Locked documents e.g Word docs

In the Case Manager system:

  1. Plain Text documents are stored inside the Case Manager database, with the other data, such as contact and billing information.
  2. Formatted Text and other kinds of documents are stored in a separate area outside the database, so that other programs (e.g. Word or Excel) can potentially access them.

    3. We refer to these as linked or locked files.

To manage these files Case Manager coordinates its activities with programs such as Word. You could think of this as a kind a 'dance' involving pairs composed of Case Manager and another program (see explanation below).

A document locking mechanism prevents users editing the same copy of the linked document at the same time. Usually Case Manager hides most of the complexity from you and document management is automatic. As explained below, the details depend on how you run Case Manager.

Document locking and Case Manager

Windows version:

  • Only one user in a Windows Case Manager system

    • No document locking is required.

  • Installation on a Windows local network

    • No extra document locking is required.

  • Installation on a Windows local network and web access is enabled

    • Extra document locking is required to prevent web and windows users editing the same file simultaneously. See Local plus web document locking in the Learning site for the Windows version for further information.

  • Windows version hosted at a remote location

    • Extra document locking is required and operates automatically. See Remote document locking in the Learning site for the Windows version for further information.

Web version

  • Web version in a browser with the new Document Manager

    • Extra document locking is required and operates automatically. See New Document Manager for further information.

  • Web version in a browser with the classic document manager.

    • Extra document locking is required and users play a role in the process. See Downloading, editing and uploading documents for further information.

Linked/locked documents - a metaphor

Linked files require coordination with programs outside Case Manager, e.g. Microsoft Word. So Case Manager must perform choreographed 'dances' with these programs in order to manage them.

Case Manager is designed to perform well with Word for word processing and Excel for spreadsheets. You could say that the dance steps are quite 'connected' (A above). These documents can be previewed at the Documentation grid and their templates can contain merge fields that pull information out of the Case Manager database and put it into documents.

With other kinds of linked documents, such as videos, these are listed in the Documentation grid but cannot be previewed in Case Manager. They need to be previewed by the program on your computer that is associated with them. Additionally, their templates cannot use merge fields. Thus, you could say that the dance steps for such pairs (Case Manager and these programs) are coordinated, but less connected (B).

The situation is very different for plain and formatted text documents. Case Manager can manage these documents completely by itself - previews, edits, locks, templates and merge fields - and does not need any other application program. You could say that it is able to dance alone (C).