Terms and concepts

This page explains the terms used throughout the Exact Forms Plus documentation: where the data in a document comes from, the tables the setup wizard adds to your app, and the pieces of a document template.

Where the data in a document comes from

Every document Exact Forms Plus creates combines up to three kinds of data.

Term	What it means	Example
Master record	The main record the document is about. Exact Forms Plus reads its fields and puts them into the template. The table that holds master records is the master table. The button that runs Exact Forms Plus (by default Generate EFP Document) is added to this table.	A record in a Purchase Orders table.
Related data	Records in another table that are connected to the master record through a relationship, also called child records or line items. They appear in the document as an embedded report.	The Purchase Order Details records that belong to the purchase order.
Supporting data	Records from another table that are not connected to the master record through a relationship. They also appear as an embedded report, using a query or saved report that doesn't depend on the master record.	A list of all active products, or the company's standard terms stored in a settings table.

Tables and fields the setup wizard adds

This section explains the main tables and fields. For everything the wizard adds in each kind of setup, see Set up Exact Forms Plus with the installation wizard

Document Templates table

Holds your templates. Each record is one template, and its record ID is the template ID the button uses. Main fields:

Name: the template's name.
Template File: the Word file (.docx or .doc). All versions are kept, so you can go back to an earlier one.
Master table dbid and Master table name: the table the template is used with.
MSG_DetailsNotFound: the text shown in place of an embedded report that returns no records. If it's blank, the document shows No detail records found.
EFP Configurator: a button that opens the Exact Forms Plus configurator for the template.
Add New Exact Forms Plus Subtable: a button that adds an embedded report to the template.
Copy this Document Template: copies the template record together with its embedded reports.

Document Subtables table

Holds the settings for each embedded report. Each record is listed under one template (through the Related Document Template field), but any template in the app can use it; see Use one embedded report in several templates. Main fields:

Configuration Name and Notes: your description of the embedded report.
Settings: the report's settings: the table, the query or saved report, the columns, and the formatting. The configurator fills this in; open it with the record's Edit Subtable Configuration button.
Template Reference: the text to paste into the Word template where the table should appear, for example ~strid=23~. The number is the record ID of the Document Subtables record.

Fields on the master table

Main fields (the wizard also adds more buttons and the fields for background runs; see What the wizard adds):

Generate EFP Document: the button that creates the document.
EFP Document: the file attachment field the document is saved to.
EFP Date: the date and time the document was last created.
Exact Forms Plus Batch Email: used by batch processing. See Exact Forms Plus Batch Processor overview.

Template terms

Term	What it means
Document template	A Microsoft Word file (.docx or .doc) that shows how the document should look. It's stored in the Template File field of a Document Templates record.
Field value	To show a field's value, type the field name or field ID between tildes, for example `~Customer Name~` or `~5~`. When the document is created, Exact Forms Plus replaces it with the field's value from the master record. This works in Word headers and footers too.
Image	To insert an image from a file attachment field, type `i:`, the field ID, and a size between tildes. The size is a width in points (`~i:12:300~`), a width and height (`~i:12:200x150~`), or a percentage (`~i:12:25%~`).
Function	Text between tildes that starts with `~=` and formats a value, for example a date in a long format, a number written in words, or a barcode or QR code.
Embedded report (subtable)	A table of records inserted into the document. It's set up as a Document Subtables record. To place it in the template, copy the record's Template Reference value (`~strid=N~`) into the Word file. It can show related data (the query refers to a field on the master record) or supporting data (a fixed query or a saved report).

For everything you can put in a template, see Document templates.

Terms for running Exact Forms Plus

Term	What it means
Formula URL/Formula Rich-Text	The formula behind the Generate EFP Document button. Its parameters choose the template, the output format, and where the document is saved. See Formula URL parameters.
Multiple-record run	A run that uses a Quickbase query instead of a single record. Exact Forms Plus creates one document per record that the query returns, up to 50 per run by default.
Merged PDF	One PDF that combines all the documents from a multiple-record run.
Repository table	A table in your app where documents are saved as records, instead of (or as well as) on the master record. Each run adds a new record or updates an existing one.
Batch processing	Creates documents in the background, started by a Quickbase email notification. It's used to create documents automatically when a record changes, or to create more documents than a single run allows.