Exact Forms Plus setup

The Exact Forms Plus Setup step comes after the Setup Type step. Here you give the details of the documents you want to create: which table the content comes from, what file format the output should be, which template to start from, and where to store the documents—there are more options than a file attachment field.

What you see depends on what you chose on the Setup Type step: Single Document Generation, Bulk Document Generation, or Quickbase Native Document Template. The differences are in each field below and in the table after the list. Most fields have a ? icon beside them that shows help in the wizard.

The Exact Forms Plus Setup step

The fields, from top to bottom:

1. Select a Table (required)—the table you want to create documents from. This is the master table. The list starts at Select a Table. The wizard adds fields to this table, so your user token needs permission to create fields in it.

2. Output File Type—the file type Exact Forms Plus creates: PDF (selected by default) or DOCX. When you use DOCX, the file isn't streamed back to the user; open it from the file attachment field instead.

3. Template to Use (Exact Forms Plus Template only)—the Word document used to create the documents. Choose one:

   • Use Standard Sample Template (selected by default)—the wizard creates a sample template record for you, so you can try out how Exact Forms Plus works.

   • Upload Custom Template—if you already know Exact Forms Plus, skip the sample and upload your own template. A Select a Template File picker appears; it accepts .doc and .docx files. The wizard adds the file as a record in the new Document Templates table.

   • Use an Existing Template—shown only when your app already has a Document Templates table, for example because you've installed Exact Forms Plus on another table. An Existing Template Record ID# box appears: enter the Record ID# of the template record you want to use.

4. Existing Document Template ID# (required; Quickbase Native Document Template only)—replaces Template to Use. Enter the Document Template ID# of the native template in your table that you want to generate.

5. Filtering Criteria (required; bulk only)—how Exact Forms Plus finds the records to create documents for. Neither option is selected at first; choose one:

   • Select a Report—a Select a Report list of the master table's reports appears. When a run starts, documents are created for the records in that report.

   • Filter By Query—a Build a Query query builder appears. When a run starts, documents are created for the records that match the query at that time.

6. Merge Output Files (checkbox; bulk only)—after Exact Forms Plus creates the documents found by the Filtering Criteria, it merges them all into a single file and saves it on the Batch Processing control record that the run was started from.

   Note

   Merging works only when the Output File Type is PDF. The checkbox is unavailable while DOCX is selected.

7. Advanced Settings—select it (+) to expand the storage options below. It isn't shown for Quickbase Native Document Template.

8. Select a Cloud Storage Type—save the documents to cloud storage instead of in file attachment fields. Choose None (the default), Amazon S3, Dropbox, or Egnyte. Each cloud choice adds an account step before Finish; see Optional steps this step can add.

9. Use a Repository Table (checkbox; single only)—save each document to a separate table, where each document is its own record. This keeps every document after it's created, in one place. Checking it adds the Repository Table Setup step. A repository table can't be combined with Dropbox or Egnyte: choosing either one makes the checkbox unavailable, and checking it makes Dropbox unavailable.

Select Finish to install. If your choices added optional steps, the button is Next, and Finish is on the last optional step. Select Previous to go back to Setup Type.

Single vs. bulk document generation

Quickbase Native Document Template is always single document generation. It shows Select a Table, Output File Type, and Existing Document Template ID#, with no Advanced Settings.

Optional steps this step can add

The wizard adds these steps before Finish, based on your choices:

• Amazon S3 Account Setup—when you choose Amazon S3. You need your AWS account information. See Amazon S3 setup.

• Dropbox Account Setup—when you choose Dropbox. You need a Dropbox account. See Dropbox setup.

• Egnyte Account Setup—when you choose Egnyte. You need an Egnyte account. See Egnyte setup.

• Repository Table Setup—when you check Use a Repository Table. Choose or create the repository table and its file attachment field. See Repository table step.

• Application Token—for bulk document generation (added when you chose Bulk Document Generation on the Setup Type step). If your app requires application tokens, enter one in the optional Application Token box; the wizard adds it to the formulas it installs. If your app requires a token and you leave the box empty, add the token to those fields yourself later. See Application token step.

For an overview of the cloud storage options, see Cloud provider overview and setup.

Messages

If something is missing, the wizard stays on this step and shows one of these messages in a red banner:

Next: Exact Forms Plus finish.