The PDF Stamper Setup step comes after the Setup Type step. Here you give the details of the documents you want to create: which table the data comes from, which PDF template to stamp it onto, and where to store the stamped documents—there are more options than a file attachment field.
PDF Stamper always creates PDF files, so there's no output file type to choose. What you see depends on whether you chose Single Document Generation or Bulk Document Generation on the Setup Type step; 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 PDF Stamper Setup step
The fields, from top to bottom:
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.
Template to Use—the PDF file your data is stamped onto. Choose one:
Use Standard Sample Template (selected by default)—the wizard creates a sample template record for you, so you can try out how PDF Stamper works.
Upload Custom Template—if you already know PDF Stamper, skip the sample and upload your own PDF. A Select a Template File picker appears; it accepts .pdf 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 PDF Stamper on another table. An Existing Template Record ID# box appears: enter the Record ID# of the template record you want to use.
Filtering Criteria (required; bulk only)—how PDF Stamper finds the records to create documents for. 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.
Merge Output Files (checkbox; bulk only)—after PDF Stamper creates the documents found by the Filtering Criteria, it merges them all into a single PDF and saves it on the PDF Stamper Batch Processing control record that the run was started from.
Advanced Settings—select it (+) to expand the storage options below.
Select a Cloud Storage Type—choose None (the default) to keep the documents in file attachment fields, or Amazon S3 to save them to your Amazon S3 bucket. Amazon S3 adds the Amazon S3 Account Setup step before Finish; see Optional steps this step can add.
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.
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
Setting | Single Document Generation | Bulk Document Generation |
|---|---|---|
Select a Table, Template to Use | Shown | Shown |
Filtering Criteria (with Select a Report or Build a Query) | Not shown | Shown, required |
Merge Output Files | Not shown | Shown |
Select a Cloud Storage Type (None or Amazon S3) | Shown | Shown |
Use a Repository Table | Shown | Not shown |
Application Token step | Not added | Always added |
What gets installed | The Stamp the Document button and batch fields on the master table | The PDF Stamper Batch Processing and PDF Stamper Batch Processing Logs tables |
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, and for an overview of cloud storage, Cloud provider overview and 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.
Messages
If something is missing, the wizard stays on this step and shows one of these messages in a red banner:
Message | What to do |
|---|---|
Please select a table. | Choose a table in Select a Table. |
The usertoken selected does not have permissions to create fields in the <table> table. PDF Stamper needs permissions to create fields in order to continue the setup. | Use a user token that can create fields in the table, or choose another table. |
Please upload a valid file for the custom template. | With Upload Custom Template, choose a .pdf file in Select a Template File. |
Must supply a Record ID# for the existing template. | With Use an Existing Template, enter the template's Record ID# in Existing Template Record ID#. |
No filtering mode was selected. Please select a filtering mode. | Bulk only: choose Select a Report or Filter By Query under Filtering Criteria. |
Report-mode selected, but no report chosen. Please choose a report. | Choose a report in the Select a Report list. |
Query-mode selected, but query is blank. Please fill in a query. | Build a query in Build a Query. |
Next: PDF Stamper finish.