A module acts as a container or box for all the components that facilitate the legal process you want to automate. For example, you might create a module to perform common daily tasks or complex routines in order to improve productivity. Component Explorer allows you to create new modules, add the desired components and compliance, and maintain all your existing modules.
The components you create can only be managed in Component Explorer and this is the only place in Designer Studio where they are grouped into a logical structure.
In this section:
• Component Explorer
• Create a module
• Open a module
• Edit a module
• Manage firm options
• Manage templates and forms
• Add a module to a matter
• Remove a module from a matter
CHAPTER PART 2: MODULES
Component Explorer
Component Explorer is a pane that lists all the components in the current module, organised in a logical tree view structure. Components are displayed under categories for each type of component. This is a
launchpad for quickly selecting, editing, or creating items belonging to the open module, for example, quickly open a formula, create a pick list, etc.
Fig. Component Explorer
A. Create button B. Component Explorer C. Category D Component
• Component Explorer is only displayed when you open a module.
• Expand and collapse the categories in Component Explorer to see the components in the module.
• Each type of component uses a related icon.
• Components can be opened by double-clicking or using the Open button on the ribbon.
Create a module
IMPORTANT You do not have to create a module if you want to use PMS.
You can use PMS if you want to add screens to the matter, client and contact extensions screens, create client or matter inception
workflows, or create fields to be available to all other modules.
To create a new module:
1. On the File tab, click Modules. This is the default selection.
2. Under Module Actions, click Add a New Module.
3. When the Add New UD-Module dialog box opens, complete these details:
• Status. Specifies whether the module is active, retired, or in development.
• Name. Specifies a name for the new module.
• Description. Specifies a description of the module.
• Icon. Specifies an icon for the module.
4. Add the desired tabs, groups, and buttons (see below) to organise the module's layout and navigation elements.
NOTE You must add at least one tab to activate a module and make it available in PMS.
5. Click Save & Exit. The module will now be available for selection as the "working module" in Designer Studio. See Open a module.
To add a tab:
If you have created a screen to display user-defined fields (and a module, see above), then you can use this procedure to add a tab to display it. A tab can be configured to display a screen directly or to display a group (i.e. a navigation pane). A group contains buttons for accessing screens.
1. In the Add New UD-Module dialog box, under Tabs, click Add.
2. When the Add New Tab dialog box opens, complete these details:
• Name. Specifies a name for the new tab.
CHAPTER PART 2: MODULES
• This Tab generates Group Box Control(s). Specifies that the tab will display a group. If you select this option, then you must add a group.
• This Tab generates a Screen Control. Specifies that the tab will display a screen. If you select this option, then a drop-down
appears prompting you to choose the screen to display, e.g.
Process Overview. This includes all the user-defined screens you create in this module and also some existing ALB screens.
3. Click Save. A tab will now appear when the module is opened for a matter. See Add a module to a matter.
Tab behaviours
If you add a tab for a... Then...
Screen The screen will appear inside the
tab
Group but do not add a group An empty tab will be displayed Group and add a group The group will appear inside the
tab Group and add a group without a
button
An empty group will be displayed Group and add a group with a
button
The button will appear inside the group
To add a group:
Use this procedure to add a group (i.e. a navigation pane) inside a tab.
This allows you to display a group of buttons, for accessing multiple screens, down the left-hand side of a tab. In order to add a group, a tab must be set to generate a group box.
1. In the Add New UD-Module dialog box, under Tabs, select the tab to which you want to add a group.
2. Under Groups, click Add.
3. When the Add New Group dialog box opens, complete these details:
To add a button:
Use this procedure to add a button inside a group. This lets you display any number of buttons for accessing specific screens. In order to add a button, a tab and group must have been created first.
1. In the Add New UD-Module dialog box, under Groups, select the group to which you want to add a button.
2. Under Buttons, click Add.
3. When the Add New Button dialog box opens, complete these details:
• Name. Specifies a name for the new button.
• Description. Specifies a description of the button.
• Screen. Specifies the screen to be displayed.
• Icon. Specifies an icon for the button.
4. Click Save. A button will now appear inside the selected group and clicking that button will display the specified screen.
NOTES
• Any number of tabs, groups, and buttons can be created.
• Names must be unique.
• When modules are set to Active they cannot be saved unless a tab is added.
• User-defined modules can only be added to matters when they are set to Active.
• User-defined screens can be added to native PMS modules.
• If you create a new role type in Utilities for use in your user-defined module it is not automatically made available for PMS. If you want your new role type to be visible in PMS then you must tick the PMS setting as well.
Open a module
You can open an existing module to continue working on it, view it, or edit any of its components. The open process also allows you to locate a module by name, in a list of all currently available modules. When you open a module, its associated components are automatically opened in
CHAPTER PART 2: MODULES
IMPORTANT Modules are opened for viewing or editing from within Designer Studio, not ALB.
To open a module:
1. On the File tab, click Modules in the left-hand pane. The list of all modules is displayed in the right-hand pane.
2. Under Modules in the right-hand pane, highlight the desired module.
The following details of the module are displayed to the right:
• Description
• Created by
• Created on
• Last modified by
• Last modified on
• Status
3. Click Select as Working Module. The module opens and its
associated components are displayed in Module Explorer. The ribbon becomes active too.
• You can also double-click a module to open it.
Edit a module
You can open an existing user-defined module and edit its properties from directly within Designer Studio, such as name, description, icon, working status, etc. You may also want to modify how the screens contained in your module are displayed in ALB, by changing the tabs, groups, and buttons.
To edit a module:
3. When the Edit UD-Module dialog box opens, amend the settings of the module.
4. Click Save & Exit when you have finished.
Manage firm options
The maintenance of firm options used by modules such as association roles and address types is performed in ALB, not Designer Studio. To provide quick access to the Firm Options screen from within Designer Studio, a shortcut is available at the bottom of Component Explorer.
NOTE To access Firm Options from Designer Studio, users need to have Administrator or Power User permissions.
To manage firm options:
1. Open the desired module.
2. In Component Explorer, under Manage, click the Firm Options button.
3. When the Firm Options dialog box opens, amend as required.
4. Click the Close button in the top right-hand corner when you have finished.
CHAPTER PART 2: MODULES
Manage templates and forms
The creation of document templates and the mapping of custom form data for use in modules is currently performed in ALB, not Designer Studio. To provide quick access to these screens from within Designer Studio, shortcuts are available at the bottom of Component Explorer.
To manage templates :
1. Open the desired module.
2. In Component Explorer, under Manage, click the Templates button.
3. When the Document Template Management dialog box opens, amend as required.
4. Click the Close button in the top right-hand corner when you have finished.
To manage forms:
1. Open the desired module.
2. In Component Explorer, under Manage, click the Forms button.
NOTE
• For more about document templates and form mappings, please refer to Document Production (PDF).
Export and import a module
You may want to export and import a module from one system to another.
For example, from a training or test system into a live system. This avoids any duplication in recreating components on multiple systems and allows you to develop in a safe environment before going live or to import an Advanced Legal Case application into a new system.
IMPORTANT We recommend that you do not make changes in a live system, as this could result in inconsistencies between systems and prevent successful imports. If this is unavoidable, then you must create a new test/development system by taking a copy of the live system.
Fig. Expected strategy diagram
The export process creates a copy of all the components in the selected module and saves it to a file, which you can later import into another database. No data is removed from your module by the export. All the components that you have created in Designer Studio for this module and the related settings (i.e. association roles, note types, address types, etc.)
CHAPTER PART 2: MODULES
rules applied to exporting and importing user-defined components and how they affect your database, see Export and import behaviours.
In this section:
• To export a module
• To import a module
• To map time types on import
• To configure document templates on import
• To update running processes on import
To export a module:
1. On the File tab, click Modules (if not already selected). The list of current modules is displayed.
2. Under Modules, highlight the module you want to export and click Export the Selected Module.
3. When the Save As dialog box opens, specify a location for the export file and change the file name as required. By default, the file name takes the name of the module.
4. Click Save to start the export. A progress bar is displayed.
5. When the export has completed successfully, click Close.
• If errors occurred during the export, then you will be notified with a message that contains the details of the problem(s).
3. When the Open dialog box opens, select the export file you want to import and click Open. Information about the module is displayed under Module Import and you are asked if you want to import the selected module.
4. Click Import Selected Module to start the import.
5. Next, you are presented with a series of screens so you can choose how to handle the import of time types, document templates, and running processes. For more details, please refer to the procedures below.
6. A progress bar is displayed while the import proceeds. When the import has completed successfully, click Done.
• If errors occurred during the import, then you will be notified with a message that contains the details of the problem(s).
To map time types on import:
1. When the Map Time Types dialog box opens, map the time types in the export file to the existing time types in the destination system 2. Under Firm Time Types, use the drop-downs to map your time types
to those listed under Time Types to be Imported from the export file.
CHAPTER PART 2: MODULES
3. Click Continue. On import the time type codes from the destination system replace the ones in the Post Time activities in workflow.
To configure document templates on import:
1. When the Import Document Templates dialog box opens, choose how to handle document templates. You can import new and updated templates only or import all templates and you can also decide
whether to overwrite or preserve the templates you have changed.
2. Under Choose how to import document templates, choose from the options below:
• Import Advanced Legal's new and updated document templates only. (Default setting) Specifies that you only want to import new and updated templates.
• Import all document templates. Specifies that you want a full import of new and old templates.
3. Under Choose how to manage your updated document templates, choose from the options below:
• Overwrite document templates I have modified. Specifies that you are happy to overwrite any templates that you have changed.
• Preserve document templates I have modified. (Default setting) Specifies that you want to retain any templates that you have changed.
4. Based on the options described above, the valid combinations are:
• Import Advanced Legal's new and updated document templates only and Preserve document templates I have modified. (Default setting) This combination can be used when
CHAPTER PART 2: MODULES
of some templates that have not been updated is displayed on completion.
• Import Advanced Legal's new and updated document templates only and Overwrite document templates I have modified. This combination can be used when Advanced Legal have updated the document templates and you are happy to overwrite any templates you have modified.
• Import all document templates and Preserve document templates I have modified. This combination can be used when a clean install is required or you want to import document
templates which have been created in a different system, but you want to keep any templates you have modified. A list of the templates that have not been updated is displayed on completion.
• Import all document templates and Overwrite document templates I have modified. This combination can be used on a first install or when you are importing a module from a test system to a live system.
5. Click Continue.
• If you choose to preserve document templates that you have modified, you will receive a message showing the document templates that have not been imported.
To update running processes on import:
1. When the Import Updated Processes dialog box opens, review the list of updated processes and choose whether you want to modify or preserve the processes currently running.
2. Under Changed Items, work down the list clicking Apply or Preserve for each entry.
• Apply. Changes all processes, including those currently in progress.
Preserve. Retains processes currently in progress and only applies
• Type. Indicates the type of amendment, e.g. Edit, New, or Delete.
• In Progress. Indicates the number of matters for which the process is running.
• For more information about processes, please refer to the Processes section.
3. Click Apply Changes. Once all the updates are complete, an email will be sent to the Case developer to detail the matters where the running processes were modified or preserved.
• NOTE An email will only be sent if the developer has an email assigned to them within ALB.
NOTES
• Only entire modules can be exported and imported.
• Modules cannot be exported with or imported over unsaved changes.
• Open modules (with saved changes) are automatically closed when a module is imported.
Export and import behaviours
CHAPTER PART 2: MODULES
however, certain elements are taken from the entire ALB database, e.g.
address types.
For most components the import routine automatically overwrites any duplicate records in the destination system, but there are some
exceptions. For example, when time types are imported you are prompted to map them to existing entries.
Export and import behaviours
Component Export behaviour Import behaviour Address
types
All custom address types with member or
organisation (or both) usages are exported from the entire ALB database.
System address types and custom address types with the usage set to matter or conveyancing are not exported.
New address types are created (based on their description), otherwise they are merged with existing address types and their usage selection is retained.
The archive setting is overwritten in the destination system.
Association roles
All roles are exported from the entire ALB database.
New role types are created (based on their name), otherwise they are merged with existing role types.
Where the role name already exists, then the association role from the export file is merged with the existing entry.
However, where the role name does not already exist, then a new
association role is created.
Document templates
All document templates (.docx) are exported.
By default all document templates in the export file
since they were last imported, are imported.
However, the following options are available on import so that you can decide on the appropriate course of action:
1. Import new and updated templates 2. Import all templates 3. Overwrite all
templates
4. Preserve modified templates
These options are not mutually exclusive, but the acceptable combinations to an Advanced Legal Case application and then Advanced Legal also add the same template, it is possible for templates with the same code and
description to exist after an import. We therefore recommend editing document codes and names to differentiate these.
If any document templates exist, which were not in the export file, then they are retained.
For more information,
CHAPTER PART 2: MODULES
Fields All fields are exported. All pre-existing fields are updated.
If you have created your own fields in the
destination system, then they are prefixed with your Firm ID and are retained.
Formulas All formulas are exported. All pre-existing formulas are overwritten.
If any formulas exist, which were not in the export file, then they are retained.
NOTE It is possible for formulas with the same name to exist after an import. However, we recommend using the Description field to differentiate these.
Laserforms All Laserform mappings (v2) are exported.
All pre-existing Laserform mappings (v2) are
overwritten.
If any mappings exist, which were not in the export file, then they are retained.
NOTE It is possible for forms with the same reference and description to exist after an import.
However, we recommend using the Description field to differentiate these.
system, they are then removed by the import.
If any lookup tables exist, which were not in the export file, then they are retained.
Master processes
All master processes are exported.
All pre-existing master processes and their sub-processes are overwritten.
If any master processes exist, which were not in the export file, then they are retained. If any sub-processes which were not in the export file exist in master processes which are being imported, they are removed.
Where processes that have been imported have
changed and are in progress, you can choose to modify or preserve them.
For more information, please refer to Export and import a module and Update processes.
Module layout
The module layout is exported.
The module layout is overwritten.
Note types All custom note types are exported from the entire
Note types All custom note types are exported from the entire