The Dynamic Lookups Module Introduction

The sections of this manual applicable to Programmers or DBA’s using this interface are clearly labelled with “(for programmer or DBA)” in the section headings.

The RefTracker Dynamic Lookups (DLM) function is an optional RefTracker module that allows information to be automatically and dynamically passed into RefTracker Request forms from external data sources using SQL views, or a SOAP compliant local Web service. It allows RefTracker forms to be integrated with other IT systems in your organisation and is often used by organisations that bill for their services like legal libraries, as it ensures that the data used to record the request will match the organisations other systems.

Common uses for this function are:- automatically identifying the client submitting a question;- automatically adding client contact information, to the question that details the request that they made;- automatically adding client contact details to questions created by the email import process;- validating that matter numbers, as used in the legal industry, are correct;- allowing selection of an entry from a list that would otherwise be too long to simply select from a drop down list;- allowing a form to obtain data for a field based on the data selected in a previous field in that form; for example, the selection for Department can be used to bring back selections for sub-departments within that department.- and much more.

By using Dynamic lookups, one or many fields of information can be automatically or interactively added to a Request form as it is used by a staff member or a client. The Dynamic Lookups Module functionality provides four ways of looking up data and inserting it in RefTracker forms:

• Pre-population inserts the looked up data as the form is displayed. The lookup will use known information such as the network log on of the client;
• Autocomplete works while a form is being used and allows the right entry to be selected from a drop down list of values retrieved from the external data source. The list interactively becomes shorter (more accurate) as more characters are entered; 
• Dynamic population works while a form is being used and allows the value of one field to be used as a key to immediately fill other field/s in the form with information from the external data source.Dynamic population is usually specified for use based on values selected from a code table, or fields for which Autocomplete has been used to select a value, as these types of fields ensure known values are provided as keys for the Dynamic population lookup;
• Post-population inserts looked up data after the form is submitted and before it is saved into RefTracker. Data inserted into the form can be used to add further information to the form. The most common use for post-population is to add client contact details to a form being used for email importing.

Request forms can be designed to have as many of these ‘Pre-population’, ‘Autocomplete’, ‘Dynamic population’ and ‘Post-population’ lookups, as are appropriate for that particular form. The information retrieved can be displayed in the form so they can be changed if necessary; saved to fields not displayed in the form so that the form remains simple to use whilst making the information available to staff for answering the request and for statistical purposes; or not saved in the form.

For example:- On loading, a form may automatically identify the person displaying it from their network logon. Their name might be displayed in the form but other information that is picked up from the SQL file used by DLM, might be stored in phone number, email address, and department fields, and any other retrieved information might be ignored. – The form may also contain a “Matter number” field, for example, that is defined as an Autocomplete lookup on the “Legalmatters” database to validate that it is a correct number – and then using Dynamic population, the returned Matter number could be defined to also return “Practice group” handling the matter and the “Title of the matter”, and display them in the form.

Request forms utilising the Lookup functionality are designed within RefTracker as usual, however, the data source being looked up, the data that can be retrieved by that Lookup, and how the data retrieved by the Lookup will be mapped to the Request form, must all be defined in RefTracker and that will usually require the assistance of IT staff as each data source to be looked up will be different.

The ability to pass information into a RefTracker Request form using URL string parameters remains, and can be used in conjunction with this Lookups functionality.