Template Editor Frustrations

Once again I am sharing my frustrations with the template editor. This is more of a vent than an expectation of resolution.

A simple edit has rendered my customized T2 template pretty much useless, and I can’t tell where the issue is. This would be easy enough to fix if there was some sort of syntax checking or feedback to what the issue might be.

I don’t have time to spend hours debugging my template. It’s very frustrating as this template was very easy to do in Profile (Profile had other issues so I am not going back there).

It’s bad enough that I had to customize every letter going out to get the Business Number to print out properly, but I am pretty much resigned to reproducing this letter in Case View as I don’t have time to spend hours debugging every time I change the template.

I am pretty technical and I do understand Basic HTML, and possibly a bit more. I have no idea what the people without technical skills are doing for the templates because this isn’t something an average tax accountant would have the technical competency to do.

End of vent.

I struggled a bit last year coming from the Profile templates as well, but I did get some help in some areas from Taxcycle folks and I am finding things much easier now. I know the frustration when things are not quite where you want them but it will get better. Take there help and hang in there.

@Michelle

I’m sorry that you are frustrated with the templates. I can let you know two things:

  1. We are happy to help you get your template working. You can do a screen share with one of our support team and they will solve your problem or find someone who can. Alternately, if you don’t want to call support, you can email us your template with a short description of the problem… we will fix it and send it back to you.
  2. We know there is opportunity to improve this by adding syntax highlighting and a few more tools. This is on my list as a priority over the next few months.

Thanks for your patience. Please call us Monday and we will help you out.

Best regards,

~ Cameron

Thanks Cameron, but your assistance will only help me this time. The next time I want to do an update to a template I will need to ask you again. I really don’t want to do that.

I have already re-created the template in CaseView, so it’s unlikely that I will be going back to the template in TaxCycle at least for my T2’s.

I will watch for the updates that indicate that there is some sort of syntax checker available and perhaps try again next year.

Thanks again Cameron.