Advanced Concepts - Automating the Document Filing Task

The Print to Image-Master printer object has the capability to extract information from the contents of the document being filed and automatically fill-in one or more index fields. In addition, if all required filing information is encoded into the document, Print to Image-Master can be instructed to file the document in the database without displaying the filing screen and without requiring any user intervention.

The key to automating the document filing task is to embed a specially formatted text string (Magic String) anywhere within the document. This string has the following format:

~0% Var0 "a~fieldname1=/value1~fieldname2=/value2" ?

Characters in bold type should be interpreted literally and must appear as indicated.

a - Autosave flag. Required. uppercase Y or uppercase N

Y = All required fields are present, file the document as indicated without user intervention.

N = Fill-in the index information passed, then display the filing screen.

fieldname1, fieldname2, etc. - The name of the index field in the Image-Master database that will be assigned the corresponding value.

value1, value2, etc. - The information that will be assigned to the corresponding fieldname. Quotation marks are not permitted.

To specify a character value, prefix the value with a slash "/".

How To Determine Which Database Will Receive the Document

When Print to Image-Master is invoked for the first time during a session, the default database configured for the Machine ID Group assigned to the computer is initially selected as the target for the document. If no default database has been assigned to the Machine ID group, then the user will be prompted to choose a database as long as the Autosave Flag equals "N."

NOTE: If the Autosave Flag is set to "Y", a default database must have already been configured for the Machine ID Group assigned to the computer in order for the automatic filing function to work.

Once Print to Image-Master has been invoked at a specific workstation, an in-memory session is established. Unless explicitly overridden by the database specification parameter, subsequent Print to Image-Master operations will target the last database used. This will occur regardless of whether the database is the default or if the database was selected or changed by the user.

A session remains active until either the computer is shut down, the user logs off Windows, or a period of inactivity (typically 60 minutes, administratively configurable) from the last Print to Image-Master request elapses.

Click here to view details on Specifying a Specific Database to Receive the Document.

Related Topics

Print to Image-Master Introduction