“dtSearch
works with Excel, Access, Word--any VBA
enabled application”
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|
A legal association hired ReportsAutomation
to create an online library for its 400+ members.
They wanted both advanced full-text searching
of their large collection of documents and the
ability to find them quickly with associated quick-link
custom tags. Members also needed to both view
readable, fully-formatted online documents, as
well as download their source-files, if available,
as editable templates.
Excel was chosen as the medium
for running the dtSearch engine and storing the
custom fields that would be attached to each document.
"dtSearch works with Excel, Access, Word—any
VBA enabled application—which means that
once they install it I don’t have to worry
about sending them new installs. Any new functionality
is sent with an Excel workbook. You can’t
imagine how many headaches that reduces,"
says Max Rottersman of ReportsAutomation. |
“dtSearch
offered the best online PDF hit highlighting
... a do-anything API.”
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|
To provide for both original document
copies as well as editable templates, ReportsAutomation
chose a mirrored directory structure. The system
made documents available online as PDFs, with an
option to download associated source files. The
same Excel spreadsheet that held the association’s
custom fields also contained references to the source
files for immediate accessibility.
A custom hook programmed by ReportsAutomation linked
the Excel spreadsheet, including any newly entered
data, to the dtSearch Engine to simplify online
index updates. "The staff members would add
a new document to their server, add an entry into
the Excel spreadsheet, and the next day the members
would be able to find that document using a simple
ID tag or complex full-text search."
ReportsAutomation created ASP pages to provide online
searching with the dtSearch Engine. "dtSearch
offered the best online PDF hit highlighting,"
added Mr. Rottersman, "and I love the fact
that dtSearch can work with simple tools like Excel
for the end-user and provide a do-anything API on
the back-end for the web site development." |
