Automatically populating properties using lookups in Xtendis 7

When processing files in Xtendis 7 (either manually or automatically), the properties that need to be filled in are often based on data that is related to each other and that typically stays constant over long periods of time.

The details of a company for example consist of a name, a company ID, and address details. It is unlikely that these details change regularly. This means that when the company name or ID is known, all related details are also known.

This knowledge can then be used to automatically populate related fields when a main field is filled. This is done by using a lookup table.

In the example of the company details it could be made to work in such a way that when the company ID is entered in one field, the company name and address details are automatically filled in their respective fields, based on the data stored in the lookup table.

This process is similar to working with lookup tables in database systems or in spreadsheets.

The advantages of using lookup tables are the following:

1. Entering data is more efficient for the user because by filling out one field, multiple other fields are automatically filled.
2. Data is based on a fixed set of data which reduces data entry mistakes such as spelling errors.

The process

For lookups to work, the following is needed:

1. A table that holds the lookup data
2. The data for the lookup table
3. A connection between the table and the lookup fields

The lookup table and the connection between the table and the lookup fields is set up by WoodWing. The data for the lookup table needs to be provided by the customer.

This is explained in more detail later in this article.

Lookup tables

Lookup tables are managed in the Table Data Manager in the Functional management section of Xtendis.

It consists of the following components:

1. A list to choose the table to manage.
2. An option to add new rows.
3. An option to remove a row.
4. A table in which data can be edited.
5. Options to export and import data.

The use of these components should be self explanatory. We will use the rest of this article to explain the process in which the Table Data Manager is used.

Setting up a new lookup table

In this scenario, the process of setting up a new lookup table is described.

Step 1. Determine which data is needed. In our example for a company, we used contact ID, name, and address details such as street, city, and country.

Step 2. Add this to a spreadsheet, using the names as column names.

Step 3. Fill out the spreadsheet with the relevant data.

Step 4. Save the spreadsheet as a .csv file.

Step 5. Contact your WoodWing account manager with a request for setting up a lookup table. Provide the following information:

1. The CSV file with the table data.
2. The name of the table as it should appear in the table list.
3. The name of the field that triggers the lookup.
4. The names of the fields that should be populated when the lookup is triggered.

Once the request is received, WoodWing will set up the table and the lookup functionality within your environment. Once set up, changes to the data can be made from within the Table Data Manager as explained below.

Managing lookup tables

Lookup tables are managed in the Table Data Manager in the Functional management section of Xtendis.

Existing tables can be managed as follows:

• Click in any cell to change its value.
• Click Add new row to add a new row to a table.
• Click the trash can icon for a row to delete the row.
• Replace the full content of the table by clicking Export current table data to export the data as a .csv file. Edit the content of the file and click Import new table data to update the table.