The purpose of data models is to make variable data available for use in DocFusion templates. Each template has one, and the data is used to generate unique and personalized documents from the template. Data models then are a means to access existing data in enterprise systems, from REST endpoints, and other sources. You can also create native or complex data type properties to build functional templates, and collections of these data sources and properties are called a schema.
Once a data model is created, its data can be used in the content of your document templates through smart parts, queries and other template functionalities available in DocFusion Template Designer.
Data definitions to build template data models are usually provided by developers or database administrators.
Data Sources
As the term indicates, data sources are any enterprise or online system which contains existing data that is needed to generate documents accurately. Data sources are added to a template's data model to facilitate this. You can also use XML, JSON or CSV files as data sources.
DocFusion caters for several ways to connect to external systems, including built-in connectors that facilitate authentication and data access. Connectors are easily configured using a GUI (graphical user interface), which speeds-up secure integrations with external systems since the necessity to produce software code is either completely dispensed with or is kept minimal (low-code).
Working with data sources is a template design-time task and none of its configuration is included in generated documents.
Read more about DocFusion's built-in connectors to popular enterprise systems from Microsoft, SalesForce, and others.
Data Properties
Properties are the basic definitions of variable data that is made available for use in document templates. They are defined by:
- Names and Descriptions: unique String values that help to identify and describe a property's usage.
- Data Types: Native (integer, boolean, etc.) or custom data (schema's, entities, etc.) definitions for the data expected from connected data sources,
- Data Occurrences: How the data will be used in your template; as a single value or as a complex data structure such as tabular data (multiple),
- Data Strategy: Configurations of the output (return value) in templates.
- Generator Type: Specifies how scenario data should be generated for a property. This setting is an override since, by default, DocFuson infers the generator type from the property name.
Occurrences
Data types identify the kind of data stored in external systems so that it can be used accurately in document templates. DocFusion caters for native types (strings, integers, booleans, etc.) as well as complex types, which defines structured data like tables. Occurrences in DocFusion refers to the way these data types are used in template design.
When working with schema properties, data type usage is indicated by the Single and Multiple options. Select Single when expecting only one row of data to be returned, and Multiple for a set of rows to be returned as a dataset.
Data Strategy
A data strategy refers to the return value of a property in the template schema. Configuring the data strategy defines the output of a schema property in the template at generation-time. Configuring data strategies allows for setting default values, making values optional, or using different types of smart values for the output.
Related Articles
- Overview of Data Models in DocFusion
- Working with schema properties
- Importing a data schema
- Exporting a data schema