Advanced Concepts - Automating the Document Filing Task

The Print to vMedia 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 vMedia 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 we call (Magic String) anywhere within the document. This string has the following format:

 

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

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

2.  The a followed by the tilde (Autosave flag) needs to be defined as an 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.

      

3. The fieldname1, fieldname2, etc. – Refers to the name of the index field in the vMedia database that will be assigned the corresponding value.

4. The value1, value2, etc. – Refers to the information that will populate the corresponding fieldname field. Quotation marks are not permitted.

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

Sample String:  ~0% Var0 "N~FILENO=/XY-Z0001~CMT=/DOCNAME" ?

Requirement: The requirement is that the application that is printing must send the “Magic String” as text, and exactly as documented without altering.

NOTE: Some applications will attempt to enhance formatting and modify the print stream or convert the text to a picture. In those cases, the “Magic String” is no longer passed unaltered, and it may function incorrectly.

How To Determine Which Database Will Receive the Document

When Print to vMedia is selected 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 vMedia has been invoked at a specific workstation, an in-memory session is established. Unless explicitly overridden by the database specification parameter, subsequent Print to vMedia 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 vMedia request elapses.

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

Related Topics

Print to vMedia Introduction