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The function of linking a digital document, saved on your computer or on the Internet, to an transaction line allows you to open a receipt, invoice or other document directly in the accounting file with a simple click. Your documents will always be just a click away and you can say goodbye to paper and switch to fully digital accounting.
Also refer to Organise accounting files locally, online or in the cloud.
- The function of linking a digital document to a row is available in all tables, also for the Accounts, Items and Other tables.
- From the print preview, with Export to PDF, the programme also allows you to include the linked digital document files in PDF. When auditing, the auditor can also open the attached document (invoice, receipt, other PDF document) in the accounting file.
File names and paths
When entering a path to a file this can be of two types:
- Absolute path.
- An absolute path file name, or more simply 'absolute file name', specifies the complete path to a file, including the disk drive, folders and the name of the file itself.
- It describes exactly where the file is located in the file system.
- Examples of absolute file names:
- "C:/Documents/Images/Photo.jpg"
- "/Documents/Images/Photo.jpg"
- If the accounts folder is moved to another computer with a different path, the file will not be found.
- Relative path to the accounting file folder (Recommended).
- Relative path or more simply 'relative file name' refers to file names that are not absolute, i.e. do NOT begin with a '/'.
- Links with relative paths are understood to be relative to the folder where the accounting file is located.
- Links remain valid even if folders are moved or synchronised to other computers that have different locations, as long as the file remains in the same location relative to the accounts file.
- Does not include details of the disk drive or main folders. The name begins without a slash.
- If the file is in the same folder, only the file name 'invoice.pdf' will appear
- If the file is in the 'attachments' subfolder, it will be 'attachments/invoice.pdf'.
- If the file is in the top folder it will be "../invoice.pdf".
- The symbol '../' means upper folder.
- "../attachments/invoice.pdf' means that the file is in the 'attachments' subfolder of the top folder.
- ".../.../attachments/invoice.pdf' means that the file is in the 'attachments' subfolder of the top two-level folder.
Error File Not Found
If the programme reports that it cannot find the file, the reason may be one of the following:
- The file has been deleted or moved.
- Files have been copied or synchronised to another computer and the path name to the file is absolute.
- The accounting file has been moved and the file names contain relative files.
- The file name contains invalid characters on other operating systems:
- The programme uses the '/' character as path separator, but also accepts '\'.
- Characters such as '*' may not be used in file names.
- Care must also be taken not to use characters such as '*&%'. which are valid on MAC or Linux, but not for Windows.
The Links Column
The DocLink column (in the Transactions table) and the Links column (in all other tables) make it possible to enter a link to an external file (usually a scan of a receipt or an invoice).
- The Links column is usually not visible.
In order to display it, use the Columns setup command from the Data menu. - Once the Links column appears, you can add the link to the digital document; you can also edit the file name directly in the cell where the link has been inserted, without having to edit the file in the folder where it is located.
- It is best to use file names related to the accounting folder (see previous section File names and paths).
- In the Links cell you can enter different types of content:
- The relative or absolute file name.
- A link to an Internet page or file, preceded by 'https://' or 'http://'.
- A customised Url schema.
- A link to a resource contained in the program resources, e.g. ":/image.png".
- A link to a resource contained in the Documents table, e.g. ":documents:doc.pdf".
- A text beginning with an exclamation mark '!', to indicate in the auto-completion in which path to search for files (see the following section Auto-completion in the Links column).
- A text in square brackets [ ], which is used as an auto-complete search when editing.
Useful when creating rules and wanting to indicate the text to insert the link and facilitate searching.
To open the linked document, click on the menu Data > Links > Open Link, or click on the icon that appears in the top right-hand corner of the cell containing the link.
Entering a link to a file
There are three ways to enter a link to a document:
Add Link command
- Place yourself on the row of the table where you wish to create a link and the choose the Data menu > Links > Add link.
- Select the document file that you want to link and click on the Open button (the program inserts the link automatically).
- The program enters the path to the digital file in the Links column, even if the column is not visible.
- The file path is converted into a form relative to the accounting file.
Add Link Icon
- In the table, make the Links column visible. Also see: Columns setup.
- Click on the small icon at the top right of the cell.
- Indicate the path where the chosen file is located.
Directly enter the file name into the cell
The file name of the digital document can be entered directly in the DocLink column cell, without having to select the file in the folder where it is located.
This mode allows you to speed up the insertion work even more.
- Double-click on cell to edit it .
- Type in the file name or enter it using copy and paste.
- The auto-complete function lists the files of documents that are not yet linked.
- To get a list of available files, at least the name of a file must be entered with the file selection dialogue.
Auto-completion in the Links column
When you are editing in the Links column, the programme proposes a list of files, according to the following logic:
- Only files whose extension is included among the safe extensions are proposed.
- The file name contains the text entered in the editor.
- If the text contains text separated by a space, all text must appear in the file name.
- If the text is included in square brackets [ ] only the text without the brackets is used.
- If the file is already used in the column, it is not proposed again.
You can start with '*' to ensure that all files are proposed, even those already used.
This way you can search for files that have already been included in the list. - Files contained in search folders.
- Files contained in folders already used.
If you enter the file 'attachments/invoice.pdf', it will propose the documents that are in the 'attachments' subfolder. - Files containing the text you are inserting.
- The folder was not excluded with the commands indicated below.
- Files that do not exceed the Smartfill limit.
Special names for auto-completion
You can change the search logic by entering file names that begin with an exclamation mark '!'.
- !-**1
Disables auto-completion and does not propose any files.
Use this command if, for technical reasons, access to directories is slow. - !attachments
Search for files only in the indicated subfolder - !+attachments
The '+' sign also searches in the indicated folder. - !-attachments
A '-' sign excludes the indicated folder. It takes precedence over other indications.
Serves to exclude a used file folder or the accounting file folder. - Special symbols:
- !.
The dot "." indicates the current folder where the accounting file is located.
To exclude the folder use "!-.". - !folder1*
"*" at the end of the folder name also means including all sub-folders.
If there are many sub-folders with many files, the search may be slowed down. - !*
Includes the folder where the accounting file is located and all sub-folders. - !folder1;folder2
the semicolon ';' is used to include multiple folders.
!../folder1
The ".." refers to the parent folder.
- !.
Texts for inclusion or exclusion folders for self-completion:
- They must be entered in the column where the document link is inserted.
- They can be entered in any row.
- They determine the search for all cells, even those that come before.
Edit a link
Proceed in the same way as when entering a new link.
Rename a link
This feature allows you to change/rename the link. The program will also automatically:
- Rename the file name in its original directory
- Rename all the links to that document recurring in the accounting file.
This way you can change file names without having to open the file manager.
Requirements
- The Rename function from the Data menu is only available with the Advanced plan of Banana Accounting Plus > switch now to the Advanced plan.
More info on the Rename feature.
Opening the link
There are two ways to open the link:
- Position yourself on the row and follow the Data > Links > Open link command
- Or position yourself on the cell of the Links column and click on the icon to open the link.
For security reasons, the program only opens files with an extension that is considered secure, see Program Options > File handling section, from the Tools menu.
Remove a link
There are two ways to delete a link:
- Position yourself on the row and follow via the Data menu > Links > Remove link.
- Clear the contents of the Links cell with Delete.
Export to PDF (Include attachments)
When exporting to PDF, the programme offers the possibility of also including attached files.
Please refer to the Export to PDF documentation regarding this functionality and limitations.