Move content from Word or PDF into a document

ABMS has no import of Word or PDF files into a document. To move a procedure or another text from Word or PDF into ABMS, you create the document and copy the text into one of its text editor fields. A normal paste (Ctrl+V) keeps the formatting from Word. If you want clean text, turn on Paste as text in the editor’s Edit menu first, and then format the text with the editor’s toolbar. Images are not carried over when you paste; insert them again through the editor.

Before you start

• To start a new document you need the Create right on the module’s row, set by your user administrator. To paste into an existing document, you must own its current step, so that it opens in edit mode; see Create a document and send it for approval.
• The field you paste into must be a text editor field. You recognise it by the toolbar above the text box.
• Have the Word or PDF file open next to ABMS.

Steps

1. Create the document, or open it in edit mode, and go to the section with the text editor field.
2. In Word or in your PDF reader, select the text you want and copy it (Ctrl+C).
3. Click in the text box in ABMS and choose how to paste:
   • Keep the formatting: if Paste as text is on in the editor’s Edit menu, turn it off first. Then press Ctrl+V.
   • Plain text: open the Edit menu in the editor’s menu bar and choose Paste as text, then press Ctrl+V. The editor shows a notice that plain-text mode is on. Everything you paste stays plain text until you choose Paste as text again to turn it off.
4. Rebuild the structure the text had in Word. After a plain-text paste, bullet points and numbering are no longer real lists, and headings are ordinary text. Use Bullet list, Numbered list and Blocks on the toolbar. Format headings as Heading 1 under Blocks if they should be in the field’s table of contents.
5. Insert the images again. Click Insert/edit image and upload the image, or add it as an attachment first and use Insert Field Image; see Write and format a document.
6. Repeat for the next part of the text or the next field.
7. When you stop for now, click the floppy disk (Save and continue later) in the button bar, or send the document on.

What you should see

• The pasted text in the field, either with the formatting from Word or as plain text that you have formatted in ABMS.
• Images you inserted again are listed in the Attachments view at the bottom of the document page.
• The text is saved as you type and when you leave the field.

Good to know

• Removing formatting afterwards. If you pasted with formatting and want to remove it, select the text and click Clear formatting on the toolbar.
• With the AI assistant. If your company has the AI assistant switched on, AI shortcuts on the toolbar has the item “Remove MS Word formatting”. It works on the text you have selected, and sends that text to the AI assistant.
• Pasted images are not kept. An image you paste into the editor is not saved with the text, even if it seems to be there. Insert it as in step 5.
• Attaching the original file. You can also add the Word or PDF file itself as an attachment; see Add attachments to a document. The content of the file then stays in the file: it does not become part of the document’s fields.
• Page breaks for printing. If the text should start on a new page when the document is printed or saved as PDF, use Page break on the toolbar; see Print a document or save it as PDF.

Next step

• Write and format a document
• Create a document and send it for approval

Related

• The text editor
• Add attachments to a document
• Print a document or save it as PDF

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