3 Using the Managed Attachments Solution

This chapter describes how to use the Managed Attachments solution. It covers displaying the attachments list from the business application, viewing, attaching, editing, and searching for attachments, checking in and scanning documents, and working with document revisions.

This chapter includes the following main sections:

For more information about Content Server procedures, see the Oracle WebCenter Content User's Guide for Content Server.

Note:

Depending on customization, some functionality described in this section may not be available. For example, some buttons may not be displayed or some icons may be dimmed (grayed out).

3.1 Viewing Attachments

This section includes the following topics:

3.1.1 Displaying Managed Attachments in the Business Application

Follow these steps to display the Managed Attachments screen from an Oracle E-Business Suite, Oracle PeopleSoft, or other business application record.

Note:

Ensure the following browser settings are configured:

  • Pop-up blockers are disabled for the hostnames used in this solution.

  • Cookies are not blocked.

  1. On a business application screen that supports managed attachments, display a record.

  2. Activate Managed Attachments. Depending on configuration, you might:

    • Click a Managed Attachments button or link.

    • Click a Zoom icon from the toolbar (Oracle E-Business Suite Forms applications only), choose Managed Attachments from the Zooms menu and click OK.

      This graphic is described in surrounding text.
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    Note:

    You may be prompted to enter a username and password to log in to Content Server, depending on configuration. If prompted, enter the same username that you use to log in to the business application.

    The Managed Attachments screen is displayed, listing any current attachments for the selected business record.

    Note:

    You have access to the Managed Attachments screen for a certain amount of time. After a period of inactivity or total access time is reached, a message is displayed, informing you that your access privileges may have expired. To access the Managed Attachments screen, follow the steps in this section to redisplay the Managed Attachments screen.

    • Metadata fields and values for the selected business application record may be displayed in the screen surrounded by square bracket [ ] characters. For example, a managed attachments list for an employee record might display the employee name, or employee ID, or both.

    • If the list of attachments is long, page controls and arrows for displaying previous and next pages are displayed.

    • You can resize the columns by hovering the cursor over the line between column headings; when it changes to a two-headed arrow, click and drag to increase or decrease the column's size. Column contents wrap to the next line.

    • To sort the attachments list, click a column heading. A triangle is displayed after sorting to indicate ascending (right side up) or descending (inverted) order.

3.1.2 Viewing Attached Documents

The Managed Attachments screen provides multiple ways of accessing and viewing documents:

3.1.3 Viewing Documents in AutoVue

Depending on configuration, you may have access to enhanced viewing options in the Managed Attachments screen through AutoVue. If configured, AutoVue enables you to view, print, collaborate, annotate, and mark up non-private (shared) attachments of virtually any document type. For details on shared versus private documents, see Section 3.2.1, "Checking In and Attaching a Document."

  1. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the View in AutoVue icon shown below for an attachment. When AutoVue is configured, this icon is displayed in the Actions options.

    This graphic is described in surrounding text.

    An AutoVue applet is launched, and the selected document displays in the AutoVue client.

    Notes:

    The AutoVue icon is dimmed (grayed out) for private attachments, which cannot be viewed using AutoVue.

    Viewing or annotating a document in AutoVue does not check it out or prevent it from being edited by others. Annotations are contained in a separate layer from their corresponding document.

  2. Use AutoVue options to view, annotate, mark up, and print the document. Note that digital markups are saved in the Content Server repository and associated with the attached document.

    For details about AutoVue use, see the Oracle VueLink 20.2 for Oracle UCM User's Manual (or higher).

3.1.4 Configuring Fields For Display

Follow these steps to select and order fields for display in the Managed Attachments screen.

  1. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the Configure icon, as shown below.

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  2. On the Configure Fields for Display screen, specify fields to display by selecting them in the Available Fields area (holding down the Ctrl key to select multiple fields) and clicking the right arrow button to move them to the Main Information area. Fields selected for display are displayed in dimmed text in the Available Fields area.

  3. Change the order in which fields are displayed by repositioning them in the Main Information area. Move a field by selecting it and clicking the up or down arrow button.

    Note:

    If needed, click the Reset button to restore the default field display and order.

  4. Click the Apply button and view the results of your changes.

  5. When done, click the Save and Exit button, and close the Configure Fields for Display screen.

3.1.5 Viewing a Document's Information

Follow these steps to view an attached document's metadata values or previous revisions.

  1. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the Info icon displayed in the Info column for a selected attachment.

  2. View details about the document on the Content Information Screen.

3.2 Attaching and Detaching Documents

This section includes the following topics:

3.2.1 Checking In and Attaching a Document

Follow these steps to check in a document and attach it to the selected business application record.

  1. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the New button.

  2. Complete the fields on the Content Check-in Form.

    • In the Type field, select a type for the document.

    • In the Title field, enter a name for the attached document.

    • Select the Share Document field to make the document a shared attachment. Leave the field deselected to make the document a private attachment.

      • Documents that are shared attachments are viewable from Managed Attachments and from the standard Content Server application (with the appropriate security access).

      • Documents that are private attachments (not shared) are viewable from Managed Attachments via the business application only. They are hidden in the standard Content Server application.

    • If you selected the Share Document field, select a group for the document in the Security Group field. The attachment is available to users with permission to this group.

    • Specify the file to attach in the Primary File field by clicking the Browse button and selecting a file.

  3. Click the Check In button.

    Content Server options are displayed and a message confirms that the document was checked in. A button called Check In Similar enables you to check in and attach another document using the same metadata values.

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  4. Close the Check-In Confirmation screen.

  5. In the Managed Attachments screen, click Refresh to display the newly checked in attachment.

3.2.2 Checking Out Documents and Undoing Check-outs

Checking out a document in Content Server makes it temporarily unavailable for other users to save changes to it, until you check it back in, or you or another user undo the check-out.

  1. Check out a document by choosing Checkout from the Content Actions menu on the Content Information screen. Editing a document using the Edit icon also checks out a document.

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Documents Checked Out By You

A green check mark icon is displayed in the Revision column (if shown) when a document is checked out by you.

  1. To undo a check-out by you or check in a revised document, click the Checked Out By Me icon to display the Content Information screen. From its Content Actions menu, choose Undo Check-out or Check-in.

Documents Checked Out By Another User

A lock icon is displayed in the Revision column (if shown) when a document is checked out by another user.

  1. To undo the check-out, click the Lock icon to display the Content Information screen, and choose Undo Check-out from its Content Actions menu.

3.2.3 Scanning Using Oracle Distributed Document Capture

The Managed Attachments screen provides a Scan button that, when configured, launches the Oracle Distributed Document Capture application and enables you to either scan a document using a TWAIN compliant scanner or import a scanned image file from disk. After reviewing, editing, and indexing the document, click the Send button, which transfers it from Oracle Distributed Document Capture to Content Server and attaches it to the selected business application entity.

Follow these steps to scan or import a document.

  1. If scanning documents, place the documents in the feeder tray of the scanner.

    Note:

    You can attach one document only at a time by scanning or importing.

  2. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the Scan button. The Scan Document screen is displayed.

  3. Select a classification in the Document Classification field.

    This identifies the type of document to be scanned or imported. For example, you might choose a document classification of Identity Documents to scan a photocopy of a driver's license or passport.

  4. Select the Share Document field to make the document available to other Content Server users with appropriate access. Leave the field deselected (default) to make the document available when viewed through the business application but hidden from the standard Content Server user interface.

  5. In the Security Group field, select a group for the document. The attachment is available only to users who have permission to the group you select. This field is available only if you chose to share the document in the previous step.

  6. Click the Scan Document button. The Oracle Distributed Document Capture client application launches and displays options based on whether the selected document classification is configured for scanning or importing.

    • If set for scanning, the scanner scans the pages you placed in the feeder and displays them in the Review/Index screen, ready for you to review and index them. All pages are scanned and stored in one document in the batch.

    • If set for importing, a File Import screen is displayed, prompting you to select one or more scanned image files to import. After you select files, their pages are displayed in the Review/Index screen, ready for you to review and index. All files are imported into a single document in a single batch.

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  7. In the Review/Index screen, review, edit, and index the document. For information, see the User's Guide for Oracle Distributed Document Capture. Follow these guidelines:

    • You can add pages to documents, but should not add documents to the batch.

    • Index fields are displayed in the lower side pane. Index fields provide values that are stored as metadata with the Content Server document. An asterisk is displayed before the names of required index fields.

    • All pages in a document have the same index values. Changing the values on one page changes them for all pages in the document.

    Note:

    If you decide to cancel a document scan or import, you must close the Oracle Distributed Document Capture screen and return to the Managed Attachments screen and perform a new scan or import. This ensures that index values are properly set for attachments.

  8. When done, click Send to transfer the document to Content Server and attach it to the business application record. When asked to confirm sending the batch, click Yes.

    Note:

    If required index fields are not complete, you are prompted to complete them to send the batch.

    The client displays batch send results.

  9. Close the Batch Send Results and Oracle Distributed Document Capture screens.

  10. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the Refresh button to display the newly scanned or imported document now attached to the selected business application record. Note that it may take a few minutes for the generated document to be displayed.

3.2.4 Attaching From the Content Server Repository

Follow these steps to search for and attach documents from the Content Server repository to the selected business application record.

  1. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the From Repository button. The Expanded Search Form is displayed.

  2. Enter search criteria and click Search. For example, for the Title field, select Starts and enter the first few characters of a document's title.

    Search results are displayed, which include documents to which you have security group access.

  3. In the Select field, select found documents to attach. If a found document is already attached to the business application record, a grayed out box is displayed. You can select multiple documents to attach.

  4. From the Actions menu above the Select field, choose Attach to Current Application Entity. Confirm attaching the selected document(s) to the business application record. A message confirms that the documents were successfully attached.

  5. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the Refresh button to display the document(s) now attached to the selected business application record.

3.2.5 Detaching a Document

Follow these steps to detach a document from the selected business application record. Detaching a document removes the link to the business application record, but does not delete the document from the Content Server. Also see Section 3.3.5, "Deleting a Document on Content Server."

  1. In the Managed Attachments screen, select the row corresponding to the attachment to detach from the selected business application record.

  2. Click the Detach button.

  3. A message prompts you to verify detaching the document. Click OK.

    A message confirms that the document was successfully detached. After you close the message, the attachment list is automatically refreshed, with the detached document no longer listed.

3.3 Editing Attachments

This section includes the following topics:

3.3.1 Opening or Saving a Document

Follow these steps to open a document in a Web-viewable format or save the document in its native format to a selected location such as a local computer. Note that changes you make to a document in this way are not saved on the Content Server; instead, see Section 3.3.2, "Editing a Document in Its Native Application."

  1. In the Managed Attachments screen, click a selected document's link in the Name field. A File Download dialog box is displayed with options to open or save the file.

  2. Click Open or Save.

3.3.2 Editing a Document in Its Native Application

Follow these steps to edit a document on the Content Server. Note that you must have access to the native application.

  1. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the Edit icon for a selected attachment. The Edit icon is displayed only for documents that can be edited in this way.

  2. The document opens in its native application. Note that, depending on configuration, you may be prompted to enter a user name and password to log in. Make changes and save the document.

    When you open the document using this method, it is automatically checked out. When you save the document in its native application, it is automatically checked back in as a new revision.

3.3.3 Updating a Document's Metadata

Follow these steps to make changes to a selected document's metadata values.

  1. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the Info icon for a selected attachment.

  2. On the Content Information Screen, choose Update from the Content Actions menu.

  3. Make changes to the document's metadata values on the Info Update Form.

  4. Click the Submit Update button.

3.3.4 Working With Document Revisions

The Revision column contains useful information about the attachment revision, including:

  • the revision number of the attachment.

  • if the attachment is checked out by you (green check mark) or another user (locked icon, hover to view user name).

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  • If Revision-specific mode has been configured and a newer revision than the attached revision exists, the Newer Revision Available icon (page with green up arrow, shown below) is displayed. To make the newest revision the attached revision, click the icon and choose Update Attachment to This Revision from the Content Actions menu in the Content Information Screen.

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3.3.5 Deleting a Document on Content Server

Follow these steps to remove a document from the Content Server and also detach it from the business application record. To detach a document only (remove its link to the selected business application record without deleting it from the Content Server), see Section 3.2.5, "Detaching a Document."

  1. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the Info icon for a selected attachment.

  2. Under Actions options, click the Delete link for the revision to delete. You are prompted to confirm the deletion.

3.4 Finding Attachments

This section includes the following topics:

3.4.1 Searching for Documents on the Content Server Repository

Follow these steps to search for documents on the Content Server to view them or attach them to the selected business record.

Note:

Private (not shared) attachments are not returned in search results when searching from within the business application as described in this section.

  1. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the From Repository button.

  2. Specify search criteria on the Expanded Search Form.

    For example, to search for a document by its name, select Starts in the Title field and enter the first portion of its name in the adjacent field.

  3. Click the Search button. Search results are listed and automatically selected. To display the document, click its Info button.

  4. To attach the documents located in the search results, select Attach to current Application Entity from the Actions menu displayed above the Select column.

3.4.2 Searching Within the Attachments List

Follow these steps to perform a search within the attachments list.

  1. In the Managed Attachments screen, click the Search Within button.

  2. Specify search criteria on the Expanded Search Form.

    For example, to search for a document by its name, select Starts in the Title field and enter the first portion of its name in the adjacent field.

  3. Click the Search button. Search within results are listed.