Token Tokens
Tech Tip: Using Tokens in List Fieldst
ECM: Make fields faster to set and ensure values are valid
With enterprise content management, List fields provide users with a drop-down list of items to choose from when assigning an entry metadata. Because the items are pre-defined, the user doesn’t have to type any text, which makes the field faster to set and ensures the value is valid. For example, in the screenshot below, the user can quickly choose which department a document applies to.
When administrators define the items that will appear in the drop-down list, they can use tokens. This offers a significant amount of flexibility, as it prevents administrators from having to hardcode items into the field and instead provides a way to generate the items dynamically. This is especially helpful when the drop-down items regularly need to be changed and/or when the number of items is large.
For example, the Brown Company scans forms into the repository, which ECM Laserfiche Workflow routes to supervisors for approval. To approve a form, a supervisor must populate the Review field with their name and final decision (e.g., Approved by JDoe or Denied by BSmith). In this scenario, the administrator can choose between the following options when designing the field:
1. Do not use a list field and require the supervisor to manually type the correct text.
2. Use a list field and hardcode the drop-down items. For example, if there 30 potential approvers, hardcode each supervisor’s name into the list field twice (once for approved and once for denied).
3. Use a list field with a combination of regular text and tokens to define only two drop-down items. For example, regardless of how many potential approvers there are, the administrator could add two drop-down items that each contain the %(Username) token: Approved by %(Username) and Denied by %(Username). When a supervisor chooses one of these items from the drop-down list, the token will be automatically replaced with their name. Note: The % (Username) token represents the name of the user that performed an action, such as setting a field value.
In this scenario, the third option is recommended, as it doesn’t require the administrator to manually manage the drop-down list (which may regularly change), it prevents users from wasting time typing or entering typos, and it ensures uniformity. As seen in the screenshot below, the user selects the appropriate item from the drop-down list, part of which will be automatically replaced by the user’s name.
Tip: The administrator could add on %(Datetime) to the end of each drop-down item, which would also record the review date/time (e.g., Approved by JDoe on 01/21/11 2:14:06PM). Note that the administrator may need to increase the field’s width to allow this amount of text.
Tip: The administrator could add a third list item that contains a value of Pending, as this would enable users to determine that the entry has yet to be reviewed by a supervisor.
Tip: Enterprise content managementLaserfiche Workflow could refer to this field value later to determine who approved the item, and then make a routing decision based on this information.
About the Author
RIO combines powerful Enterprise Content Management software with sophisticated business process management software for effective information management throughout the enterprise.
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