Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Using Pre-Filters in Cognidox Template Documents

How to Include Pre-Filter Fields in Word Template Documents (Windows & Mac OS)

Pre-filtering is especially useful when used in conjunction with Cognidox's template features. If your document templates are set up with pre-filter fields, users can download documents with things like title, part number and version already filled in.

Videos in this article

video-icon-mask

What's in this article?

This article contains the following information:

Note:

  • Pre-filtering only works with certain file types, and must be preconfigured by an Administrator.
  • In addition to the standard Cognidox information fields (e.g. CogniDox_Author), meta-data fields that have been mapped to a document are available as pre-filter fields. All meta-data field names have the format CogniDox_Meta_<meta field name>. See Meta-data fields.

  • Meta-data fields are not available for the XHTML pre-filter.

Some background

Pre-filtering is the mechanism Cognidox uses to automatically modify files as they are uploaded and embed in them meta-information such as version and part number. Pre-filters can only be configured by system administrators.

Cognidox provides a large amount of document meta-information that is stored within the Cognidox environment (e.g. part number, version, author). However, if you want to include this data within a document, it has to be added manually. Cognidox pre-filters provide a means of automatically adding some of the Cognidox meta-information into documents as they are added into the Cognidox repository.

A typical use of pre-filtering would be to include the document title, part number, version, author and issue date on a document's cover page, and to include the part number and revision in the document's footer. More advanced usage, such as inserting customer name and address (e.g. for an invoice document), is also possible by using meta-data fields.

In order for pre-filters to be used, pre-filtering must be configured by the Cognidox administrator for every document file type that is to be supported.

One of the nice things about pre-filtering though is that if you use pre-filter fields in your templates, then as people use the templates, the fields are filled in as appropriate.

The aim of templates is to enforce standard document styles, and using them in conjunction with pre-filtering means that not only do you get standard looking documents, you also get documents with the right content and avoid things like people forgetting to update the title or version in the document content.

Related information

Check out the other articles in this section of the knowledge base:

Also check out the online help on pre-filtering.

Word for Windows

Watch the video


To insert a Cognidox pre-filter field into a template file using Word for  Windows:

  1. Download the document from Cognidox and open it in Word.
  2. Display the Insert ribbon, and in the Text menu group, click Quick parts > Field.
  3. Select the DocProperty field name.
  4. From the Field properties list, select a pre-filter field (e.g. CogniDox_Title) and click OK.

  5. Save the file, upload it to Cognidox, and get it reviewed/approved in the normal way.

When a user creates a document from the template file, any pre-filter fields will be filled in automatically.

Back to top

Word for Mac OS

Watch the video

To insert a Cognidox pre-filter field into a template file using Word for Mac OS:

  1. Download the document from Cognidox and open it in Word.
  2. Place the cursor where you want to insert the pre-filter field.

  3. Display the Insert ribbon, click Field and choose Document Automation.
  4. Click the DocProperty field name and enter a Cognidox field code (in double quotes) after the word DOCPROPERTY.. For example, "Cognidox_Title".
    If you don't know the code, enter any character after DOCPROPERTY to enable the Options button, click it, and scroll down to see the available CogniDox_ field types. Double-click to enter one, but don't forget to delete the extra character you entered or the code won't insert.
  5. Click OK a couple of times to apply the code.
  6. Save the file, upload it to Cognidox, and get it reviewed/approved in the normal way.

When a user creates a document from the template file, any pre-filter fields will be filled in automatically.

Back to top