New user question on metadata / dynamic fields

asked on May 23, 2017 • Show version history

I am a new user, and I am setting up a new template and workflow. Currently, a user will bring a new document into the system, pull up the Metadata window to fill in fields, click "OK", then workflow will fill in some other fields in the metadata using a custom query, and route the document.

My requirement is to have a user enter a student ID number, and then have some of the metadata fields (i.e. Last Name, First Name, Birth Date) fill in automatically so the user can see that they have entered the correct ID number before actually clicking the "OK" button. I know Workflow won't allow me to interact with the user through dialog boxes, so the next suggestion was to use dynamic fields. Being new to Laserfiche, I need to know how to accomplish this task. Something to keep in mind is that my external table I am using now in the workflow custom query (and the one I would have to use as an external table for dynamic fields) is a DB2 table on another system. I can set up a view on the SQL server to pull data from DB2 via a linked server, but this master student table is very large, so I cannot pull up the entire DB2 table or it would take a long time, I need to just pull up the records for the student ID entered via a WHERE clause in the view if possible.

I hope I have explained this clearly. If not, please let me know and I will add any information you need.

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replied on May 23, 2017 • Show version history

One of the current requirements for the Dynamic Field currently is that the backend table must reside on the same SQL server as the repository DB. It can and should be in a different DB (Oracle must be in the same schema), but on the same SQL instance. So this requirement will mean that you need to look at linked servers or you could set up an SQL task to sync tables off hours and work from a copy that is a day behind.

See Dynamic Fields

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View 3 previous replies

replied on May 24, 2017

I understand that this must be on the same server. I have the ability to use Linked Servers, a stored procedure, a view, etc. to hit DB2. That is not a problem. The problem is that I cannot figure out how to allow a user to type in a Student ID (as a text field, not a drop down), and then pull up a dynamic field (name, DOB) to show the user the person they are working with. From what I've tried doing, when setting up a Name as a dynamic field, and setting Student ID as a parent field, it turns Student ID into a drop down, which I don't want. Maybe I am doing it wrong, but I need the ability for a person to type in an ID number, then when they hit Enter or Tab, have the Name/DOB fields fill in from the dynamic table.

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replied on May 24, 2017

That is how dynamic fields work. After selecting the field you are able to start typing the student ID and it should change the selection as you type. There currently is not a way to have a text field that you can type into and then have it perform the dynamic lookup from there.

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replied on May 24, 2017

From what I've tried so far, once I set the Student ID as a parent field and it turns it into a dropdown, I cannot type into it, I can only pull it down to see the values. How can I get it to allow me to type into it?

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replied on May 24, 2017

It will appear as a drop down menu, but if you start typing the student number it should start sorting to the number you're typing.

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replied on May 24, 2017

It's not. I cannot type anything into there. However, the list is so huge that this may be the issue. We are talking hundreds of thousands of IDs. I don't think a drop down is going to work at all.

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replied on May 24, 2017

You may be correct. I noticed with a large list it did take a while to sort.

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New user question on metadata / dynamic fields

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