Create reports based on triggers in M-Files or predefined schedules. Make any M-Files Search request and define the data you want to have in the report.

Configuration #

After you have successfully installed the application, you should configure Extended Reporting.

1. Open M-Files Admin
2. In the left-side tree view, expand the desired connection to M-Files Server.
3. In the left-side tree view, expand the Document Vaults node.
4. Still, in the left-side tree view, expand the vault where you installed the connector and select Configurations.
5. Expand Other Applications
6. Expand Extension Kit
7. Click on Reporting

Field	Value	Description
Enabled	Yes/No	Specifies whether the module is in use.
Configuration mode	Simple/Advanced	Display simple or advanced configuration options for module.
Mail server
SMTP server	Text	Server from which e-mail will be sent.
SMTP server port	Integer	Port on given server.
Transport security	One of the following: Auto SSL TLS None	Specifies security protocol that will be used in transport.
Username	Text	Username of e-mail account.
Password	Text	Password for that account.
Local domain	Text	Specifies the name of local domain.
Sender’s e-mail address	Text	Email address from which e-mail will be sent.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n]
Name	Text	Specify rule group name.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n]
Name	Text	Specify rule group name.
Description	Text	Optional rule description.
Enabled	Yes/No	Specifies whether the rule is in use.
Configuration mode	Simple/Advanced	Display simple or advanced configuration options for rule.
Trigger type	One of the following: ObjectCreated ObjectChanged ObjectChangedState ObjectEnteredState OnComment Scheduled RunOnce	Type of event that triggers the execution of this rule. ObjectCreated. If this option is selected, rule will be executed when source object is created. ObjectChanged. If this option is selected, rule will be executed when source object is changed. ObjectChangedState. If this option is selected, eule will be executed when source object has changed state. ObjectEnteredState. If this option is selected, rule will be executed when source object has entered a new state. Scheduled. If this option is selected rule will be executed on scheduled time. OnComment. If this option is selected, rule will be executed when new comment is written to source object.
Business critical	Yes/No
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Monitored properties
Property definition	Property definition	Displayed only when Trigger is ObjectChanged. Rule will be triggered only if any of specified properties have changed. If no property is specified rule will be triggered on any object change.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Trigger source
Object Type	Object Type	Object type of source object.
Class	Class	Class of source object.
Workflow	Workflow	Workflow of source object.
State	State	Workflow state of source object.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Trigger source >Search filters [n] > Filter [n]
Search conditions	Search conditions	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] > Source file
Source type	One of the following: NewFile FromTrigger	Report file source type. When NewFile is selected, report will e generated in a new, empty file. When FromTrigger is selected, report will be generated in selected file from trigger source object.
Filename wildcard	Placeholder	Displayed only if FromTrigger is selected as Source type. Filename wildcard used to select file from trigger source object that the report will be added to.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Export data > Objects to export [n] > Search [n] > Status field condition [n]
Field	One of the following: ID Type Version	Status field.
Operator	One of the following: = != > < >= <=	Operator to use for comparing actual and expected property value.
Value	Value	Status field value.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Export data > Objects to export [n] > Search [n] > Property condition [n]
Property	Property definition	Property whose value condition will be checked.
Operator	One of the following: ·        = ·        != ·        >  ·        <  ·        >= ·        <= ·  Contains · DoesNotContain · StartsWith ·  DoesNotStartWith	Operator to apply in comparison of actual and expected property value.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Export data > Properties to export [n]
Mode	Simple/Advanced	Display simple or advanced options for properties.
Type	One of the following: Status field Property	Specifies type of property to export.
Is title	Yes/No	Specifies is name of chosen properties title
Custom name	Text	Specifies custom property name.
Show column name	Yes/No	Optional possibility to display column name.
Bold column name	Yes/No	Optional possibility to bold column name.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Export destination
Destination	One of the following: ·        Vault ·        Disk ·        Email	Save export to the selected destination.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Export destination > Email settings > To [n] > Recipient [n]
Recipient Type	One of the following: ·        Dynamic ·        User ·        Group	Types of recipient.
Value	Value	Display only if Dynamic is selected as Recipient Type.
User	User	Display only if User is selected as Recipient Type.
Group	User Group	Display only if Group is selected as Recipient Type.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Export destination > Email settings > CC [n] > Recipient [n]
Recipient Type	One of the following: ·        Dynamic ·        User ·        Group	Types of recipient.
Value	Value	Display only if Dynamic is selected as Recipient Type.
User	User	Display only if User is selected as Recipient Type.
Group	User Group	Display only if Group is selected as Recipient Type.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Export destination > Email settings > BCC [n] > Recipient [n]
Recipient Type	One of the following: ·        Dynamic ·        User ·        Group	Types of recipient.
Value	Value	Display only if Dynamic is selected as Recipient Type.
User	User	Display only if User is selected as Recipient Type.
Group	User Group	Display only if Group is selected as Recipient Type.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Export destination > Email settings
Subject	Placeholder Text	Subject
Body	Placeholder Text	If report is html document, it will override any e-mail body configured here.
BodyType	One of the following: • PlainText • HTML	If report is html, this setting is ignored.
Rule groups [n] > Group [n] > Rules [n] > Rule [n] > Export destination > Email settings  > Additional atatchments
Mode	One of the following: • CustomObject • Source • Reference	CustomObject. Select any custom object from vault Source. Select current source object Reference. Select any reference of the source object
Filename wildcard	Filename wildcard	Filename wildcard used to select file from object.
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 (milliseconds)	Integer	Number of milliseconds to wait between retries.

Use Case #

Send weekly email about approved incoming invoices #

Company owner wants to receive weekly update in Excel format about approved invoices in the M-Files. By using Extended Reporting module, he is able to define schedule and dataset that he would like to be dynamically populated every week into the Excel. Excel is then sent to the Owner.

Configuration #

Source object is AR Invoice and report will be created on scheduled time every Monday at 8:00 AM. We want to export Invoice Amount, Invoice Date and Invoice Number as Excel table with e-mail.

Create word reports about project status #

Within the M-Files you are able to define a Word template that has a full structure for the Project Statuses Report. Within the structure you can specify two tags that will serve as placeholders for the M-Files Data (e.g. {PROJECTS HIGH VALUE}, {PROJECTS LOW VALUE}).

In the Reporting module, you are able to define that you want to replace {PROJECTS HIGH VALUE} with the information about active projects (Name, Project Member, Spent Money, Spent Hours) in the form of paragraphs (one per project).

Also, you want to have simple report in table format about active projects and project managers for the projects that have lower value (e.g., less than 10.000 EUR) and this report should be placed within the Word template on the place of placeholder {PROJECTS LOW VALUE}.

Configuration #

Properties to export in project report.

Placeholder in document where data will be inserted.

Template for Projects High Value report is created.

The template contains placeholder.

When we create new document from this template, placeholder will be changed with projects data. This rule is configured for showing projects which have Project Value more than 10,000.00.

Also, we created rule for projects which have project value less than 10,000.00.

We created template with placeholder PROJECT LOW VALUE.

When we create new document from this template, placeholder will be changed with projects data in table format. This rule is configured for showing projects which have Project Value less than 10,000.00.