How does the TechDoc Client compare to TechDoc in a web browser? The TechDoc Client is a desktop application and functions without the use of a web browser. It allows you to perform most of the basic TechDoc operations i.e. Create Folder, Create Document, Release Document, etc. as well several mass document operations that are not available in the web browser. Putting single documents into TechDoc is quick, but when you need to put in hundreds or thousands, it can be painful. Here is where the TechDoc Client can help!
Creating a document in the TechDoc Client is much like the web browser. Navigate to the folder where the document should exist and start a Create Document operation by right clicking the folder, using the file menu, or using the new document icon on the menu bar. You'll notice that when the Create Document operation starts, you get an Open window to select the file to use for the Create Document. After you select a file, the remainder of the Create Document operation is exactly like the web browser. That's great and all, but what do I do when I need to put in a hundred documents?
Putting hundreds of documents in with the TechDoc Client is just as easy. Navigate to the folder in where they need to exist and start a Create Document operation. This time however, when the Open window appears, select all hundred documents and click Open. On the Create Document screen, we need to pay special attention to the Number: field. This time instead of just inputting text to be used for the document number we use a sequence. Let's say that these hundred documents are all receipts. To notate the number 100 you need three decimal places, so let enter Receipts-%### for the document number. Go ahead and fill out the rest of the fields for the document and start the operation. This time you will see a progress window that displays how many documents are left to be created. After the operation has completed, you'll see all of your receipts in the folder numbered as Receipts-001, Receipts-002, Receipts-003, all the way to Receipts-100. What has happened here is the TechDoc Client recognized your sequence (meaning a document number containing a %) and began to number each document using the amount of decimal places you instructed. You could have specified 5 places i.e. Receipts-%##### and this would have produced Receipts-00001, Receipts-00002, etc. It's up to you to decide on the numbering format to use, but the Client will make sure that you have enough decimal places. In this example we uploaded 100 files so we needed three places. If you had specified only one or two Receipts-%# or Receipts-%##, the Client would have made you correct it telling you that there must be at least three decimal places.
This is a very basic example, but you can see how this can make quick work of a huge list of files that all need to be stored in TechDoc. It's important to note, you can simply just drag all 100 files directly on to the TechDoc Client and this will start the Create Document operation as well. All you need to do is to navigate to the folder where the documents should reside before you drop them. Also you can drag more than just files! It's possible to take an entire folder tree containing files and folders of multiple levels and drag the whole thing into the client in a single action! The Client will recognize the folder tree and replicate it into TechDoc just as it appeared when it was dropped onto the Client!
There are many other uses for the TechDoc Client. I encourage you to take a quick look at the Help inside the TechDoc Client application by pressing F1. There are many other ways you can auto number documents using the year, month day, etc. Also there are a few other features that are extremely helpful. Check out the sections on Profiles and Search Folders!