Skip to main content

Responsive Language in Templates

Make your templates adapt to the data by using dynamic phrasing and conditional logic. This ensures your documents always use the correct grammar and only include relevant sections.

1. Conditional Blocks (if)​

Use {%p if %} blocks to show or hide entire sections of text based on whether a variable exists or a condition is met. The p prefix (e.g., {%p if %} and {%p endif %}) is recommended to avoid extra empty paragraphs in Word documents.

{%p if children %}
CLIENT'S CHILDREN:
{{ children.comma_and_list() }}
{%p endif %}

2. Inline Conditionals​

For variations within a single line or paragraph, use an inline if expression inside curly braces. This does not require a closing tag and should not use the p prefix.

The client {{ "is" if clients.length == 1 else "are" }} currently residing in...

You can also use standard {% if %} tags inside a paragraph if you want to conditionally include text without starting a new paragraph:

The client is {% if income > 1000 %}eligible{% else %}ineligible{% endif %} for the fee waiver.
warning

Only use {%p if %} when the tag is on its own line and you want to control the flow of paragraphs. Using {%p %} inside an existing line of text will cause formatting errors.

3. Handling Pluralization (Standard Methods)​

Workflow Docs follows the standard Docassemble and AssemblyLine methods for handling singular and plural forms. These are methods called on an object or list.

For Lists (e.g., clients, children)​

  • .quantity_noun("word"): Returns the count and the correctly pluralized word.
    • {{ children.quantity_noun("child") }} → "one child" or "three children"
  • .as_noun("word"): Returns only the word, correctly pluralized based on the list count.
    • {{ children.as_noun("child") }} → "child" or "children"
  • .does_verb("verb"): Conjugates a present-tense verb to match the list count.
    • {{ clients.does_verb("reside") }} → "resides" (if 1) or "reside" (if >1)
  • .did_verb("verb"): Conjugates a past-tense verb (e.g., "was" vs "were").
    • {{ clients.did_verb("be") }} → "was" (if 1) or "were" (if >1)
  • .possessive("word"): Adds the correct apostrophe for the list (handles both singular and plural possessives).
    • {{ clients.possessive("address") }} → "client's address" or "clients' address"

For Individuals (e.g., clients[0], spouse)​

  • .possessive(): Adds an apostrophe-s to an individual's name.
    • {{ clients[0].possessive() }} → "John's"

4. Formatting Filters​

You can adjust the casing of any variable using these standard Jinja2 filters:

  • {{ variable | upper }}: ALL CAPS
  • {{ variable | lower }}: all lower case
  • {{ variable | capitalize }}: Capitalize the first letter

5. Further Reading​