Working with Templates
In order for Continia Document Capture to be able to capture the fields of imported documents, each document must be linked to a document template. A document template is essentially a collection of rules and configurations that determine how documents should be captured and processed. Overall, there are three types of templates in Document Capture, two of which are document templates:
| Type of template | Description |
|---|---|
| Identification templates | Identification templates are templates that identify the sources of imported documents. Whenever a document is imported, the identification template of the relevant document category searches for a matching record in the source table (e.g. a vendor) and, if successful, links the identified record to the document. Each document category can only have a single identification template assigned. |
| Master templates | Master templates are the base document templates on which source templates (e.g. vendor templates) are built. Each document category can have multiple master templates assigned. If so, Document Capture will ask you to choose which one you want to copy for use as a source template. |
| Source templates | Source templates are document templates that are each tied to a certain source (e.g. a vendor). Document Capture uses source templates to capture, validate, and register documents. |
This article will focus on the two types of document templates – master and source templates – using vendors and the PURCHASE document category as an illustrative basis. For more information on identification templates, see Understanding Identification Templates.
Customizing templates
As indicated above, master templates aren't themselves linked to any vendors, but they're used as a basis for the creation of vendor templates: Whenever a document is imported from a vendor with no associated template (typically when you receive a document from a vendor for the first time), Document Capture will automatically create a template for the vendor during field recognition by copying one of the master templates that are assigned to the PURCHASE category. The copied master template then becomes a source template that's associated specifically with this vendor – a vendor template.
However, you can easily customize the template if some of the default fields aren't exactly right for you. If you choose to customize the vendor template, for example by adding or removing fields, your changes will only apply to this particular template and this particular vendor. For more information, see Adding and removing template fields and Setting up New Template Fields.
You may also want to edit the master template. For example, if there are fields that should be captured in all or most of your documents, it's a good idea to add these fields to the master template, so that you don't have to add them manually to each individual vendor template. For details on how to edit the master template, see To configure master templates below.
To configure master templates
To configure master templates, follow these steps:
- Choose the
icon, enter Document Categories, and then choose the related link. - To open the purchase document category, select the PURCHASE line (not the PURCHASE code itself), and then select Edit in the action bar.
- On the Templates FastTab, in the list of templates, select the master template for PDF files (PURCHASE-GB), and then select Manage > Edit to open the template card.
- On the General FastTab, you can edit some of the basic template settings, such as what date format to use when capturing dates in documents, if this template should be the default vendor template, and whether or not it should capture document lines.
- On the Purchase Documents FastTab, you can edit a range of settings related to the registration, approval, and matching of documents.
- On the Fields FastTab, you can customize the individual template fields and their availability:
- To edit the properties of a field, or to move, copy, or delete it, see To customize master template fields.
- To create a new template field, see To create a new master template field.
- On the Codeunits FastTab, you can specify exactly what codeunits to run at certain stages in the process in order to carry out certain actions.
For most of the changes you make to the master template, a dialog box will ask if you want to update all related templates accordingly. If you select Yes, all vendor templates based on the master template in the PURCHASE category will inherit the changes you've made.
Note
Unlike changes made in other sections of the master template, any changes that you make to the master template fields in the Fields section (step 6 of the guide above) will not be pushed to the vendor templates that have already been created based on the master template. Only vendor templates created after such field configuration will inherit the changes.
To copy and create new master templates
Rather than editing an existing master template, you may also want to create a new one. During the overall setup of Document Capture, a number of default master templates are created for several document categories, including the PURCHASE category, and you can create a new master template simply by copying one of the existing ones. To do this, follow these steps:
- Choose the icon, enter Document Categories, and then choose the related link.
- To open the purchase document category, select the PURCHASE line (not the PURCHASE code itself), and then select Edit in the action bar.
- On the Templates FastTab, in the list of templates, select the master template for PDF files (PURCHASE-GB), and then select Manage > Copy... to open the Copy Template page.
- Edit the default settings if necessary, and select OK > OK to create a master template copy and add it to the list of templates.
Note
For master templates, we recommend that you disable Automatic Numbering and enter an appropriate name for the new template under New Template No., as automatic numbering simply provides the new template with a number that makes it somewhat difficult to identify.
- To edit the copied master template, locate and select it in the list, select Manage > Edit, and then follow the guide above.
To copy vendor templates
The process of copying vendor templates is virtually identical to that of copying master templates, except for the naming of the new templates (referred to as numbering in the user interface). To copy vendor templates, follow these steps:
- Choose the icon, enter Document Categories, and then choose the related link.
- To open the purchase document category, select the PURCHASE line (not the PURCHASE code itself), and then select Edit in the action bar.
- On the Templates FastTab, in the list of templates, select the template that you want to copy, and then select Manage > Copy... to open the Copy Template page.
- Edit the default settings if necessary, and select OK > OK to create a template copy and add it to the list of templates.
- If you chose to enable Automatic Numbering on the Copy Template page, the new template is provided with a number instead of an actual name (the next consecutive number in the list of templates). However, you can of course rename it at any point, simply by locating it in the list and entering a new name in the No. column.
See also
Working with Paper and PDF Documents
Setting up New Template Fields