Send to SharePoint Metadata for files

DBC-3384

If you are using SharePoint as your storage provider for your documents in the EAM app - you can now send additional information (metadata) to your file on the SharePoint.

For now you can send:

• Asset No.
• Work Order Plan No.
• Work Order No. - on posted documents it is only getting information for documents added to the posted work order after creating the record - not during closing the work order

You need to start from your SharePoint space where you need to add columns for data you want to show.

We support two types of the field:

• Multiple lines of text
• Single line of text

For both Add to all content types must be disabled. For a Single line of text, you can define what is the maximum number of characters. For Multiple lines of text, you can enable Allow unlimited length in document libraries - without this option field takes 255 characters maximum. With it - up to 63999 characters, but on the BC side maximum is 2048.

When columns on the SharePoint are ready - go back to your BC to finish the process of setting up the connection. On the Document Storage Setup page - go to Metadata Fields and select the Assist Edit button.

Here you need to define:

• Meta Field - field from the BC from which data is taken
• Enabled - defines if the relation is enabled - if the field is in use and specified in the Metadata Entity Fields (next steps) - this option cannot be switched off
• SharePoint Field Name - the related field on the SharePoint side - IMPORTANT: this value must be the same as the column name in SharePoint
• SharePoint Field Length - how many characters can be stored in the field on the SharePoint side (for single line - maximum 255; for multiple lines - maximum 2048)

Adding and editing this list is only possible when Sync Metadata (on Document Storage Setup) is off (this option is the last step of the entire process).

Go back to the Document Storage Setup to the Metadata Entity Fields and select the Assist Edit button.

Here you need to define:

• Entity Type - what Business Central record is the source of the data
• Meta Field - which field from this record is the source of the data

IMPORTANT: when fields on BC and SP sides are set up, and everything works fine - we do not recommend changing anything - for example names of columns. Otherwise setting up columns must be done from scratch.

You need to select the Service Authorization - we recommend to contact with your IT department that will provide you the proper certificate to set up this connection. Last step is to turn on the Sync Metadata checkbox.

In the Document Storage Setup you can find (hidden by default) actions related to metadata.

• Send Data - sending update of metadata
• Show Buffer - shows you the data that is already processed to SharePoint
• Show Document Queue - shows you entities that are waiting to be sent to SharePoint - just technical table without any valuable information for the user
• Create Job Queue Entry - creates a Job Queue Entry that will send update automatically based on the set up

Show Buffer opens the list of historical data, that was sent to SharePoint. Here you can check if everything is ok with the data and if it was successfully added to the SharePoint. Here you can also use the Send action to force update of the record (if the Sync is set up as true).

When you visit your SharePoint folder - you should see relevant data on each document.