Use simple or advanced ways of numbering objects and documents by custom values or grouping. Label your document versions using major-minor or custom schema. Auto numbering can be grouped by objects (e.g. Employee, Country, Division, Project) or custom numbering (e.g. A001, 1.0.9, etc.)
Configuration
After you have successfully installed the application, you should configure Auto numbering properties.
- Open M-Files Admin
- In the left-side tree view, expand the desired connection to M-Files Server.
- In the left-side tree view, expand the Document Vaults node.
- Still, in the left-side tree view, expand the vault where you installed the connector and select Configurations.
- Expand Other Applications
- Expand Extension Kit
- Click on Auto numbering properties
Field Description
| Field | Value | Description |
| Enabled | Yes/No | Specifies whether the module is in use. |
| Configuration mode | Simple/Advanced | Display simple or advanced configuration options for rule. |
| Rule groups [n] > Group [n] | ||
| Name | Text | Specified rule group name. |
| Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] | ||
| Name | Text | Specifies name of the rule. |
| Description | Text | Specifies rule description. |
| Enabled | Yes/No | Specifies whether the module is in use. |
| Configuration mode | Simple/Advanced | Display simple or advanced configuration options for module. |
| Business critical | Yes/No | If set to true, rule will be logged in SEQ. |
| Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Filter condition | ||
| Search Conditions | Search Condition | Optional additional conditions that source object needs to satisfy. Conditions inside a single filter are combined with AND, while multiple filters are combined with OR operator. |
| Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Stop conditions > Stop Condition [n] | ||
| Search Condition | Search Condition | Optional search conditions. When object matches stop conditions, property value will not be calculated. |
| Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Numbering value | ||
| Numbering type | • Simple • Semantic | Simple. Plain old integer numbering. Semantic. Consist of three parts, written in the form of x, y, z where x, y and z are integers representing major, minor and patch version numbers respectively. |
| Property | Property Definition | Property whose value will be set. |
| Recalculate properties | Yes/No | If it set to yes, it will recalculate chosen properties when clicked Recalculate on dashboard. |
| Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Numbering value > Property value | ||
| Start numbering from | • DefaultValue • Vault | Default Value. Start numbering from specified static default value. Vault. Search for objects in vault that match specified grouping conditions and contain this numbering property and start numbering from biggest found value of property. |
| Default value | Integer | Default value to use when version is not set. |
| Increment value | Integer | Increment that will be used when calculating next value. |
| Include deleted objects | Yes/No | Displayed only if Start numbering from = Vault. Include deleted objects when searching for max value in vault. |
| Search timeout (seconds) | Integer | Displayed only if Start numbering from = Vault. Search timeout in seconds. This timeout is applied to search operation that retrieves max value of property from vault. |
| Always search | Yes/No | Always search objects in vault when calculating value. |
| Increment number part | MajorMinorPatch | Semantic number part to increment when calculating next value. |
| Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Properties > Property [n] > Numbering value > Property value > Grouping | ||
| Group by | One of the following: • Property • PropertyCondition • StatusField • StatusFieldCondition | Grouping condition for numbering. |
| Property | Property definition | Displayed only if [Property] is selected as Group by. Property for grouping. |
| Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n]> Properties > Property [n] > Numbering value > Property value > Grouping > Property condition | ||
| Property | Property condition | Property condition for grouping. |
| Operator | One of the following: • = • =! • < • > • <= • >= • Contains • Does not contain • Starts with • Does not start with | Operator to use for comparing actual and expected property value. |
| Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] Properties > Property [n] > Numbering value > Property value > Grouping > Property condition > Value | ||
| Mode | One of the following: • Dynamic value • Static value • Empty value • No action | Dynamic value. If this option is selected, value of placeholders in expression will be calculated from source object. Static value. If this option is selected, property value will be expected to match constant value. Empty value. If this option is selected, property value will be expected to be empty. No action. If this option is selected, no action will be performed. This is invalid state. |
| Dynamic value | Text with placeholders | Displayed only if Dynamic value is selected as Mode. Specifies expected property value using properties from source object. |
| Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] Properties > Property [n] > Numbering value > Property value > Grouping [n] > Status field | ||
| Field | IDTypeVersion | Status field. |
| Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] Properties > Property [n] > Numbering value > Property value > Grouping [n] > Status field condition | ||
| Field | IDTypeVersion | Status field. |
| Operator | One of the following: • = • =! • < • > • <= • >= • Contains • Does not contain • Starts with • Does not start with | Operator to use for comparing actual and expected property value. |
| Value | Number | Status field value |
| Advanced settings | ||
| Time to wait (milliseconds) | Integer | Number of milliseconds to wait before executing any rule in background. |
| Number of retries | Integer | Maximum number of times COM errors are retried. |
| Retry interval | Integer | Number of milliseconds to wait between retries. |
Use Case
Auto number of new employment contract annexes
Customer is using M-Files for HR processes. When an employee change is planned (e.g. new position, raise, etc.), new annex is created. Customer is numbering new annexes per Employee and per Company (as they have several subsidiary companies). Each employee has his annexes enumerated in order, e.g. 1, 2, 3 etc.
Configuration of auto numbering of new employment contract annexes
Document type is Contract and Property whose value will be set is Contract ID.
Next, we need to define which value we want to set. In those cases that is Customer ID.
We want to add auto numbering for Employment Contract, so we set up Property Contract Category to Employment.
When new Contract is created, Contract ID will be automatically defined.
Auto numbering new contract versions in custom way
Customer is using M-Files for different types of contract. Each type of contract has its own way of version numbering, e.g. A001, 1.0.0, 1.0. By using Auto Numbering Properties, all different types of contract have their version set.
