2022.1

Dynamically adding sections (cloning)
This topic explains how to "clone" (copy) a section in a Control Script. Print sections can be
cloned, so that a document can have a dynamic number of sections, based on data. This is
particularly useful when the record set defines one or more PDFs (e.g. insurance policies) per
recipient. Via a Control Script, for each PDF a section can be cloned and each clone can be
given one of the PDFs as background (see "Control Script: Setting a Print section's
background" on page963). For each page in the PDF, a page will be added to the section.
For information about Control Scripts in general, see "Control Scripts" on page954 and
"Control Script API" on page1466. If you don't know how to write scripts, see "Writing your own
scripts" on page918.
Note
Clones are only visible in the output, not on the Preview tab.
Cloning a section
To clone a section, first use the clone() function and then add the clone to the Print context
before or after a specific section, using addAfter() or addBefore():
var printSections = merge.template.contexts.PRINT.sections;
var clone = printSections["Section 1"].clone();
printSections["Section 1"].addAfter(clone);
Cloned sections have the same properties as normal sections (see "section" on page1515),
but they cannot call the section functions clone(), addBefore() and addAfter(), which means
you cannot clone a clone, or use a clone as a starting point to insert other clones into a
template.
Note that with multiple clones, the next clone is always added after the previous clone.
With addBefore(), the code original.addBefore(clone1); original.addBefore(clone2); will
result in "clone1, clone2, original".
With addAfter() the code original.addAfter(clone1); original.addAfter(clone2); results
in "original, clone1, clone2".
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