Document master

Document references (document directory)

• Document description
• Functionality
• Related topics
• Technical documentation

Technical description

• Terms/Definitions
• File location
• Print documents

The document master in ^ClassiX® offers the possibility to manage digital documents. An EDM system (Electronic Document Management) or a DMS(DocumentManagement System) is therefore already integrated in ClassiX^®.

The advantage of the integrated solution is the direct association of documents to vouchers or master data. The drawings of an article can thus be maintained directly via the parts screen and the documents belonging to an order can be linked directly to the ClassiX order.

The associations of the transaction data with the documents can be maintained via a separate editing mask, which can be called up via the document history module, for example. In the master data, there is a "Documents" tab for this purpose, such as in the parts screen. If this tab is not available on the editing screen, documents can be linked via the process folder or directly via the editing screen of the document entry.

Both the master data and the transaction data can either refer directly to the documents or via a conditional table. A conditional table is useful, for example, if the documents of a variant part are managed and different characteristics are to lead to different documents.

Terms/definitions

• The document is the file, such as a CAD drawing, which is to be managed.
  
• The document reference is the reference to the document. Document references can also be used to save document-related information such as the description, type and language of the document, etc. The document references can be created globally and locally.
  
  • Global document references are defined as master data in ClassiX and can be inserted as associations in various master and transaction data. A distinction is made here between the document reference as a master data or as an association.
    
    For example, the reference to the document is saved in the document reference as the master data and this can only be changed here in the master information. Changes then automatically apply to all objects (parts etc.) associated with this document reference.
    (This is intended for exchanging new versions of drawings, for example. The reference to the new file is only changed once in the master data and is immediately updated for each associated object).
    
    The global document reference as a connector (also known as a wrapper) describes the document reference from the perspective of the objects with which it is associated. In the global document reference as an association, information from the master document reference (for example the description or the attributes) can therefore be overwritten without the master document reference being changed. This means that the same document can be described differently in different applications.
    
    The editing screens of the global document references as master data or association are identical and can be differentiated by two features. Firstly, the window title indicates whether you are editing the master data or the association, and secondly, various generally valid details of the master data (e.g. the reference to the document) are blocked in the screen for editing the association.
    
    The editing screen for the global document reference as the master date is called up when you open the global document references from the master data (in the main menu). The editing screen for the global document reference as an association is opened when you access the associated document reference from a master or movement object. However, you can navigate from the association to the master data via the "Edit master information" menu item.

    Global document references that have been assigned to a variant document are labelled with this symbol:

  • Local document references are not managed as master data in ClassiX, so among other things they cannot be searched for. These document references can be used to refer to a document "once" from master or movement objects. Unique means that only one object refers to the document reference.
    
    The editing mask of the local and global document references are identical, only the window title of the editing mask provides information about the type. As local document references are only used "once", there is no differentiation between master data and association.

Difference between document and document reference

A document is, for example, a drawing and/or a file that describes, for example, a part or a part roll. The reference to this file (DOC, PDF, CAD, ...) is the document reference. It not only describes where this file is located (server directory, procedural call, ...) but also describes it. (type, attributes, search terms)

• Documents can be conditionally summarised via a variant document reference. The characteristics by which the associated document references can be uniquely identified can be defined using the characteristics bar of the variant document reference.
  

  Example: A document with the same or similar content is available in different versions. The versions differ in the language of the document and whether it is the long or short form. In this case, a variant document reference is created with the characteristics "LANGUAGE" and "SCOPE". The ("single") document references, which refer to the different versions, are assigned to the variant document and the attributes "LANGUAGE" and "SCOPE" are defined. In addition, only the variant document reference is associated with the parts, parts lists, etc.

  
  Variant document references compete with the conditional associations based on the associated objects (parts, BOMs). The advantage of variant document references is that when creating a new document reference in a new language, you only have to extend the variant document references and this extension automatically applies to all associated objects. In the other case, you would have to extend the conditional table in all associated objects.

  Difference between a conditional table and a variant document reference
  
  A conditional table is used if there are different parts and this results in different documents.
  A variant document reference is used if there are different document versions for a part (e.g. different languages, short form, long form).

Type

The file location is the reference to the document. Three different reference options are available, from which one can be selected.

• The file/folder type refers to a document in the network, intranet or Internet. Alternatively, a folder can also be selected. If an attempt is made to open a document reference that refers to a folder, the corresponding folder opens in (Windows) Explorer.
  
• With the procedural call type, either the file name can be generated dynamically using the procedure (e.g. determine drawing name using part rule-based) or a new temporary document is created (e.g. parts list of a part as an Excel file). The document reference object is passed to the procedure and a valid file name is expected as the return value. Characteristics can be stored in the document reference as parameters.
  The following procedure templates are available via the "..." button:
  • Drawing as PDF file
    If a PDF file with the drawing number of the part is in the "CX_DRAWING_VIEWPATH" directory, this is used.
  • Parts list as Excel file
    The parts list of the part exploded up to a certain level, which is defined in the "level" characteristic, is written to a temporary Excel file with the "EXCEL_EXPORT" report for the "CX_ALLOCATION_TXN" data connector. This Excel file is available until the user logs out, at which point the newly created temporary file is deleted.
  • Parts list with drawings as a packed archive
    The parts list of the part exploded up to a certain level, which is defined in the "level" characteristic, is written as an Excel file with the "EXCEL_EXPORT" report for the "CX_ALLOCATION_TXN" data connector and all drawings of the parts of this parts list level are written to an archive. This archive file is available until the user logs out, at which point this newly created temporary file is deleted.
    
    (In the standard system, 3 document references with exactly these 3 templates are supplied. You can use these to assign parts from the parts master to one of these document references, e.g. when placing an order, the parts list is automatically sent to the supplier).
    
• With the Database type, a copy of an OLE document (Word or Excel file) is saved in the database. If this option is selected, a button labelled "Select file" appears under the file name. This allows you to search for and select a file on the hard drive. This file is then copied to the database and its name without the path appears in the file name input field. When the document entry is saved, the system checks whether the specified file can be found. If this is not the case, a message appears and saving is cancelled. It is therefore not possible to save entries without a document.
  
  The document type can also be used to define the location (e.g. the server directory) or even the call of all documents of this type. The selectable type is a structure (organisation term) under the main node DOCUMENT_TYPE. Below this structure, all possible document types are now created as new subfolders with names and server paths (either a link through the intranet or a server file path via the share name).
  
  

  Here is an example of a subfolder: Structure ID: 001 Short name: Circuit diagrams Description: http://intra/util/PDF-Documents/ This path is drawn when a document of this type is created. If, for example, the document MotorABC.pdf is in this location, only MotorABC.pdf needs to be entered in the file name field in the document management screen and the type Circuit diagrams selected. If this document is then to be displayed, the system puts together the path in the structure and the file name and starts the file found there. The path specification from the type is only taken into account if the location is a relative path specification or only the file name. If the location is an absolute path starting with a network drive, a network address (\\PCNAME\..) or an http address, the call of the type is not taken into account.

Print documents

The documents held by the document index can be printed in various ways. On the one hand via the "Open" button . Once the document has been opened, it can be printed from the programme (Word, IE, AutoCAD Viewer, ...).

However, there are other options for OLE documents stored in the database. In the "OLE document" tab, you can both view and edit the document. In addition, document variables can be accessed here, which the document can use to read information from the ClassiX^® system. (To update the variables, please use the Refresh button)

Functionality

• Input window
• List window
• Selection window
• Conditional document directory
• Move documents

Input window

toolbar

Icon	Toolbar description
	Create new document reference
	Save changes
	Delete document reference
	Print document reference
	Processes of the document reference
	Create/edit notes
	Set validity
	Copy associations to the clipboard

List window

Used to list the document references.

toolbar

Icon	Toolbar description
	Execute multiple search: All fields marked in blue are taken into account in this search. With the multiple search it is possible to search for several criteria at the same time.
	Reset document reference list
	Create new document reference
	Edit document reference
	Delete document reference
	Print document index list
	Copy list of document references to the clipboard

Selection window

This window is used to select document references.

toolbar

Icon	Toolbar description
	Execute multiple search: All fields marked in blue are taken into account in this search. With the multiple search it is possible to search for several criteria at the same time.
	Reset document reference list

Options window

All settings for the search can be made here. The window can only be closed using the "OK" button.

Conditional document directory

Buttons

Button	Button description
list
:	Move the position of the selected list entry.
Action
Close	The window is closed.

Move documents

This window can be used to move documents and the associated document references. It makes sense to move files or folders using this function, because this is the only way to ensure that the document references are adjusted in ClassiX and thus point to the moved file.

About the function in general: The folder from which the files are to be moved and the folder which is the target folder are selected. All document references are then searched to see whether they contain references to a file in the source folder. If this is the case, the file is moved to the target folder and the document reference is adjusted with regard to the link.

Related topics

• index
• Associations in the document history

Technical documentation

• Implementation
• Quality Assurance
• Document reference provider module
  • Document reference editing app
  • Document reference list app
  • Document reference selection app

Pseudo class

CX_DOCUMENT_INDEX::CX_ITEM

fields

mlShortName (file name)

StructureByID("DOCUMENT_TYPE").mlShortName = Type

mlDescription (prose description)

Group with radio

settings =1 File directory for viewing via: "path+filename" SystemObject Call(Execute)

settings =2 CX database (copy processing from bprhisto...)

settings =3 Document server (server directory saved via the type (DOCUMENT_TYPE structure))

associations REL:MN to associations

DROPPABLE everything CX_EXPANDABLE Inherited: first test with CX_ITEM, wrap dropped objects

Document reference provider module

Module name

cxDocumentIndex.mod

classes

CX_DOCUMENT_INDEX

security

In addition to restricting access rights via the class and its data fields, the module can be restricted in its use via some of the received messages.

Document reference editing app

Module name

documentIndexEdit.app

classes

CX_DOCUMENT_INDEX

security

In addition to restricting access rights via the class and its data fields, the module can be restricted in its use via some of the received messages.

Document reference list app

Module name

documentIndexList.app

classes

CX_DOCUMENT_INDEX

security

In addition to restricting access rights via the class and its data fields, the module can be restricted in its use via some of the received messages.

Document reference selection app

Module name

documentIndexSelect.app

classes

CX_DOCUMENT_INDEX

security

In addition to restricting access rights via the class and its data fields, the module can be restricted in its use via some of the received messages.