdateInvoiceNumber", which automatically extracts the invoice number 
from the filename and updates the field when the file is opened. This 
works great as I simply can copy my invoice to the new name 
(invoice-YYYY-MM-#NR-company) and the document is updated automatically 
with YYYY/MM/#NR.

Now for the due date its more simple, but I cannot make it work. I used to 
have 2 fields, invoice date and due date. Both are fixed date fields, the 
second is 30 days off. To update them, I have to open the new invoice 
copy, double-click the invoice date field, disable the 'fixed' (so that 
is shows today's date), then make it fixed again, so it doesn't change the 
next time I may edit it. Repeat the same procedure for the due date 
fields. (twice, because I repeat the due date at the end in bold)

Now, what I intended to do was to create another user field of the due 
date and automatically update both with the date set in the invoice date 
field (which remains a fixed date) and add 30 days.

But the problem is that, contrary to user fields, date fields cannot be 
referenced in Basic (likely because they do not have a name). Or at least 
I cannot find it anywhere.

Below is the code I am using in LibreOffice to update the  InvoiceNumber. 
Can someone tell me how I can get the value of a (fixed) Date field ? Or 
is there an easier way to update dates, and manipulate them elsewhere ?

----
Sub Main
    UpdateInvoiceNumber()
Rem    UpdateDueDate()
End Sub

Sub UpdateDueDate
Rem Don't know how to get to the invoice date fixed date field in the document
    InvoiceDateField = thisComponent.getTextFieldMasters().getByName( 
"com.sun.star.text.fieldmaster.InvoiceDate" )
end Sub

sub UpdateInvoiceNumber
    InvoiceNumberField = thisComponent.getTextFieldMasters().getByName( 
"com.sun.star.text.fieldmaster.User.InvoiceNumber" )
    InvoiceNumberField.Content = InvoiceNumber()
    disp = createUnoService("com.sun.star.frame.DispatchHelper")
    disp.executeDispatch(thisComponent.CurrentController.Frame, ".uno:UpdateFields", "", 0, Array())
end Sub

Function InvoiceNumber
    InvoiceNumber = "ERROR"
    If (Not GlobalScope.BasicLibraries.isLibraryLoaded("Tools")) Then
        GlobalScope.BasicLibraries.LoadLibrary("Tools")
    End If
    InvoiceNumber = FileNameoutofPath(thisComponent.getURL(), "/")
    InvoiceNumber = Mid(InvoiceNumber, 9, 11)
    InvoiceNumber = ReplaceStr(InvoiceNumber, "-", "/")
End Function

Function ReplaceStr(myString As String, str1 As String, str2 As String)
    ReplaceStr = join(split(myString, str1), str2)
End Function
----

PS Is there an easier way to look at the document object model than using 
a watch in your macro editor ? Preferably something to search. That would 
be so useful !

Thanks for your insights !
--
-- dag wieers, dag@wieers.com, http://dag.wieers.com/
-- dagit linux solutions, info@dagit.net, http://dagit.net/

[Any errors in spelling, tact or fact are transmission errors]

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