docCustomDefinitions.xml file

Database properties and limited properties

You can define two types of document properties:

• Database properties
• Limited properties

You can store and manipulate both types of properties in a document properties file, but only database properties are stored in the database.

You can work with both types of properties in these ways:

• You can use them with steps in a workflow to group or sort documents (for example, with the SortDocuments step template).
• You can link them to AFP index tags using the RICOH Visual Workbench Document Property Designer.
• You can map document data in PDF jobs to them using RICOH ProcessDirector Plug-in for Adobe Acrobat.
• If you have the Archive feature, you can store them in a repository. After you store them, you can use them to search the repository and retrieve jobs, documents, and history information. The values of the properties appear on the Properties tab when you click Show details on the Results table.
• If you have the Preference Management feature, you can use an external preferences file to set the values of the properties.

You can work with database properties, but not limited properties, in these ways:

• You can use them to search for documents on the Documents portlet on the Main page of the user interface.
• When you select a document on the Documents portlet, the values of database properties are displayed.
• You can use them to search for documents to display in the viewer.
• You can determine their values in one job, update their values in another job, and use the updated values in the original job.
• If you have the Automated Verification or Inserter feature, you can use database properties to search for documents to reconcile or reprint.
• If you have the Advanced Document Pool extended feature, you can use selectors to manipulate documents based on their property values.

Limited properties offer these advantages:

• You can use them to avoid displaying sensitive property values in the user interface, such as Social Security numbers or check amounts.
• They maximize system performance. Database property manipulation can degrade performance if you process a significant number of documents.

Work with your support representative to determine your needs for database and limited document properties.

Sections in sample file

The sample docCustomDefinitions.xml file contains several sections. This table summarizes them.

Schema section

The Schema section contains one docCustomDefinitions element and one schema element. Only support representatives should edit the schema section.

Database properties section

The Database properties section contains the docProperty element.

<docProperty>

Defines document properties that are in the database.

Attributes for the docProperty element

docProperty attribute	Required?	Notes
name	Yes	The database name (internal name) for the property. Programs that read or write properties use this name. We recommend that you use a consistent naming convention for your custom property names, so they are unique across the entire system. For example, the sample docCustomDefinitions.xml file uses the prefix Doc.Custom to make its properties unique from those of the base product. Do not use any special characters (such as @, #, $, %, or - (dash)) or spaces in the property name. You can use periods and underscores. Do not use a number immediately after the period (.) in the property database name. For example, the property Doc.3rdLineAddress is not valid.
access	No	The user access level for the property. You can use an access level that is already defined in the product, or you can create a custom access level if an existing one does not meet your needs. See the Access section for more information.
datatype	Yes	The data type to use for the property. See the next table.
dbType	No	A database parameter that specifies the type of data. Note: The dbType property has been deprecated and is no longer used. Use the datatype property instead.
caption	Yes	The user interface name (default caption) for the property. If you are setting up captions in only one language, define them in this file. If you are setting up user interface names in more than one language, create additional document properties names files (docCustomDefinitions_language.properties) for the other languages.
shortCaption	Yes	The default short caption displayed for this property where required, such as in table column headings. If you are setting up short captions in only one language, define them in this file. If you are setting up short captions in more than one language, create additional document properties names files (docCustomDefinitions_language.properties) for the other languages.
description	Yes	The default description of the document property, which displays in the user interface as help text. If you are setting up descriptions in only one language, define them in this file. If you are setting up descriptions in more than one language, create additional document properties names files (docCustomDefinitions_language.properties) for the other languages.

You can use these data types and database types in database property definitions. Keep in mind that the database definition might further restrict the values that can be stored, in addition to the validation rules shown in this table. For example, a SMALLINT can store integers from 0 to 32,767. Database type values are not case-sensitive.

Data types and database types for docProperty definitions

Data type	Database type (used in SQL)	Validation for data type
String	VARCHAR(128)	VARCHAR: variable length, 1–128 characters
IntegerNonNeg	SMALLINTBIGINTINTEGER	SMALLINT: 2 bytesBIGINT: 4 bytesINTEGER: 8 bytesMinimum=0
Timestamp	TIMESTAMP	TIMESTAMP: Must contain values for day (D), month (M), and year (Y).Those components can appear in one of these formats:MM DD YYYYDD MM YYYYYYYY MM DDDay and month must be represented by a two-digit number.You can add a time of day in this format:hh:mm:ss

XdkString10	VARCHAR(10)	VARCHAR: variable length, 1–10 characters Note: These values are variations of the String data type that can be used instead of String to reduce the amount of space reserved in the database for property values.
XdkString20	VARCHAR(20)	VARCHAR: variable length, 1–20 characters Note: These values are variations of the String data type that can be used instead of String to reduce the amount of space reserved in the database for property values.
XdkString30	VARCHAR(30)	VARCHAR: variable length, 1–30 characters Note: These values are variations of the String data type that can be used instead of String to reduce the amount of space reserved in the database for property values.
XdkString40	VARCHAR(40)	VARCHAR: variable length, 1–40 characters Note: These values are variations of the String data type that can be used instead of String to reduce the amount of space reserved in the database for property values.
XdkString50	VARCHAR(50)	VARCHAR: variable length, 1–50 characters Note: These values are variations of the String data type that can be used instead of String to reduce the amount of space reserved in the database for property values.
XdkString128	VARCHAR(128)	VARCHAR: variable length, 1–128 characters Note: These values are variations of the String data type that can be used instead of String to reduce the amount of space reserved in the database for property values.

Limited properties section

The Limited properties section contains one or more docProperty elements.

<docProperty>

Defines document properties that are manipulated only in the document properties file and not in the database.

Attributes for the docProperty element

docProperty attribute	Required?	Notes
name	Yes	We recommend that you use a consistent naming convention for your custom property names, so that they are unique across the entire system. For example, the sample docCustomDefinitions.xml file uses the prefix Doc.Custom to make its properties unique from the base product. Do not use any special characters (such as @, #, $, %, or - (dash)) or spaces in the property name. You can use periods and underscores. Do not use a number immediately after the period (.) in the property database name. For example, the property Doc.3rdLineAddress is not valid.
datatype	No	See the next table.
caption	No	The caption displayed in lists in the user interface for this property. If you are setting up captions in only one language, define them in this file. If you are setting up captions in more than one language, create a document properties names file (docCustomDefinitions_language.properties) for the other languages. See the related information center topic for details.

You can use these data types in docProperty definitions:

Data types for the docProperty element

Data type	Validation for data type
String	None
IntegerNonNeg	Integer between 0 and 2147483647
Timestamp	TIMESTAMP: Must contain values for day (D), month (M), and year (Y).Those components can appear in one of these formats:MM DD YYYYDD MM YYYYYYYY MM DDDay and month must be represented by a two-digit number.You can add a time of day in this format:hh:mm:ss

User authorization properties section

The User authorization properties section is optional. User authorization properties specify custom authority groups for access to database properties. This section contains one or more access elements.

<access>

Used to define the ability to read or edit custom properties. You use these access levels in the docProperty element. You can use one of the default security groups that RICOH ProcessDirector provides, or define your own. These are the attributes:

Attributes for the access element

access attribute	Notes
name	Name of the access level.
groupAttributeAccess	Ability of the user group to read or edit the attribute.

These are the default access levels and authorizations that RICOH ProcessDirector provides:

Default access levels and authorizations

Access name	Group name	Access level
generic	AnyAuthenticated	Attribute access: read
	Operator	Attribute access: read
	Supervisor	Attribute access: read
	Administrator	Attribute access: write
attrWriteAdmin	Operator	Attribute access: read
	Supervisor	Attribute access: read
	Administrator	Attribute access: write
	Everyone	Attribute access: read
	Monitor	Attribute access: read
attrWriteAdminSuper	Operator	Attribute access: read
	Supervisor	Attribute access: write
	Administrator	Attribute access: write
	Everyone	Attribute access: read
	Monitor	Attribute access: read
attrWriteAdminSuperOper	Operator	Attribute access: write
	Supervisor	Attribute access: write
	Administrator	Attribute access: write
	Everyone	Attribute access: read
	Monitor	Attribute access: read
actionAdmin	Operator	Action access: false
	Supervisor	Action access: false
	Administrator	Action access: true
	Everyone	Action access: false
	Monitor	Action access: false
actionAdminSuper	Operator	Action access: false
	Supervisor	Action access: true
	Administrator	Action access: true
	Everyone	Action access: false
	Monitor	Action access: false
actionAdminSuperOper	Operator	Action access: true
	Supervisor	Action access: true
	Administrator	Action access: true
	Everyone	Action access: false
	Monitor	Action access: false

Automatically defined document properties

This table lists document properties that RICOH ProcessDirector automatically defines during installation. Do not define these properties in the docCustomDefinitions.xml file.