In this FAQ, we answer any questions you have around the Windward product.
Document generation (docgen) is merge a template with data to produce a document. Document automation (docauto) is incorporate the business logic into the template to produce a smart document. In addition docauto usually includes template management, workflow, batch docgen, scheduling, and routing. Windward’s embedded engine is full docgen with some docauto.
Reporting is a subset of docgen. A docgen product can create most any kind of report (think cell phone bill). But a reporting product cannot create documents (think loan documents). The white paper Reporting, BI, Document Generation, and Dashboards provides a very good delineation.
Our CEO blogs regularly with what’s coming. The most recent update is here.
There is no limit on the number of simultaneous documents or number of pages. Each instance is independent. With that said, each instance does use memory and CPU cycles and so to generate more pages/second, that requires more and/or faster processors and more memory.
Fundamentally PODs are copying from one template (parts of the template, datasources, and/or parameters) to use later to paste in other templates. They make creating complex templates a lot easier. For more info, please read Saving You Time by Streamlining Duplicate Work.
You pass all the datasources in together (Team & Solo do this by default). You can then use any datasource in the query for a tag. While an individual tag can only query one datasource, that query can use ${vars} from queries of other datasources.
The original data is usually the best. There is rarely a reason to convert it to another format. When a datasource offers you the choice between XML and JSON, XML is generally better because it can be typed with a schema.
Yes.
