Overview
Overview of FTForm Plus and Corresponding FormTrap Server Functions
Version 8 FormTrap rewrote all of the functions of Form Design and
Formatting as brand new software with initial installations in late
2012.
FormTrap Spooler functions which are current and powerful are
updated, with access to the new formatting functions while retaining
FTDesign formatting. Minor upgrades allow separation of the "old"
(FTDesign) from the "new" (FTForm Plus) with both running
concurrently, same program, same online manual.
This provides simple conversion from the "old" formatting system to
the new one, one form at a time. When all forms have been converted
the old formatting system is left for reprints.
This manual from Version 8.7 forward details an additional Quick
Data Entry (QDE) input which defines a keying session on
Windows that delivers the FormTrap XML file to the FormTrap Server
to produce a document. A stand-alone version provides manual
printing, email and other functions via Adobe Viewer. QDE data
collection is seat-based and cheap, as is the version of FTForm Plus
for QDE only. QDE is available without FormTrap Server as small
user's system for invoicing etc.
The XML file may be delivered to your ERP or other system for update
to your DB. Future versions will allow the XML file to progress as a
"work flow" document in and out of QDE and FormTrap as additions and
approvals are made.
Input Side Objectives:
- Any format input file:
Handles text files, output intended for other print systems (like JetForm), XML files, PDF files and keyed files defined in this program via QDE (see later). A filter allows .csv file processing by "flattening" the .csv format into user-defined, fixed-length fields. Since release, we have yet to be stumped to the point of writing programs to overcome data issues.
RegEx logic may be applied within the development and production environment to segregate (for example) QAD second product description, which may or may not be present, from comment lines, which also may or may not be present.
muParser logic may be applied to determine what data is what and to calculate values.
Output is FormTrap XML which is then common to formatting, regardless of the original input file and format.
- Data conversion routines that accept complex data:
Handle varied languages and conventions for dates, numbers and amounts.
Handle "sometimes present" data (typically product supplement information such as site, revision, supplier and manufacturer, product comments).
Provide comment line concatenation, to allow comments to "fit" into available space, whether narrower or wider.
Handle different documents of common format as one form (invoice, debit adjustment, credit adjustment and credit note, for example).
Allow different handling of the same data based on values (internal vs external invoices, for example).
- Provide complex user-accessible logic:
muPaser for arithmetic expressions, and RegEx for textual expressions/manipulation.
Both are well documented on the web, with third party support and specialized external services available.
muPaser allows running totals, extensions, discounts and tax calculations, all rounded if required.
- Define delivery and archival variables as part of the input
XML data:
Deliver data via a choice from a set of known variables, such as Print, SMTPTo etc.
Archival or other purpose variables may be defined by the user and embedded in the corresponding file by FormTrap Server.
RegEx logic is available for decision making on delivery.
- Convert input to a common XML file:
This means common formatting from any input, even identical FormTrap XML files from different input such as variations of the supported system version, extending to very simple transfer from one application to another as most fields for (say) an invoice are present with just one or two either dropped or new fields. Conversion means simple re-calibration of input to XML with the vast bulk of formatting unchanged. If you are considering a change in your ERP or other systems, this will save you many thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours and you can continue with legendary FormTrap reliablity.
Formatting and Output Side Objectives
- Outputs are PCL6, PostScript and/or PDFs which are directly produced, searchable and capable of being output as PDF/A (European standard), as well as specifically for GMail viewing at compact size for Phone and Tablet.
- From Version 8.10, HTML Emails are available, optionally carrying the FormTrap PDF as an attached file.
- Provide full document sets:
Optional leading pages (example is an insurance billing page).
Optional trailing pages which may include data (example is Terms and Conditions, numbered as part of the Invoice). - Handle international of dates, numbers and currency:
The ICU routines (International Components for Unicode) provide Locale (country) representation and translations (eg English to German) for currency symbols, ISO abbreviation (USD for example), currency symbols, front or trailing, thousands and decimal separator characters, date format, day and month names and abbreviations, in a programmable manner - as used by companies Apple, Google, IBM and many others.
Provides the means to translate into recipient conventions from any input convention. - Provide "best of breed" with independent text objects with
non-constrained attributes that will split across pages.
- any combination of fonts, styles, colors and point sizes in one text object.
- RegEx logic rules applied to any component to show or not show
- rotation to any angle (excluding PCL6 which allow 90 degree angles only)
- text wrapping, including left, right, centered and justified
- handle internationalization of dates, numbers and currency representation via the routines defined in the ICU (International Components for Unicode) project - as used by companies Apple, Google, IBM and many others. This provides Locale representation / translations (eg English - Canadian) for currency symbols and ISO abbreviation (USD for example), currency front or back end, thousand separator character, decimal separator character, date format, day and month names and abbreviations, in a programmable manner.
- growing or shrinking of sections of the output document (for example, product with optional fields), with a standard gap to the next product).
right alignment at a specified character (colon in
the example) for "table format" texts with data (data shows
highlighted in yellow).- totaling at many levels
- long text sections that break over page boundaries for long product descriptions (particularly with extensive comments and/or serial numbers) and for insurance and similar clauses where indentation and justification are applied ( from Version 8.9).
- graph drawing, using pie and bar graphs
- Additional Document Types: Standard totaling reports; contractual type documents for finance, insurance and banking; direct mail and letter writing to FormTrap Server output as well as business documents that have been the mainstay for Version 7 and earlier.
- QDE (Quick Data Entry) for manual (keyed) data entry in place of an input file, with a separate program, QDE that stands alone producing PDFs and/or delivers back to the FormTrap Server (from Version 8.7)
- HTML Email output for email (from Version 8.10)
- Email output of BOTH HTML and PDF on the one
email.
Output to TLS/SSL (e.g. sent from username@gmail.com) in addition to SMTP and MAPI (from Version 8.11)
Output via Windows 365, Google, Yahoo and other emails systems (from Version 8.11).
Technical Objectives
- Provide a modern "look and feel" that will last for at least five years, to Windows 7/8/10 standards
- Integrate formerly external items in the V7 Form Design suite (formerly called "Splitting" and "Repagination") directly into the FTForm Plus design functions
- Retain concepts of substitutions - however now available from a single XML file based on constants or data (while retaining single file substitutions).The concept of substitutions extends to HTML code as well as multi-indented paragraph structures.
- Retain concepts of external control elements (now called Delivery tags) but now on the input rather than formatting side.
- Handle documents produced by other systems without requiring programming via RegEx and muParser.
- Facilitate later conversion of the programs themselves to other any Language, to this end, most controls are icon-based and the literal set is confined to a readily translated area.
- Allow for tables for translation of items such as email addresses (from, say, customer number) for SMTP output.
- Documentation to be always up to date, with examples and tutorials from the FormTrap web site with documentation updates and corrections applied immediately. This continues the experience with FormTrap version 7 where the availability of to-the-minute articles, vetted by the user experiencing a difficulty meant our levels of service and support are minimal for a complex product with dependencies into version-specific Windows operating systems.
- Produce direct PDF in addition to PostScript and PCLXL (PCL6). Allow for GMail and cell phone viewing, as well as PDF/A for Europe.
- Automatic archival system using the same Database management system that is able to include documents from external systems as well as from FormTrap Server.
Advantage of XML over other formats
XML removes the major disadvantage of most reporting systems,
(including Version 7 of FormTrap) that being the ability to quickly
convert and "recover" your investment in reports when your base ERP
or Accounting or other system versions change or you when decide to
move to another vendor. XML provides standard definitions of
structure and data and the vast majority of fields in (say) an
Invoice are identical in function (if not size and format) between
systems. FTForm Plus allows you to simply and quickly reformat from
the new system to the same XML format, using the same field names,
deleting the few fields that no longer apply, and adding the few new
fields. XML as input means you have no issues with field lengths or
formats or sequence of fields. Most modern systems offer XML output,
meaning you can re-assign the field names for data in existing
documents.
... and the point?? Your ENTIRE INVESTMENT IN FORMS is
recovered and immediately useful without re-testing, as is the FormTrap
Server which can now cater for the "old" while that runs
out, as well as the "new" through testing and into production. No
setup nor retraining required, this continues to run with the new
system, saving weeks of development.
XML conversion is a "within the hour" job for most files, and the
form itself requires minimal testing to finalize.
Quick Data Entry
QDEs can be designed, together with the printed form in FTForm Plus
form designer. This defines a data collection keying session with
edits, lookup table references, drop down choice lists, tick boxes
and more.
QDEs are PC seat based and output a FormTrap XML file for FormTrap
Server (where the automated full range of facilities are available)
and / or PDFs for viewing in Adobe where manual facilities for
email, print etc. are available from the viewer.
QDE seats are cheap and QDE form design may be purchased stand alone
at a low-cost (without regular FormTrap forms) for your entire
organization.
The Email Express function within QDE provides ultra-rapid generation of complex emails from just a few keyed fields and is ideal for regular communication on a range of standard transactions. We use it daily for all of our software distributions, and the fact the final stage is the Outlook Draft provides a final step to personalize or amend. This is far quicker and much more accurate than using a "last time copy". Look HERE for a PowerPoint on Express Email.
To view, select Quick Data Entry Tutorial
at the top right of screen.
Long Term Archive
Version 8 includes an optional fully integrated Archive (FormTrap Archive) module that automatically stores the FormTrap output as PDFs. This is available for Version 7 and/or Version 8 forms which are stored as PDFs and indexed under a minimum of Document and Date as well as any other indicated document reference such as customer name, invoice number etc. Archive allows for periodic roll-off at user-nominated intervals to other media (such as CD), with the ability to look at the archive from anywhere in the organization.