Oracle® Distributed Document Capture User's Guide Release 10gR3 E13867-01 |
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Home > User's Guide > Indexing and Editing Documents > About Indexing Methods
Depending on how the administrator configures index fields in scan profiles you use, you may complete index fields in a variety of ways. For example, you might type an entry in a field called Contact Last Name, choose from a pick-list in a field called Document Type, and review an autopopulated field called User, in which your user name is automatically filled in.
Special index field types include:
A pick-list field provides a list of values from which to choose. Click the field's triangle to display and select from the pick-list, as shown in Figure 3-1.
Pick-list index fields can also be linked, where your selection in one pick-list field (the parent) determines the choices displayed in a linked pick-list field (the child). In Figure 3-2, selecting Sales in the Department parent field displays a pick-list of sales-related choices in the Group child field.
An index field may use an input format to ensure that entries match a certain format. When you move to another index field, the application changes the field's value, if needed, to match the specified input format. For example, entries into a date field might be changed to a standard date format.
An index field may use an input mask, or filter, that controls what you can enter into the index field. For example, a mask might allow you to type numbers but not alphabetic characters into the field, or might limit your entry to four characters. If you type a character that does not conform to the mask, the system beeps and the application does not accept it. For example, an index field called Invoice Number might use an input mask that restricts entries to a 7-digit number.
A database lookup provides another method of completing index fields. This option lets you search a database based on the current field in which the cursor is positioned. You enter characters to search for in the field and click the Database Lookup button. The application searches the database and displays values that match in a hit list. You select the value you want, and that value, along with other values from the database record, are inserted into the index fields. Database lookups can significantly speed up indexing and prevent errors.
For example, you might enter the first few characters of a customer's company name in an index field called Company and perform a database lookup. Index would search a database for records with company names starting with those characters and display a hit-list. After you choose the appropriate record from the hit-list, the application populates additional fields with information from the database record.
Depending on the scan profile, a hit-list may or may not be displayed when you select the Database Lookup button. The application might find one matching value only and automatically populate the remaining fields.