IOC Custom Wildcards

The new IOC Custom Wildcards collection includes new wildcards that are not currently available in a stock sunapsis implementation. The wildcards were chosen for a number of reasons including feedback from the community, accessibility of the data, and potential future usefulness. Our goal is to provide as many useful wildcards as possible without compromising the speed of the sunapsis application.

Click the following link to view a full up to date list of all available wildcards. Note: If you have the IOC Wildcard Pack installed, please use the IOC Wildcard Pack Service under the International Office on your iStart page to see the list of wildcards installed on your iStart instance.

IOC Wildcard List

Previewing Wildcards

The IOC custom wildcards are found underneath the stock sunapsis wildcards in the client’s record in Record Management -> Records & Views -> Wildcard Replacement Information.

In most cases, each wildcard is listed with a friendly label, the wildcard code (the value will use as a placeholder), and the wildcard’s current value based on the client and record selected. Additional information about how certain wildcard values are calculated can be found in the help text, which is accessed through the help icon at the top right corner of the wildcard tab. Note: Some wildcards, such as custom field wildcards, do not show their current values due to technical limitations. See the help icon text for details.

Wildcard Types

Wildcards are separated into distinct types depending on the source of their values and how the values are calculated.
Client Wildcards 

Client wildcards are available everywhere wildcards are supported. The client wildcards consist of values that can be retrieved by knowing only the client’s identity. These include things like the client’s U.S. Residential Address, City of Birth, and the SEVIS Org Code the client is assigned to.

*Note about Custom Fields: Wildcards are available for Custom Fields (located under Record Management->Custom Fields Information) but, due to technical limitations, their values are not available for preview through the wildcard list. Instead, the wildcard codes are listed for each custom table and field combination that your institution has configured. Wildcard codes ending in “.code” will return the direct value stored in the custom field which may include text, a number, or a code which may or may not corresponds to a value in a reference table (Ex CodeCountry). If the custom field has a code reference table assigned to it (Ex. US States), a wildcard code ending in “.desc” will also be available. The “.desc” wildcard code will return the full description text from the code table (Ex. Texas). 

Derived Wildcards

Derived wildcards are available anywhere client wildcards are available. Derived wildcards are wildcards that require some level of logic and/or modification to create their values. They typically involve filtering multiple records to retrieve only the relevant record’s value or combining multiple records into one value,  Examples include Active I-20 Start Date, I-94 Expiration Date, or a list of dependents. Note: View the Help text on the IOC Derived Wildcards tab to read about the logic used to derive each value. We recommend carefully consider the logic used for the wildcard with your institutions data to ensure the wildcard will return the value you expect in all situations.
Admission Wildcards
Admission wildcards are available only when the email, letter, or e-form is linked to an Admissions or Pre-Arrival checklist. Admission wildcards include information that primarily comes from the Admission records under Student Admission Information. Examples include Admit Term, Admit Level, Admit Group, etc.
Checklist Wildcards
Checklist wildcards are available in emails, letters, and e-forms linked to any checklist. These wildcards include values that are specific to the checklist and the stage the client is on.
E-Form Wildcards
E-Form wildcards are available for emails and letters, and even the e-form itself, after the e-form has been submitted by the client or department. E-Form wildcards include E-Form Title, Approver Name, and most importantly client, approver, and internal field values. The client, approver, and internal field wildcards are are currently available using stock sunapsis wildcards for emails and letters, however, the IOC versions of the wildcards allow the use of the Substitute function (explained later) and they are also available when using the IOC Wildcard E-Form Extension.
*Note about E-Form field wildcards: Although they are not listed individually in the IOC E-Form Wildcards tab, ioc_clientFieldXXX, ioc_approverFieldXXX, and ioc_internalFieldXXX wildcards are available any time the field has been submitted. Review your e-form’s design in E-Form Configuration to determine which field code to use. Simply add the “ioc_” prefix and the start and end percent signs. 

Usage

The IOC custom wildcards are used in the same way the stock sunapsis wildcards are used. Determine which wildcard code you want to use by reviewing the wildcard lists within a client’s profile and place the code (Ex. %ioc_clientusphone%) in your email or letter where you would like the wildcard data to appear. Make sure to include the percent signs % that mark the beginning and end of the wildcard. We always recommend using the email preview function or sending an email to a test profile to ensure new communications appear as intended.