Create metadata forms

1. Which metadata forms do you need?

2. Which fields and settings do you want the metadata forms to have?

3. Which fields do you want to use in multiple metadata forms?

4. First, create all the fields you require.

5. Create the metadata forms.

6. Assign the fields to the metadata forms.

Please note: When configuring metadata forms, the number of forms used should not exceed double-digits. A separate search index is built for each metadata form. A large number of metadata forms therefore requires a large amount of RAM and hard disk space for the ELO iSearch.

Description: You can create and manage metadata forms in the Metadata forms and fields area.

Information: You need to create the field templates required for the metadata forms before you create the metadata form. You can use field templates in different metadata forms.

Create metadata form

1. Click the green Add metadata form button.

The New metadata form dialog box opens.

2. Enter a name for the metadata form in the Name field.

3. Enter all other information for the metadata form in the New metadata form dialog box.

Information: Read the following information for notes on the corresponding fields and options.

4. Click Save to save the metadata form.

Basic data

Name: Enter the name of the metadata form here.

Translation variable: This field can be used to define a variable which can be used for customizing the program with scripts or for translations, e.g. the name of the metadata form.

Last change: In this field, you can see when the metadata form was modified last.

ID: Identification number of the metadata form. This is automatically assigned by the system.

GUID: This field contains the GUID of the metadata form, which is allocated by the system.

Save data as a table: Click the Save data as a table function if you do not want to save the data of the entries filed with this metadata form in the usual database structure (objkeys table). The entries are saved to a flat database table instead. This database table has one column per index value and one row per document. This may be required in specific cases to optimize search performance.

Warning: You cannot convert data back to the usual database structure. Check carefully if this setting is necessary in your case. Refer to the Metadata table documentation for more information.

Usage

Usage

Folders: If you enable this option, the metadata form can be used to enter metadata for folders.

Documents: If you enable this option, the metadata form can be used to file documents.

Search: Select this option to use the metadata form for searches.

Relation: If this option is enabled, you can establish a link between the metadata form and Relation type fields. With Relation type fields, you can only select metadata forms in which this option is enabled.

Relation fields establish a connection to the corresponding relation metadata forms. Relation fields can be used to display the priority fields of the associated metadata form as a keyword list. You can recognize relation fields by the chain icon.

Information: Double-click to transfer an entry from the keyword list to the field. Only the short name is copied into the field. You can sort the keyword list using the columns.

Restriction

Usage determined by parent element: If the option Usage determined by parent element is enabled, then this metadata form is only available if you file or create a child entry in a folder that is restricted to this metadata form.

See the option Restrict selection of metadata forms for child entries.

Restrict selection of metadata forms for child entries: Enter which metadata forms may be used for the child entries here.

Enter the metadata form you want to use to the Enter name of metadata form field. ELO suggests possible metadata forms as you type.

Click a suggestion to add the respective metadata form to the list. To remove the metadata form from the list, click the X icon to the right.

Fields

A preview of the metadata form is displayed in the left pane. You can change the metadata forms by moving the fields and the names of fields around with the mouse.

Information: Before you use the fields in the Metadata forms and fields area, you need to define the templates for the fields in the Field templates area. Before you start creating fields, you should have finalized all the settings for the metadata forms.

Move fields

1. Click the field you want to move.

2. Position the cursor on the field.

The cursor turns into a cross with four arrows.

3. Click and hold down the left mouse button.

4. Drag the field to where you want it on the metadata form.

5. Release the mouse button.

The field is now at the correct position on the metadata form.

Information: Move field names in the same way.

Create fields

1. Select the required tab on the metadata form.

Please note: You can use up to 200 fields on each metadata form. When numbering fields, it is important to note that 51 to 60 are hidden fields reserved for scripts.

Optional: Create a new tab by clicking the Add tab button to the right of the metadata form preview.

2. Click the Add field button at the bottom to add a new field to the metadata form.

This creates a new field marked New.

You can edit the settings for the fields in the Field properties area on the right-hand side.

3. Enter the required information for the new field.

Information: Refer to the following explanations of the field properties for the settings.

Field properties

Field group: Select a group name from the list of available field templates in the Field group field. You can use the group name to search multiple metadata forms, assuming they all use the same field template. You can also use the group name to provide the user with a keyword list for multiple metadata forms.

Please note: You can only use a field group once for each metadata form.

Information: Some field settings are in the Fields templates section.

Name: Enter the name of the field here.

Translation variable (name): If you want to provide the name of the field in multiple languages, enter a corresponding variable name here. There must be a properties file for those languages containing this variable.

Display mode: Define the status of the field here. The Normal access option means the field is unrestricted and can be edited by users. If the Read-only option is checked, you cannot enter anything in the field. However, you can enter information in the field using a script, for example. If the option Hidden is checked, the field is not displayed. It is still possible to enter information using a script.

Tooltip: You can enter text to this field to be displayed as a tooltip whenever the user moves the cursor over the field.

Translation variable (tooltip): If you want to provide the tooltip in multiple languages, enter a corresponding variable name here. There must be a properties file for those languages containing this variable.

Field with high priority: If you enable the option Field with high priority under Metadata forms and fields, the information from the fields will be displayed after the file name in the tree view.

Show field when checking in: The field is displayed when checking in. You can still enter metadata information at this point.

Mandatory field: Specify whether you want a field to be mandatory here. You should define this setting in the options for field templates.

Pass on to child entries: If the option Pass on to child entries is enabled, metadata information can be passed on to child entries.

Allow input inheritance from parent element: If the Allow input inheritance from parent element option is enabled, entries assigned this metadata form can inherit metadata from parent entries.

Default value: If you want a field to be automatically assigned a specific value, enter the corresponding value to the Default value field.

Positioning

Edit the exact position of the field in the Positioning area. To help you, turn on the grid in the preview (Turn grid on/off button).

Information: If you want to see any changes you make here in preview mode, you need to save the metadata form.

Tab: Use the drop-down menu to select the tab you want the field to be displayed on.

Label column: This value specifies the horizontal starting position of the field name.

Label row: This value specifies the vertical starting position of the field name.

Input column: This value specifies the horizontal starting position of the field.

Input row: This value specifies the vertical starting position of the field.

Input width: This value specifies the width of the field in columns. If you enter 0, the column width is automatically adjusted to fit the available space.

Form permissions

Define the permissions for the metadata form in the Form permissions area.

Add user or group: Search for groups or users in the Add user or group field. ELO suggests possible users and groups as you type. Click the corresponding suggestion to add a user or a group.

User or group with permissions: You can see the users and groups with permissions to the metadata form in the User or group with permissions field. Edit the permission settings using the check boxes next to the User or group with permissions field.

AND group: Use the AND group button to connect two or more groups. In this case, the assigned permissions only apply to users who are members of all groups connected as AND groups.

Owner rights: Use the Owner rights button to add permissions for the user who created the metadata form.

Members of the group: Under Members of the group, you can see all users who are a member of the selected group.

Entry options

Entry type (folder forms only): Define an entry type for folders in the Entry type drop-down menu.

Font color: Color for displaying the document type.

Document status/sorting: Select the document status here that will be applied to documents filed with this metadata form. Define the sort order for documents filed with the metadata form for folders.

Document path: Select the document path to be used with the metadata form. The default path is basis.

Lifetime: Define the lifetime of a document here. After this period has ended, the document is removed from ELO. This function is primarily useful for documents that need to be retained for a certain length of time, such as contracts.

Translate short name: If you enable this option, the short name is added to the translation table.

Enable quick preview for documents in the folder: If you enable this option, the first document in the folder is displayed in the right-hand program pane instead of a list of contained documents.

Encryption key: Select an encryption key here if you wish to encrypt documents filed with this metadata form. You can also select the No encryption option.

Add to full text database: Select this option to add documents filed with this metadata form to the full text database. This allows the documents to be found in a full text search.

Approval document: This setting corresponds to the Author for approval documents permission. Documents with this option can be edited by a user with the Author for approval documents right. With approval documents, an editor may continue to edit previous versions of a version-controlled document without other users in the repository being able to see it.

Entry permissions

Define rights for the documents to be filed here.

Please note: These settings must be matched with the permissions for the metadata form and with the permissions for the field templates.

Add user or group: Search for groups or users in the Add user or group field. ELO suggests possible users and groups as you type. Click the corresponding suggestion to add a user or a group.

User or group with permissions: You can see the users and groups with permissions in the User or group with permissions field. Edit the permission settings using the check boxes next to the User or group with permissions field.

AND group: Use the AND group button to connect two or more groups. In this case, the assigned permissions only apply to users who are members of all groups connected as AND groups.

Owner rights: Use the Owner rights button to add permissions for the user who created the entry.

Parent rights: Use the Parent rights button to apply the settings assigned to the parent entry.

Members of the group: Under Members of the group, you can see all users who are a member of the selected group.

Filing rules

Create filing path automatically: If you select this option, folders will be created automatically if the path does not already exist when filing documents automatically.

Create reference path automatically: If you select this option, references will be created automatically if the path does not already exist when filing documents automatically.

Filing definition: You can see the current filing definition in the Filing definition field. Create the filing definition in the Filing path field. If required, you can create additional paths using the Add reference path button.

Filing path: In the Filing path field, you can define a rule that will govern how documents are automatically filed to ELO. This is the path on the file system where documents filed with this metadata form will be stored.

Example: [¶Invoices¶]+LD(7,4)+[¶]+L1(1,1)

The filing definition can contain fixed or variable components.

Information: For more information on filing definition syntax, refer to the chapter Filing definition and fields.

Add reference path: In addition to the filing path, you can create additional reference paths. Add fields for additional paths using the Add reference path button.

Information: To remove a reference path or filing path from the filing definition, click the X icon to the right of the corresponding field.

Default workflow: Select the workflow that will be started when a document is filed with this metadata form.

Check-in workflow: Select the workflow that will be started when a document is checked in with this metadata form.

Barcode info

Barcode info: This field lists the rules defined using the barcode wizard. Define the barcode rules by clicking the button next to the display field.

Information: See the documentation on ELO Barcode for more information on these settings.

Overview of fields

This contains an overview of the fields assigned to the metadata form. The table also shows you the field IDs, which you might require for the filing definition.