Integration

Description

Description

DocuWare‘s architecture allows you to provide different, powerful programming interfaces for a variety of development environments. DocuWare has a client-server architecture. On the server side, DocuWare works with several servers, each of which take on different tasks. Thus, the Authentication Server, for example, is responsible for registration and user administration, while the Content Server manages access to documents. The Client side provides user functionalities including displaying and storing documents, search functions, as well as system administration and configuration. Based on this, we offer the DocuWare TOOLKIT which accesses the DocuWare Client and provides a full set of function calls. In addition, DocuWare’s GAPI (General Application Programming Interface) is a .NET-API which has direct access to the servers and can perform important actions within DocuWare. Based on GAPI, Web Services and a JAPI (Java Application Programming Interface) create a specific interface to the Java world. These interfaces allow you to access and run DocuWare easily and securely from other applications.

Toolkit

DocuWare TOOLKIT for C Programming Languages, VB 6- and 4GL-Programming Languages

A C programming interface lets you use TOOLKIT functions for controlling DocuWare within other applications. The TOOLKIT controls important DocuWare functions in connection with handling baskets, file cabinets and documents. For example, you can select baskets or documents within a basket, and display them. You can import and index documents and store them in file cabinets. There are a variety of functions for searching and storing documents in DocuWare file cabinets. You can open search and store dialog boxes, and you can display documents from the results list. Integration of the function calls from the C programming interface is done by means of dynamic or static links from the TOOLKIT DLLs. Each TOOLKIT function provides an interpretable error code, ensuring optimal handling of errors and exceptions. Handling of TOOLKIT functions in 4GL programming languages (e.g. Microsoft Visual Basic) is facilitated by the COM (Component Object Model) interface which enables OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) automation. In order for an application to use file cabinet and basket functions, DocuWare must be up and running at runtime. This is the only way to ensure authentication occurs within the DocuWare system. For document-related functions (such as storing), it is not necessary for DocuWare to be running.

Toolkit .NET

TOOLKIT .NET Interface for .NET and C# Applications

The TOOLKIT .NET interface acts as a wrapper for the C programming interface allowing .NET languages to use the DocuWare TOOLKIT functions. This means, for example, that documents can be displayed also from VB.NET and C# applications since the Client functionalities can be addressed. The TOOLKIT .NET interface does not map the TOOLKIT functions 1:1, but works in an object-oriented manner. It offers the same set of functionalities, even though in a different form. Operations such as search and modify actions can occur in parallel over GAPI.

Docuware GAPI

DocuWare GAPI for VB.NET and C#

GAPI, the .NET 2.0 based programming interface, is object-oriented and works independent of the DocuWare Client. Rather than via a client, GAPI accesses the DocuWare server direct via TCP/IP. With direct access, GAPI offers high performance and is safe and very simple to use. For integration with .NET and C# applications, references are set up in DOCUWARE.GAPI.DLL. Errors are returned as exceptions. There is a partial overlap between the GAPI functionalities and those of DocuWare TOOLKIT. However, since GAPI works without a client, there is no user interface. The GAPI commands for integrating in .NET and C# applications allow searching and storing documents in the file cabinet, as well as modifying index entries and deleting, exporting and downloading documents. Moreover, a range of information of individual entities/classes can be retrieved, such as the names of all users within an organization, or the settings relating to the index fields of a file cabinet.

Web Services & JAPI

Web Services and JAPI

Web Services allow interoperability between the DocuWare servers, which
have been developed on the basis of .NET, for example with the Java world. The Web Services build on the DocuWare GAPI (General Application Programming Interface). DocuWare provides five loosely connected services, each of which can be used separately. Each of the five interfaces has a clearly defined range of features. The services are supplied in two different developments: as “Compatible Web Services“ and as “Session Web Services.“ Both groups have the same range of features but are accessed in different ways and can be used in different environments. For example, when connecting to a Java client, you need Compatible Web Services. Compatible Web Services support the SOAP 1.1 (Simple Object Access Protocol) network protocol. Session Services support SOAP 1.2 and are used to connect to a .NET client. JAPI is also based on Web Services and provides a seamless interface to the Java world.

Validation & Triggers

Validation and Triggers

DocuWare offers the possibility to carry out plausibility checks on server-side index entries by means of general or client-specific validation libraries. This plausibility check is done through .NET 2.0 DLLs that may contain any number of checks. The DLLs are written by the partner or the customers themselves, thus they can be tailored precisely to the users’ needs. The validation can cover entries in a field (field validation) or any entries (index validation). DocuWare supplies one DLL (DOCUWARE. VALIDATORBASE.DLL) with basic classes. The partner/customer then uses this DLL for creating his own specific DLLs. These DLLs are registered in DocuWare Administration and are allocated to file cabinets and/or index fields. Whenever an index entry is written or updated, the system calls the library and validates the entries which are either accepted or rejected, accompanied by an appropriate message. The user then has the option to correct his entries. The validations apply to all file cabinets and index changes, including cases where setting a stamp causes index entries to change. A field validation can, for example, determine whether a date is older than the current date or that a value does not exceed a certain limit. An index validation might use an external data source to check, for example, whether a customer number that has been entered actually matches the client name.

The integration of .NET libraries offers another function: since the DLLs can contain any program code, they can be used as triggers for controlling process-es. For example, you could arrange for a notification to be sent to all users as soon as a document with certain index criteria has been stored or you could trigger an entry in an external database whenever an index entry takes on a particular value. A change in a status field (e.g. by a stamp) can – through consolidation with an external database – cause a change in another index field which controls the forwarding process to a particular user with DocuWare’s CONTENT-FOLDER.