Information Systems:Making changes to Jetform templates

Jetform Design and Template Files

With regards to Jetform forms, there are two types of files:

• .IDF files, which are design files
• .MDF files, which are the template files themselves

.IDF files are what you open in JetForm Output Designer, which is a desktop application that allows you to edit the look of the form using a GUI. Here, you can make logo changes, layout changes etc. .IDF files are then compiled to .MDF files, and .MDF files are what Jetform Central (the server on Lucy1) uses in its job definitions to transform spool data into forms.

Presentments

A presentment, in Jetform terminology, is an output type. We use three: printer, PDF, fax. IDF files are always compiled for a specific presentment (actually, you can select multiple at one time, but I haven't tried doing it this way).

When selecting a presentment for compilation, use the following:

• When compiling printer templates, use HP LaserJet 4 (PCL5) [hplj4]
• When compiling PDF templates, use Portable Document Format (PDF) [pdf]
• When compiling fax templates, use Fax - VSI-FAX GoldSeries [faxvsi]

I have verified that using an incorrect presentment type for a job type (e.g. using a printer presentment to compile a template for the PDF job) causes corrupted output files.

Form types

This table is a work-in-progress and hasn't been verified to be an exhaustive/complete list of all forms actively being used at uniPHARM.

The current form types and their different names for specific presentments (if applicable) are described below.

Form	Form name for print	Form name for PDF	Form name for print
Purchase order	DMR512J	DMR512J	DMR512J
Invoice	DMR344J	DMR344J	DMR344J
A/R Statement	ARR512J	ARR512E	ARR512F
Narcotic control form	NCRP001J	NCRP001E	NCRP001F

The form names are named after the document-generation programs (RPG) that generate the correlating spool files (e.g. DMR344 is the ASW program that generates invoices for document distribution).

Important: As is indicated by the table, the purchase order and invoice form templates all have the same name. Thus, when compiling, take caution with the filenames. Stephen Aberle changed this for the other two form types so that this type of confusion could be avoided, but the issue still exists for the purchase order and invoice forms.

Location of templates files

• IDF files can be stored anywhere (Jetform Output Designer saves locally on desktops, and there are also copies on Lucy).
• MDF files are located in specific folders on Lucy:

• For print: \\lucy1.unipharm.local\c$\JetForm\Central\ASW\480b\Forms
• For PDF: [1]
• For fax: [2]

How-to: Making changes to templates

• Install JetForm Output Designer on your desktop.