When a Microsoft Word user wants to save a newly created Word document he/she clicks on the save button or chooses the “File Save As” option from the File Menu. Upon doing so the “Save” dialogue opens up. Here the user specifies the filename he/she wishes to use and the location where the new document will be saved. In the case of QDocs this process is slightly different. Upon clicking on the “Save” button, the user is presented with the QDocs “Save” dialogue (see Figure 1.1).
This dialogue prompts the user to register the document in the QDocs database by providing information regarding specific characteristics of the document. These are:
q QDocs Reference Number: The new document is automatically given a unique reference number.
q Description: A few words that describe the document in a way that will later facilitate the user’s search for it.
q Client: The name of the client to whom the document is related.
q Project: The name of the project that the document is related to.
q Practice: The practice or department that the document belongs to.
q Document Type: The type of document this is, i.e. a letter, a fax, a bill an agreement etc.
q Author: The name of the author of the document. This information is automatically filled in from the user’s “log on” information.
q Password: The Author locks the document with a password restricting access to the document.
The user has to enter information in all of the above fields in order to successfully save the document in QDocs. The use of the password is optional. Once the user enters all the required information and presses the “ok” button the document is saved in QDocs. The document is automatically given a protocol number that appears in its footer section (see Figure 1.2).