How to use DOCDES
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The most important/difficult aspect of DOCDES is the understanding of how the rules are maintained that enable the forms to be filled when used. See the Rules explanation using right mouse-click.
DOCDES has a tree structure. By highlighting the label at the appropriate level the options available can be reached through the 'right' clicking of the mouse. To view the folders content click on the '+' symbol adjacent to the name of the folder. To close the folder, click on the '-' symbol.
The highest level of the structure allows the creation of folders. Within the folders Templates are stored. At the Folder level, Folders may be renamed or deleted and Templates can be created within the current Folder. Folders can be linked to ITAS menu options to enable use of the Folder's Templates in the specified options. At the Template level the Templates may be opened for amendment, deleted, moved to another folder, printed and parsed. At all levels it is possible to view the rules
How to view DOCDES Rules
The Rules are dynamically created within DOCDES. Either select the root (TEMPLATES) for a list of General Rules or select a specific folder for Rules available to the ITAS Menu Options associated (see below). Once highlighted, select List Rules… from the mouse right-click menu and a report will be generated. Once the Rules are visible on the screen they may be printed, saved to file or viewed at the screen.
Assign folders to ITAS Menu Options
Templates may be specific for an ITAS application or a suite of ITAS applications. All Templates within a Folder will be available to common applications. It is important, therefore, to group Templates in a logical manner by subject. To associate a Folder with its ITAS menu options click Menu Options at the Folder level and move Options from the 'available' list to the 'selected' list. It will be possible to create documents based on the Templates in the current Folder in all the selected Menu Options provided the Option has a Document Design capability.
Technical note: These links are maintained in the company xx_docdes table.
How to Create a Folder
This option is available at the top level of DOCDES. The new folder name must be unique and should be named to reflect is intended content so that other users can add to it.
Renaming and Deleting Folders
A Folder, its contents and all links to ITAS Menu Options can be renamed once the appropriate Folder name has been highlighted. Folders may only be deleted if they have no content.
How to Create a Template
To create a Template the target Folder should be highlighted and use mouse right-click so that the 'Create Template' can be selected. A template can be based on an existing template/form from that folder. When the template has been created it will be available for use in ITAS Menu Options to which the Folder has already be linked. The template should be named meaningfully to assist in its later use.
Renaming, Deleting and Moving Templates
Templates can be renamed, deleted and moved to other folders freely. These actions are all carried out at level two when the target template has been selected. Once deleted the template will no longer be available for use in applications. If moved to another folder the template will immediately be available in the ITAS Menu Options linked to the target folder.
Copy a Template
Templates can be copied to other folders freely. You can copy a template to another Company DOCDES folder. The copied template will need to be parsed subsequently for use in that company. There is no validation when copying a template, it is the user’s responsibility to ensure a sensical operation has been performed.
Design of a Template
The design/content of a template can be amended when creating the template or opening it at a later stage. DOCDES creates 'Word' and ‘Rich Text Format’ templates and uses the features of Word in its design. The ITAS database fields are made available through being maintained in the IDD procedure. The field name is entered within ‘[‘and ‘]’ parenthesis. The symbol '*' after the field name is used to signify a clause that will modify the presentation of the field. '*full' should be placed after the name of a database date field if the date is to be expanded into its full form. '*descr' should be used if the database code is to be expanded into its full description. '*text' indicates that the text associated with the code should be included in the document. To link database field together one field should be followed by the next e.g. 'phys01_seller*chr20_title' is interpreted as meaning that the full client name as maintained in 'CLI' should be displayed on the document, the client being the seller on a physical contract as maintained in 'TRADE'.
For a full list of rules and how they are applied see the 'Rules' option in DOCDES (mouse right-click menu).
Opening a Template
A Template can be opened for viewing or amendment by double clicking the Template name at level three of the Tree structure or by clicking once on the Template name and selecting the 'Open Template' option.
Printing a Template
From level three of the Tree Structure the highlighted Template can be printed. The resulting print will show the rules, tables and layout of the Template.
Parsing a Template
From level three of the Tree Structure the highlighted Template can be parsed/locked. Any Fields/Rules NOT available to the DOCDES folder will be reported and the Lock will fail. Either way a report can be displayed listing Fields/Rules identified within the Template.
Cleaning Template
During Word editing, applying erase/bold/italic and generally moving words/logos etc around, a template may look to be the perfect end product BUT in the underlying code there may be elements that need to be removed/cleaned. This process is a right-click feature when a template has been selected. It will unlock the template and check accordingly with messages as to proceed with clean and re-lock/parse.
Set Language
Every template can have a country code assigned, denoting the language used in the template. This right-click feature will prompt for a COUNTRIES code, e.g. if Swiss based and want French language use ‘FR’. Technical note, this information is held in the Word property of the template. This condition can be checked on subsequent access by DocGen applications where the Counterparty profile has been setup in a similar manner with a Country/language code (CLI/Miscellaneous); this ensures that only DOCDES templates for the same language are shown to that user. Another use of this condition is to recognise and process in DocGen where specific rules e.g. [inv_det1] have been designed to handle languages other than English.
Set Default
This feature allows the user to nominate ONE template in each Folder as a Default/suggested template in the application that is using that folder’s contents. If the user ticks/selects a different template, that template automatically supersedes any previously nomination.
Set Signature
Any template can include a Signature. The Electronic Signature needs to be physically included in the template using the RTF editor. The right-click feature will enable the user to confirm that the template is to be recognized as including a Signature. This procedure is controlled by CMP privilege DOCDES/MARKSIG, which is also needed before an user can use a template marked as Electronic Signature. This information is held in the Word property of the template and can be checked on subsequent access by DOCGEN applications.
Set a Folder Category
Only applies when the folder has been assigned to selected ITAS options:- ‘INVENTORY’, ‘INVDIRECT’, ‘TRADE’, ‘PAYMAN’, ‘PROSCHED', 'CHARTERS’
The settings for TRADE are:-
a) Shipping Instruction (RN), which is used in TRADE/Forms to confirm that a Ship Instruction has been produced and the database field
(phys01_shipinstrsent) is setup with todays date. This field can be viewed on TRADE/TRAFFIC/Misc page.
b) Insurance Declaration (HA), this is used to ensure correct validation is applied in Parse/locking and the folder will only be used in TRADE/Insurance Declaration and will NOT appear in general Forms.
c) Sampling/Delivery/Movement Order (SO,DO,MO), used in TRADE processes for SO, DO, MO only.
d) Release Note (RD), used in TRADE /Forms + Group Forms to update the trade DELIVERY date (phys01_deliverydate) and Release Number
(phys 01_releasenr) on SALES contracts.
e) Tenders Documents (TD), used in DOXREF
The settings for PROSCHED are:-
a) PROSCHED Informal, used to indicate that the contents of this folder can be used irrespective of whether the Call-off has been Credit checked or not.
The settings for PAYMAN are:-
a) Payment Reminder – Customer
b) Payment Reminder – Broker
c) Internal Statement
d) Internal Statement – Payment Instruction
e) Internal Statement – Matching
The only settings for CHARTERS are:-
a) DEM/DES Credit/Debit Note, this is used to specify that the contents of this folder can be used for creation of Invoice in Charters Party/time sheets
b) Quality Results, the templates in this folder are used for explicit CHARTERS/Analysis reports ‘Pol Report’ (RAW POL) and ‘Company Quality ‘ (RAW QUALITY)
The settings for INVENTORY (Cotton trading) are:
a) Plan - Haulier Advices – ( Created from the Documents Toolbar button in PLAN – PLAN will use the default template for the haulier or the default template from the haulier advices folder )
b) Plan - Warehouse Notifications – ( Created from the Documents Toolbar button in PLAN – PLAN will use the default template for the warehouse or the default template from the warehouse notifications folder )
c) Plan - Transit Insurance ( Created from the PLAN “Insurance Declaration” right click menu option )
d) Document - Bill Of Lading ( Created using the Logistics Documentation option )
e) Document - Shipping Order ( Created using the Logistics Documentation option )
f) Document - Warehouse Ready Date Request ( Created using the Logistics Documentation option )
g) General - Booking Sheet ( Created from the Documents Toolbar button in PLAN ) – see note1
h) Sample - Sample Orders ( Created from the Documents Toolbar button in the sample orders form )
i) Logistics – General Inventory (Used in Logistics processing per Unit)
j) Inventory – Warehouse Showcase (Used in Warehouse Showcasing for Visit Notice)
The setting for GROUPSTK is
a) ‘Group Nominations’. This is used by S07 to validate phys92 , cmy116 etc
The setting for INVDIRECT is for New/recurring templates
Set Folder Nominations
The 'Booking sheet' folder can have TRADE nominations maintained to enable more effective user selection of relevant DOCDES template when creating Booking forms
The ‘Contract Advices’ folder can have TRADE nominations to enable automated execution of Business Confirmation creation/ despatch