DMS Metadata
Metadata defines the fields (columns) of a document library for the content type and a specific table setup. The Upload File, Show Metadata, and Edit Metadata document box actions only display the configured fields in the document metadata dialog box.
In addition, the metadata provides additional information to the document for targeted filtering and finding of documents in the document box and in SharePoint. The origin of the information (field class) can be either the record itself, a looked-up record, or system values.
The configuration of the metadata can be opened within the General section in the Table Setup via the Metadata button.
Configuration Overview
The DMS metadata represents a mapping. It maps values from Business Central to the columns in SharePoint. Various configuration columns are available for this purpose:
| Configuration Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Field Name | Specifies the internal (static) SharePoint column name for which a value is to be set. This name can be selected based on the field list of the DMS document library. |
| Field Label | Displays the display name (label) of the SharePoint column. This value is automatically set by the selection in the Field Name column and cannot be edited. |
| Value Class | The value class defines the type and origin of the information to be stored in the SharePoint column. The options are described later in the article. |
| Value Field | The Value Field column stores the information to be stored in the SharePoint column. The functionality will be described in the context of value classes. |
| Value Label | This column displays additional information about the value field. This value is automatically set by the selection in the Value Field column and cannot be edited. |
| Editable | Specifies whether the user can make changes to this value before uploading the document or changing the metadata. |
| Not Blank | Determines whether this column must contain a value or can be empty. If the SharePoint field must contain a value, this field cannot be selected. |
| Visibility | Defines the visibility of the metadata element in the metadata dialog of a file. |
| Lookup Code | Specifies the lookup target to be used for value definition or search in the metadata dialog of a file. |
Options for Specific Fields
Value Class
The options are:
- Constant – It can be a custom constant (fixed value) to be used by default when uploading.
- Filter – This option cannot be used in the DMS metadata.
- Field – The field value of the current record (table setup) can be selected via the lookup function in the Value Field column to be used as the default value.
- Formula – A date formula can be defined to be calculated before uploading a document.
- Lookup – A value from another record in any Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central table can be looked up in the Value Field column via the lookup. The target record can be either a filtered single result or selected from a page by the user.
Tip
When the value classes Field and Lookup are used in the configuration, it is recommended to disable editing (Editable = No) of these columns.
Visibility
The options are:
- Standard – The field (and its content) is always visible.
- Extended – The field is not visible unless the user selects the DMS Document Metadata Dialog action Show All Metadata.
- Hidden – The field is never visible, but the value is uploaded or changed in the background.
Creating a New Configuration Line
The metadata configuration is based on the columns from SharePoint. To do this, a line in the DMS Metadata is used for a column in SharePoint. You can always add a new line at the end of the table based on the value class. In the following, the focus is put on the Field and Lookup value classes.
New Configuration with Value Class Field
Create a new line in the configuration by selecting the column to be tagged in the first column of an empty line. Now select the value class Field for the line. This allows you to access the fields of the underlying Business Central table.
By selecting Field in the value class, you can select the field of the Business Central table in the Value Field field. A list of all fields of the table can be accessed by choosing the ellipsis button.
Based on this, the following line can be created:
| Column | Example Value |
|---|---|
| Field Name | CCDMS_Customer_No |
| Field Label | Customer Number |
| Value Class | Field |
| Value Field | 2 |
| Value Label | Sold to Customer No. |
| Editable | No |
| Not Empty | No |
| Visibility | Standard |
New Configuration with Value Class Lookup
Create a new line in the configuration by selecting the column to be tagged in the first column of an empty line. Now select the Lookup value class for the line. This allows you to access the fields of another Business Central table.
The configuration is similar to the Field value class. The order of configuration changes. After selecting the Lookup value class, select the table to be addressed in the Lookup Code column. The lookup code is a link to the DMS Lookups list. This list stores all information for the lookup to another table.
Note
The default configuration for the COSMO Document Management System app already provides various lookup configurations for the standard tables of Business Central.
After selecting the Lookup Code, choose the field in the Value Field column. You will be offered the fields from the target table of the lookup. After maintaining the Value Field field, open the navigation, go to the Lookup menu, and choose Show Lookup Filter. The lookup filter defines the connection between two tables, establishing the relationship. This relationship is very important so that the DMS can load the correct information from the lookup table.
With these steps, the following line can be created:
| Column | Example Value |
|---|---|
| Field Name | CCDMS_Contact_Name |
| Field Label | Contact Name (DMS) |
| Value Class | Lookup |
| Value Field | 2 |
| Value Label | Name |
| Editable | No |
| Not Empty | No |
| Visibility | Standard |
| Lookup Code | CONTACT |
The following search filter is used:
| Column | Example Value |
|---|---|
| Field No. | 1 |
| Field Label | No. |
| Value Class | Field |
| Value Field | 5052 |
| Value Label | Sales to Contact No. |
Note
The configuration of the search filter is always structured so that the key field of the target table is equal to the key field of the source table.
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