HOWTO: Use embedded link strings Print ZTN3004 ID: ZTN3004 This Zetafax technical note applies to: Zetadocs for Accounting v3.0 Summary Zetadocs can be integrated with external reports and software programs through a simple process of embedding formatted "link strings" in the print job or report form that contain the necessary recipient data (i.e. fax number, recipient name, email etc). The benefit of this type of integration is that by embedding link string data within the print job, the Zetadocs printer driver can be fully integrated with virtually any software program, regardless of underlying database. More information Zetadocs Link Strings: doctype (optional). Forces the current print job to one of the pre-defined Zetadocs document types. For multiple pages, Zetadocs will assume each successive page is part of the current document named by the doctype value until it finds another embedded doctype value. Accepted values are: 0 = custom 1 = statement 2 = sales order 3 = packing slip 4 = pick ticket 5 = credit memo 6 = purchase order 7 = invoice 8 = quote/bid 9 = acknowledgement 10 = RMA tocompany (optional). Name of recipient's company. toname (optional). Recipients name. toemail (optional if tofax field contains data). Recipient's email address. tofax (optional if toemail field contains data). Recipient's fax number. fromcompany (optional). Name of the company the sending the fax or email. fromname (optional). If this field is omitted Zetadocs will use the from name specified in the Control Panel. Name of the person sending the fax or email. fromemail (optional). If this field is omitted Zetadocs will use the from email address specified in the Control Panel. Email address of the person sending the fax or email. subject (optional). Subject of the email of fax. If sending a fax, the subject appears on the coversheet. emailbody1[10] (optional). Lines 1-10 of the email message. If sending as a fax, this message will appear on the cover page. Each emailbody link string must occupy it's own line. sendmode (optional). Override the default send rule specified in the Zetadocs control panel. F or f means always send fax. E or e means " always send as email" . Syntax Example: Zetadocs:doctype=0;Zetadocs:tocompany=Your Company;Zetadocs:toname=Joe Bloggs;Zetadocs:toemail=jbloggs@yourcompany.com;Zetadocs:tofax=8885551234;Zetadocs:fromcompany=Equisys plc;Zetadocs:fromname=Accounts;Zetadocs:fromemail=account@equisys.com;Zetadocs:subject =Important Document Is Attached;Zetadocs:emailbody1=This is an important document;Zetadocs:emailbody2=If you would like to view it you will need the Adobe Acrobat reader;Zetadocs:sendmode=e; Formatting Rules Embed only one Zetadocs link string per line. Always start the string with " Zetadocs:" (include the colon), followed by the field name plus " =" , then include the field data. Use a semi-colon at the end of each field to terminate the field. Do not use carriage returns or form feeds. Either the " tofax" or " toemail" link string must be present and contain data or the document will not be delivered. Fax number should be numeric characters only (no dashes or slashes). Data can be upper or lower case. Field order is not important. For best results use Printer fonts (not TrueType fonts) when embedding the field data on the form. Good choices for printer fonts are: Helvetica Times (not Times New Roman) Courier (not Courier New) You can also use Arial in most cases even though it is not a printer font. After the Zetadocs link string header page is received subsequent pages do NOT need embedded link string data until a new recipient data is required. The Zetadocs driver will assume that all following pages belong to the recipient defined in the prior link data string section until new link string fields are discovered in a new header page. Use smaller font sizes to conserve space on the form. Since the actual link string data will not appear on the report you do not have to be concerned with readability. Make sure each link string does NOT wrap to a second line. The graphic above shows a Letter Report form the Sage Line 50 accounting system for a Payment Reminder. Using the Report Designer, the Zetadocs link string fields have been added to the form and the formatted fields will add the data from the underlying database at runtime. Don't forget to set the font colour to white to prevent the link strings appearing in the final output. Last updated: 23 August 2004 (SD/SV)