How to use
The “Export in PDF” feature allows the user to create a PDF file using the data inserted in the DCS. Once the PDF file is created, the user can print it or export/download.
The “Export in PDF” feature can be re-called (for the desired DC Sheet) from the Sheet master data, placed on the right menu button.
The system searches for all the input fields filled-in in the sheet, and uses their value to prepare the PDF files to be later printed /exported.
PDF file can reproduce any layout and can be easily customized in order to receive the DCS data in the desired location.
Please note that each DC Template, or better, each different template release, can decide to use the same or a different PDF template. This can be useful for sampling text, layout or adding new fields.
How to configure
In order to make “Export in PDF” feature to work properly, the following configuration steps are required:
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Prepare the PDF template
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Associate the PDF Template to a Working Copy and publish the Release
Then the user can start collecting data and use the “Export in PDF” functionality, by using the previous published release.
Prepare the PDF template
The PDF template can be created with any PDF creator solution available on the market, external to Next-Gen FSM Platform Product.
In the next examples, Adobe Pro was used but any other product to edit PDFs is fine too.
The user can start a new document from scratch or use the existing template.
The user needs to provide as many fields as possible on the PDF document (if there are values to import into the document from the DCS sheet):
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A “Text Type” control in the PDF template file for each Input Field in the DCS is present;
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Assure that the name used by the control in the PDF template is the same (case sensitive) used in the “Code” attribute of the node in DC Template Structure (see next figure).
There is only one exception: If the node in the DC Structure is a Yes/No type’s node, the user can use different controls to change the layout:
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the user can use the “Checkbox” control or “RadioButton” control in the PDF template instead of “Text Type”
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As described in the previously procedure, it assures that the correspondence between the input name (of the control and the code of the node) is respected
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in addition the user has to specify, which value drives the appearance in the checkbox or in the radio button control.
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In the control the user type “true” if it appears when the value for the field is “Yes” in the DCS, otherwise type “false” if the value for the field is “No”.
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Here below two examples of how configuring these settings:
Check control
In this case, usually only one check control are placed in the PDF module. The user specify the value of “true” in the “value to be exported” attribute; doing so the box will be filled with a “tick” sign when the value of the DCS node is “Yes” otherwise the box will be shown empty. Be careful that the constant are case sensitive, only true or false constants are permitted.
In the next figure you will find the required configuration.
Option control
In this case usually two radiobutton controls are placed in the PDF module: one used for showing the “Yes” option and one for “No” option.
The user specifies the value of “true” in the checkbox for the “Yes” option and “false” in the checkbox for the “No” option.
Please note that constant are case sensitive, so only true or false must be used.
In the next figure, an example of required configuration.
Associate the PDF Template to a Working Copy and publish the Release
When the user calls the function, the system retrieves the associated version with the DCS, and it uses the PDF form with data contained in the sheet.
So in order to make the process operable, the template’s release must be associated a PDF module.
The user can configure and edit the Working Copy of the DC Template and upload the PDF module to associate.
Once the document has been associated as in the figure, the working copy needs to be published; the generated release, acquires the PDF form to be used from the working copy.