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DataNOW® Affinity
Instant Laserfiche® Integration
DataNOW® Affinity brings the power of Laserfiche® document management to the applications you use most. Document searches can be reduced to a single click of a button. New documents can be added to your Laserfiche repository without manually entering template field values, file names, or folder locations. Affinity truly makes Laserfiche feel like part of your business software.
The best part about Affinity is its simplicity. Laserfiche functionality can be added to most application screens within minutes - no programming required.
Affinity enables Laserfiche to integrate with most any GUI interface application. Currently known supported applications include, but are not limited to:
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Affinity is a solution for both end users and developers.
Download a free 30 day trial of the DataNow Affinity software.
Know Laserfiche, Know Affinity
Affinity is designed to provide a seamless user experience with Laserfiche. Affinity uses familiar terminology and interface elements to keep the learning curve minimal. Laserfiche standards for security and auditing are enforced and consistent, just as if the user were performing the same operations directly from the Laserfiche client.
Seeing the Big Picture
Business applications are designed to manage information related to a specific task like Human Resources, Customer Tracking, and GIS. These applications store a specific type of information in a single format.
Laserfiche, on the other hand, is designed to manage documents of any format, containing information of any kind. In effect, Laserfiche provides a repository for all of the "loose" information your business applications aren't designed to handle. The data in your business applications are related to your Laserfiche documents, but as of yet, they are not truly connected.
DataNOW Affinity brings your business applications and documents together. With Affinity, the boundary between Laserfiche and other applications is erased, and information of all types and formats are accessible where you need them most. This is how you envisioned the future of information technology.
4 Ways to Integrate
DataNow Affinity features a unique multi-faceted approach to Laserfiche integration, providing solutions for a wide range of applications.
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Screen Data Capture (no programming required)
Affinity Screen Capture uses screen recognition techniques to utilize on-screen text fields for automatic searches and to populate template fields for new documents. Affinity Screen Capture works with most Windows GUI screens, and can even be used to recognize multiple screens within the same application.
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Freestyle (no programming required)
Affinity Freestyle simplifies searching and scanning right out of the box, without any setup or programming. Freestyle lets you perform searches by point-and-click using the text you see on-screen in almost any Windows GUI application. This same point-and-click method can be used to fill in template fields for new documents. Even if you plan to implement another Affinity integration method down the road, Freestyle lets you get started right away.
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Application Programming Interface
Affinity includes a fully-documented ActiveX/COM application programming interface (API) that is accessible from practically any development environment, including scripting languages like JavaScript and VBScript. The API is ideal for web applications that support Microsoft® Internet Explorer®. Examples from the Affinity API documentation can be pasted directly into your code or HTML. Very little programming is necessary.
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Command Line
Affinity features full command line support for document search and scan/import functions, allowing any program, script or batch file to be image-enabled with minimal code.
DataNow Affinity also includes a simple add-in for enabling full text searches from Microsoft Word and Excel.
Sample Business Scenario
Consider a large corporation with a human resources department. Data for potential and existing employees are tracked using a database application. However, a greater deal of information about each employee is also stored in a Laserfiche repository, such as employee resumes, photos, signed contracts, tax forms, etc.
To find an employee's documents in Laserfiche without Affinity, a user must leave the HR application, open the Laserfiche client, and manually enter the employee's ID number or name in the search dialog. Or worse, the user must hunt through the repository folder structure to locate the documents. To add a new document for an employee, the user must open the Laserfiche client, locate a folder, name the document, and then manually fill in the template fields containing the employees's ID number, name, title, and department. This process is slow and error prone, often resulting in lost documents.
With Affinity Screen Capture, text fields on the HR application's screen can be mapped to fields in a Laserfiche template containing the employee's ID number, name, title, etc. To find an employee's documents, the user just clicks the Search button on the Affinity desktop toolbar. Affinity automatically executes the search in Laserfiche using the ID number (or any other fields) on the HR application's screen. To add a new document, the user just clicks the Affinity Import button and the template fields for the document are automatically populated, the document is named, and a folder designated for the employee is opened or created. Afterwards, the Laserfiche scan interface is started, or the user is prompted to import an electronic file. Simple.
Affinity also supports mapping search and scan operations to keyboard shortcuts (hot keys) to provide even quicker access to documents.
Get Started Today
Getting started with Affinity is easy. Just install Affinity on your workstation, connect to a Laserfiche repository, and get to work. Affinity is designed for multi-user environments. Once you configure Affinity Screen Capture to work within an application, it will automatically work the same way for other Affinity users on your network. Affinity API solutions have already been implemented for ESRI® GIS, Orion® OnPoint GIS, web applications, and even Microsoft® Office products. If you aren't sure how to make Affinity work for you, give us a call.
Trial versions of Affinity are available from United Micro Data or your Laserfiche VAR.
DataNow Affinity Brochure (PDF 149KB) - Affinity Quick Start Guide (PDF 700KB)
DataNOW Affinity Software Requirements
DataNOW Affinity version 1.0 is designed to work with the Laserfiche® 7.2 document management system. The Laserfiche Client must be installed on your workstation.
Affinity supports the following Microsoft® Windows® operating systems: 2000/XP/2003/Vista.
DataNOW Affinity Screen Capture Requirements
Affinity Screen Capture (including Freestyle) works with graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that utilize input controls based on standard Windows control classes. Other controls that implement window classes, handles, and standard message handling are also supported. Examples of common control classes that work with Affinity include: Edit (text boxes); Rich Edit; ComboBox (drop downs); Button (push and radio); and Static (labels). Support for ListView-style controls is planned for future versions.
Most screens can be configured to automate searches and import/scanning using screen recognition techniques. However, screens whose controls change size and position (such as when the window resizes) may prevent the screen from being recognized. In cases where the screen cannot be consistently recognized for automation, the Freestyle dialog can still be used to make searching/scanning functions easier and faster.
DataNOW Affinity API Requirements
Affinity includes a fully-documented ActiveX/COM application programming interface (API) that is accessible from practically any development environment, including .NET and scripting languages like JavaScript and VBScript. The Affinity API is a perfect fit for Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros in ESRI® ArcMap® and Microsoft® Office. Web applications running in Microsoft® Internet Explorer® can be image enabled safely and quickly using examples directly from the online Affinity API documentation: http://affinity.datanow.net/api.
DataNOW Affinity Command Line Requirements
Affinity features full command line support for document search and scan/import functions, allowing any program, script or batch file to be image-enabled with minimal code.
Contact Us
To purchase Affinity please contact your Laserfiche VAR for information. If you do not have a Laserfiche VAR or if your Laserfiche VAR is not willing to resell Affinity, please contact Craig Smith with the contact information listed below.
United Micro Data, Inc.
Affinity is presented by United Micro Data, Inc., a leading document solutions provider since 1983.
Contact Craig Smith at United Micro Data, Inc. for more information about Affinity or about becoming a Value Added Reseller. Full functional trial versions are available.
Craig Smith
(208) 333-8804 ph
(800) 375-0677 toll free
http://www.umdata.com
DataNOW
Affinity is a product of DataNOW, a Harris Computer Systems company. DataNOW specializes in delivering functional data for mission-critical environments. Our applications serve local governments, utilities, school districts, and private businesses.