Revision as of 11:25, 11 July 2012

Main Index

Appendix I - Compatible Scanners and Engines

Compatible Scanners and Engines

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As mentioned earlier in this document, halFILE support Kofax-based scanners, TWAIN compatible scanners and provides a methodology for importing documents and images from other sources.

Kofax

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halFILE supports scanners and engines that are compatible with KOFAX ImageControls and Adrenaline drivers. This includes over 1100 combinations of scanner models and Kofax cards. A web-based configuration guide can be found at www.kofax.com/Configurator and can be used to determine if your scanner is compatible with our scan software. Hardware and software requirements are under constant revision as new products are released. Therefore, if you have any questions regarding the hardware and software required, call hal Systems Corporation.

TWAIN

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Support for TWAIN scanners is new to halFILE 2.x. Call hal Systems Corporation to determine if your TWAIN scanner is compatible with halFILE\’s TWAIN Scanning module.

Appendix II - Enabling Other Application

Enabling Other Applications

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halFILE is able to work with some existing databases and programming environments, integrating image retrieval functions dynamically from the database screens you are familiar with. This add-on product is called the halFILE ActiveX DLL. The requirements for Image Enabling your database are as follows:

1. halFILE must be installed. The halFILE ActiveX DLL works with any halFILE database.
2. You must have the ability to modify your program or apply a macro to your program that will perform the necessary API functions.
3. You must purchase the halFILE ActiveX DLL from hal Systems Corporation. Call your sales or technical support representative for more information.
4. The application that you are enabling must contain some field or value that can be passed to the halFILE ActiveX DLL so it can find the related image using a halFILE database.

With the halFILE ActiveX DLL, you scan and index images using halFILE. The index information you supply will be used to link to your application. For instance, if your application was an invoicing system that used an invoice number to uniquely identify an invoice, you could scan the invoices into halFILE and, from your application, you could view the images and post index information such as the invoice number into the halFILE database. From your application, you could also pass the invoice number to find, display and print the image for that invoice.

Appendix III - Building a Sample Application

Building a Sample Application

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The halFILE installation diskettes include database template files for several different applications that can be used to help you build your application. The sample applications provided include the following:

• TITLE01.SPC - sample Title Plant database template.
• TITLE01.RPT - sample Title Plant Report for Format #1.
• TITLE02.SPC - sample Title Bankruptcy database format #2 template.
• TITLE03.SPC - sample Title Divorce database format #3 template.
• TITLE04.SPC - sample Title Real Estate Closings database format #4 template.
• TITLE05.SPC - sample Title Probates database format #5 template.
• TITLE06.SPC - sample Title Financial Statements database format #6 template.
• TITLE07.SPC - sample Title Tax Suits database format #7 template.
• RESUME1.SPC - sample Resume/Personnel file database template.
• SIG01.SPC - sample Signature Verification database template
• AIM01.SPC – sample template that links to Aim for Windows Title Closing Package.

For more information about setting up the Aim for Windows integration, call hal Systems and request document #HFW0002.

To use one of these sample databases with a new application, perform the following:

1. Select File-Applications and set up a new application by selecting the New button and entering a 3-character application id and an application description. Select the desired folder option (we suggest 'limit number of images per folder and auto assign the folder id' with the number of images per folder set to 1000).
2. Select File-Database and click the New button. Select File-Open Specification and pick one of the above templates from the halFILE program directory. Make any modifications necessary, then select File-Build New Database to create a database.
3. Select File-Baskets and click the New button to add a basket for holding images.
4. If the database template you selected above includes any table fields, you must create the tables using File-Table. From the Table menu, select File-Add Predefined Tables to add tables that may already be delivered with the installation diskettes (such as the Title Plant Application Instrument Types table). Any tables that are not included can be created using the Create Table button on the Table form. If the template includes a table named 'TitleSubdivision', 'TitleTownship' or 'TitleAbstract' then you must set up these tables using the Base Edit icon in the halFILE program group.
5. Scan and index a test page to place a record in your database.
6. Perform a search for the document that was scanned and indexed. From the Search Hit List, select the Report button and add a new report. Select the appropriate .RPT file using the select button on the form. This should make the report file available to you so you can print a report of the hit list.

To complete the application set up, set up cartridges and drives to archive to using the Configure menu selection from halFILE's main menu.

Appendix IV - Importing Other Document Types into halFILE

Importing Other Document Types into halFILE

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halFILE lets you import documents from other application using a feature called 'Associated Documents.' Associated documents are documents in which an association has been defined in Windows based on the document extension. In other words, in Windows, you can associate anything with a .DOC extension to Microsoft Word, anything with an .XLS extension to Excel and so forth. By adding this support, halFILE can support numerous document types.

Setting up Associations

Within Windows, associations can be set up within Explorer. Select the View_Options menu and then the File Types tab. This will show you existing associations as well as let you add new ones.

Importing Associated Documents

There are several ways to import Associated Documents into halFILE including:

1. Use Tools_Import menu selection within halFILE.
2. Using the Explorer Send To feature.
3. Using HALMAIL when a document is attached to an e-mail message.

Importing using File_Import

To import Associated Documents using File_Import:

1. Set File Type the 'associated.' By default this is set to 'image.' If you fail to change the File Type and import documents you will receive an error when you try to view the documents.
2. Find the document or documents to import and add them into the import list using the Add to List or Add All buttons. Note that all documents must exist in the same directory.
3. Select the menu File_Begin Import.
4. Answer the 'After importing documents, do you wish to delete the original image files?' question. Answer yes if you want document to be removed after it has been imported into the halFILE basket.
5. The import screen is displayed. Here you can:
6. To view a document, double click the document number in the import list. This will look up the File Associated and run the Associated Application, automatically loading the document. For example, if you import a Word document and double click on the document in the Import List, then Word loads and shows the document.
7. Press the Import All Documents button to import all the documents in the Import List.
8. Select a document and press the Import Document button to import only the selected document.
9. Press the Remove Document button to remove a document from the Import List. This does not remove the actual document file.
10. Press the Close button to close the import window.

IMPORTANT: You are responsible for closing the Associated Document application when you are finished viewing the document. Failure to do so will result in out or memory errors when too many applications are running at the same time within Windows.

Version Control

halFILE supports version control of Associated Documents as follows. If a document is opened in search with version control active, the document is opened as read-only. This forces the user to save changes to the document to a new file (thus a new version of the document is created). If a document is opened with version control disabled, the document can be modified.

The version control option is set up in the Security/Versions tab of the Tools-Option screen of the halFILE Administrator. Options are:

• Allow users to save changes made to Associated Document (essentially no version control).
• Do NOT allow users to save changes to Associated Documents (documents are opened as read-only).
• Interactive mode which prompts the user when opening an Associated Document.

Reviewing the Basket Contents

To view documents in a basket, use Tools_Basket Status. Click once on images or text files since halFILE is the viewer for those document types and loading is immediate. Double-click associated files to load the target application and view the document.

Archiving Associated Documents

Archive Associated Documents in the same way you archive images or text files.

Searching and Viewing Associated Documents

When you search your halFILE Database and double-click on a document in the hit list, the associated application will be loaded if the file is identified as an association. As noted above, you are responsible for closing the application when you are through viewing the document. In cases where most documents are of the same type, you may want to leave the target application open to speed up load time.

If the document is on a rewritable device, you can change the document using the target application and save it back to disk. If the document is on a read-only device such as a CD, you can change the document and save it as a new document name. You could then import to new document into halFILE and now have versions of the same document. To provide a tracking of the versions, add a version or date field to your halFILE database.

Document Types Tested

In our labs, we have successfully imported the following document types:

• Word
• Excel
• PowerPoint
• Adobe Acrobat (PDF)
• HTML Internet web pages
• TIFF Images using the Wang Viewer as the target application
• Windows Bitmaps (BMP)
• JPEG Images
• WAV Sound Files
• MIDI Music Files
• AVI Videos

Organizing Documents

Use halFILE as your Document Binder. Set up a database containing search fields needed to find and group your documents. Archive your documents to CD and share them across the network. A sample Document Binder database in file could consist of:

Of course, the database can be customized to suit your needs. Then, using this Binder concept, you could search for the Simmons Account and find Word documents, scanned images, Excel spreadsheets all having to do with that account.

Associated Import Utility

The Associated Import Utility can be used to import sets of Associated Documents. This utility is capability of using the document file name to populate index fields. For more information see Supporting Document \#hfw0018 on the web at halfile.com or contact your sales representative.

Appendix V - Text File Support

Text File Support

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Text File Support, or halCOLD, is an add-on product from hal Systems which lets you import text documents and computer-generated output into halFILE. Often called COLD (Computer Output Laser Disk) or ERM (Enterprise Report Management), this feature provides a powerful method for storing text in a halFILE database. Utilities are provided for splitting text documents into halFILE documents, importing the text document with automatic indexing features, and overlaying a text document with an image overlay during search. Text and images can be integrated seamlessly in the same halFILE database.

To obtain more information on this feature contact your hal Systems Sales or Technical Support Representative or request document #HFW0001.

Appendix VI - Add-On Applications

Add-On Applications

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The following briefly describes other related applications available from hal Systems Corporation. For more information on these applications, request the referenced document number from hal Technical Support or on-line in the Supporting Documents section of Technical Support at halfile.com.

1. E-Mail Collector – a powerful system which archives e-mail from select Outlook or Outlook Express Folders to a halFILE E-mail Collector database. Includes a client module that can be used on non-halFILE workstations.
2. Automated Indexing – this module performs full-text OCR of TIFF images (requires Imaging Professional for Windows) and stores the results into a halFILE database. halFILE Search module can then be used to perform full-text searches of the data.
3. Rearchive Utility – this utility lets you archive to a large capacity disk and later, rearchive to a CD stage area in order to make CDs of the oldest images. This is useful when you want to keep as many images on-line as possible before moving them to CD. Document # HFW0004.
4. Print to halFILE – this is a printer driver that lets you print from an application and create TIFF images of what was printed. It interfaces with haFILE's indexing module so, after printing is complete, the images can be placed into a basket and indexed. Document # HFW0005.
5. Image Test and Process for ImageControls 2.x or later – this is a utility that can perform image testing and processing against a set of images. Processing options includes Deskew, Despeckle. Black Border Removal. Deshade. Streak removal. Line removal. Image Filtering. It is accessed using the Tools-Process Images menu in the halFILE Manager and requires ImageControls 2.x or later and either a Kofax Card or an Adrenaline Image Processing Software Engine. Document # HFW0007.
6. Index Verify – this feature of halFILE is used to verify index data entry by re-keying the data a second time (typically by a second operator). It is enabled using the File_Databases_Verify Set Up button in the halFILE Administrator. This module displays the differences and lets the operator correct errors. Document #HFW0008.
7. Barprint utility - used to print barcodes that can be attached to documents before scanning. Contact your sales representative for more information.
8. Fast Import Utility used primarily in Title Plant Applications to store documents to a folder and then import them into a halFILE database using the folder name as index field information. Document #HFW0017.
9. Title Plant Extensions - includes documentation for many features for the Title Industry. Document #HFW0002.
10. HFFLOW32 Database Synchronization Utility – formerly called TOFLOW, this utility is used to synchronize information between two like halFILE databases. Document #HFW0022.
11. Word Merge Utility – used to merge halFILE information for an indexed document into a Word document. Document #HFW0016.

Appendix VII - Hot Keys and Short Cuts

Hot Keys and Short Cuts

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The section provides hot keys and short cuts that can be used in halFILE for Windows. Many of these are inherent to Windows and can be used, not only in halFILE, but in any Windows program. These are listed under the function of "Windows." Other hot keys are unique to halFILE and are listed in the part of the program where it is applicable.

Standard Windows Hot Keys

halFILE Hot Keys

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Search

Index

Note: In Index, the Duplication Hot Keys tab under the Tools-Options menu can be used to up custom duplication hot keys.

Scan