Usage of the DMS & ECM Interface#

Document search / research#

Once the basic setup of the application has been completed, it can be used immediately.

In the various pages in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central¹, the Documents infobox is displayed. This infobox is basically divided into 3 sections:

• Drop Zone
  Documents can be stored via "Drag & Drop" or by searching

• List of documents
  in which the various existing document entries for a data set are displayed in a structured manner

• Actions
  which can be used partly via the document list, but mainly via the heading "Documents" of the infobox

The drop zone is used for archiving documents, so this will be discussed in more detail in the chapter Manual / "Drag & Drop".

List of documents#

The document list is displayed in different forms depending on the settings in the Document Storage Setup or the respective display definition. As a basis, however, the document entries that are assigned to the respective selected data set via the search definition or the directory structure are always shown.

The keywords selected in the respective display definition are displayed as column information. The grouping used is also based on the setting in the display definition.

Display with "Standard" display option#

If the option Standard (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central¹ Page) has been selected as the Display type for Infobox Documents in the Document Storage Setup or for the respective display definition, the document list is presented in a standard page. The keywords selected in the display definition are used as columns.

Above the listing, you can click on My Documents or Search - Documents for ... and switch between the search by directory structure or via the various search definitions to the respective table.

The Search action opens the separate document search, where different search methods can be selected and applied. Details on how to use the document search can be found in the corresponding chapter.

For each displayed record, the action menu can be opened within the document list, which can be used to perform the following actions:

• Download File
  Downloads the currently selected file and saves it to the local download directory.

• Open File
  Opens the file in an internal document viewer or via the external application, depending on the setup. The setting of which procedure is to be used is defined by the Document Link Display Type field of the current display definition or the document storage setup.

• Open Folder
  The action opens the directory containing the currently selected document in the archive application. This action is only available if the archiving system used supports the use of directory structures.

• Edit manual Tags for file
  This action makes it possible to edit the keywords that have the value Manually as Data Source in the storage definition. A dialog box opens, in which the manual keywords including the existing values are displayed. New values can be entered here. By confirming the dialog box with "OK", the changed keywords are transferred to the archive system and saved.

Actions#

The button next to the infobox title Documents opens the action menu for the application in relation to the current record. The following actions are available at this point:

• Upload File
  This action opens the Import a New File dialog box, where a new file can be uploaded using "Drag & Drop" or a file selection dialog. If subdirectories are defined for the respective storage definition, a dialog for selecting the subdirectory is then displayed. If keywords with Data Source Manually have been assigned to the storage definition, the dialog box for assigning the manual tags then appears. The file is then transferred to the archive system with the automatic and manual keywords and saved.

• Download File
  Downloads the currently selected file and saves it to the local download directory.

• Create File Package
  This action can only be selected if a file package has been defined for the underlying table of the current data record. For more details on file packages, see the corresponding chapter.
  This action creates the appropriate file package for the current record and downloads the created ZIP file.

• Open File
  Opens the file in an internal document viewer or via the external application, depending on the setup. The setting of which procedure is to be used is defined by the Document Link Display Type field of the current display definition or the document storage setup.

• Open Folder
  The action opens the directory containing the currently selected document in the archive application. This action is only available if the archiving system used supports the use of directory structures.

• Update autom. Tags for all files
  This action uses the list of documents and, if allowed by the archive system, updates all automatically generated keywords. For example, if the basic information of a record, such as a customer name, has been corrected, this action can automatically update all of the customer's documents with the new name.

• Edit manual Tags for file
  This action makes it possible to edit the keywords that have the value Manually as Data Source in the storage definition. A dialog box opens, in which the manual keywords including the existing values are displayed. New values can be entered here. By confirming the dialog box with "OK", the changed keywords are transferred to the archive system and saved.

• Show Storage Definition
  Calls the entry from the storage definitions that is used for the current record.

• Show Search Definition
  Gets the entry from the search definitions that is used for the current record.

Search Documents#

The document search can be called up pre-assigned from the infobox of a data record, as well as separately, e.g. via the TellMe functionality.

The site provides complex search and filtering options for searching for archived documents in the archive system. Depending on the Search Mode used, different parameters are possible, so that the search modes, including the available options, are listed individually below:

Search Mode: Related to Record#

The Search Mode Related to Record accesses the directory structure that has been stored in the storage definition for the respective table and queries the documents based on this folder structure.

After selecting this mode, the following information is required:

• Table
  Select the table from the list of objects for which documents are being searched. If, for example, customer documents are to be searched, the table "18 - Customer" must be selected here.

• Related to Record
  After selecting a Table, the Related to Record field can be used to open the list of records from that table in order to select a valid record for the document search.

After entering a Table and a Related to Record, the Search action starts the document search and returns a list of the found documents.

Search Mode: Search Text#

The Search Mode Search Text uses a Search Text to be specified for the search.

After selecting this mode, the following information is required:

• Search text
  Enter the text you want to search for.
  
  

After entering the Search Text, the Search action starts the document search and returns a list of the documents found.

Search Mode: Search Definition#

The Search Mode" Search Definition** ** uses a search definition to be specified as well as a record for filtering the documents based on the search definition.

After selecting this mode, the following information is required:

• Search Definition
  Select the search definition that you want to use for the current search.

• Record to search for
  After selecting a Search Definition, the Record to search for field can be used to open the list of records from the underlying table in order to select a valid record for the document search.

After entering a Search Definition and a Record to search for, the Search action starts the document search and returns a list of the documents found.

Search Mode: Tags#

The Search Mode Tags lists all available keywords and allows you to search by these index terms.

After selecting this mode, the following information is required:

• Find Documents with Single Match
  This can be used to determine whether the various keyword filters should be concatenated via a logical "AND" or "OR" link. If this field is enabled, the keyword filters are applied independently of each other. If this field is disabled, a hit must match all the filters specified here.

• Display Definition
  The Display Definition field selects the specific display definition to use for the display. This contains the keywords to be retrieved as well as the grouping settings.

• Tags
  All available keywords are listed here. The Search Text column can be used to list the respective values for each desired keyword filter.

After entering the options, the Search action starts the document search and returns a list of the documents found.

Files - Fields and Functions#

Depending on the assigned display definition, the columns for the document list are dynamically sourced. Likewise, the grouping of the entries is done dynamically based on the settings of the display definition.

The following actions are available for each document found:

• Download file
  Downloads the currently selected file and saves it to the local download directory.

• Open File
  Opens the file in an internal document viewer or via the external application, depending on the setup. The setting of which procedure is to be used is defined by the Document Link Display Type field of the current display definition or the document storage setup.

• Open Folder
  The action opens the directory containing the currently selected document in the archive application. This action is only available if the archiving system used supports the use of directory structures.

Archiving of documents#

Manual / "Drag & Drop"#

In the various records in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central¹, the Infobox Documents is available. This includes a "Drag & Drop"-area where a file can be designated using "Drag & Drop" or via the file selection dialog for archiving to the corresponding record. If subdirectories are defined for the respective storage definition, a dialog for selecting the subdirectory is then displayed. If keywords with Data Source Manually have been assigned to the storage definition, the dialog box for assigning the manual tags then appears. The file is then transferred to the archive system with the automatic and manual keywords and saved.

Photo upload (mobile client only)#

When using the mobile client on a mobile phone or smartphone, it is possible to select the Photo upload action within an info box of a record. This will launch the camera application and the resulting photo will be saved as a file for archiving. If subdirectories are defined for the respective storage definition, a dialog for selecting the subdirectory is then displayed. If tags with Data Source Manually have been assigned to the storage definition, the dialog box for assigning the manual tags then appears. The file is then transferred to the archive system with the automatic and manual keywords and saved.

Automated archiving of reports during printing#

If a document or report is printed or generated as a PDF, Word or Excel file, automatic archiving can take place. Appropriate facilities required for this purpose can be found in the chapter Autom. report archiving.

Automated archiving of reports during posting#

When purchasing and sales transactions are posted (delivery, return, invoice, credit note), the documents can be automatically transferred to the archive system.

Appropriate facilities required for this purpose can be found in the chapter Autom. report archiving.