Template Syntax Basics

Learn the essential LINQ Reporting tags, expression rules, and output behavior used in Wordize templates.

What is this page about?

This page introduces the small set of syntax rules that make Wordize templates work.

It covers how tags are written, how expressions are evaluated, and how block tags control repeated or conditional content.

Templates combine ordinary document content with reporting tags. A tag is always wrapped in << and >>, and most tags contain a C#-style expression inside square brackets.

This page uses the shared sample model and sample data setup from Shared Sample Model and Data.

Tag Anatomy

The general pattern looks like this:

<<tag_name [expression] -switch #header // comment >>

Not every tag uses every part. In practice, you will mostly work with:

<<[expression]>> for output
<<foreach [...]>> ... <</foreach>> for repeated content
<<if [...]>> ... <<elseif [...]>> ... <<else>> ... <</if>> for conditional content
<<var [...]>> for reusable values

In addition to these fundamentals, Wordize also supports specialized tags for dynamic insertion and formatting operations:

Using Contextual Object Member Access: short member syntax like <<[FullName]>> inside scoped blocks
Dynamic Insertion Tags: doc, html, image, link, bookmark
Advanced Tags Reference: check, item, textColor, backColor, cellMerge, restartNum

Closing tags use the same name prefixed with /:

<<foreach [segment in booking.Segments]>>
  ...
<</foreach>>

Important to note:

Tag names and identifiers are case-sensitive. Keep opening and closing tags matched exactly, especially in nested regions.

Output Values

Use <<[expression]>> when you want to print the result of an expression directly into the document:

Reference: <<[booking.Reference]>>
Total: <<[booking.TotalAmount]:"0.00">> USD
Departure: <<[booking.DepartureDate]:"dd MMM yyyy">>

Expected output:

Reference: BK-48291
Total: 1840.50 USD
Departure: 14 Jun 2026

Repeat Collections

Use foreach to duplicate a block for each item in a collection:

Travelers
<<foreach [traveler in booking.Travelers]>>- <<[traveler.FullName]>>
<</foreach>>

Expected output:

Travelers
- Avery Chen
- Noah Patel

Inside a foreach block, you can either reference the iteration variable explicitly or use contextual member access:

<<foreach [traveler in booking.Travelers]>>
- <<[traveler.FullName]>>
- <<[FullName]>>
<</foreach>>

Both forms address the current item. The shorter form is convenient inside a focused block, but the explicit form is often easier to read in large templates.

Choose Between Alternate Blocks

Use if, elseif, and else when different document fragments should appear for different data states:

<<if [booking.IsRefundable]>>
Refund policy: Changes are allowed before departure.
<<elseif [booking.HasCreditOnly]>>
Refund policy: Credit only.
<<else>>
Refund policy: Non-refundable.
<</if>>

Reuse Calculated Values

Variables are useful when an expression is repeated or when the same derived value must appear in several places:

<<var [displayDate = booking.DepartureDate]>>
Departure: <<[displayDate]:"dd MMM yyyy">>
Reminder: arrive before <<[displayDate.AddHours(-2)]:"HH:mm">>

Keep Nested Blocks Readable

If the same tag type is nested several levels deep, headers help prevent closing-tag mistakes:

<<foreach [traveler in booking.Travelers] #travelers>>
  <<foreach [bag in traveler.Bags] #bags>>
    <<[bag.Tag]>>
  <</foreach #bags>>
<</foreach #travelers>>

Remove Empty Paragraphs Deliberately

After a tag is processed, the tag itself is removed. If that leaves an empty paragraph behind, choose one of these approaches:

Use <<!if ...>> or <<!foreach ...>> for selective cleanup
Enable ReportBuilderOptions.RemoveEmptyParagraphs for document-wide cleanup

Example:

<<!if [booking.SpecialInstructions != null]>>
Special instructions: <<[booking.SpecialInstructions]>>
<</if>>

If SpecialInstructions is null, the whole paragraph can disappear instead of leaving a blank line.