Lookup properties let a document automatically pull property values from another document it links to – and keep those values up to date when the linked document changes.
For example, on a Purchase order, you link the related Supplier document once. The supplier's primary contact, payment terms, and currency then appear on the purchase order automatically, stay read-only, and update everywhere if the supplier record changes.
Note: Lookup properties are being rolled out. To enable them on your domain, contact the AODocs team.
Automatically generated table of contents
What lookup properties give you
- Enter data once, reuse it everywhere. A value maintained on one document is shown on every document that links to it – no re-typing, no copy-paste that drifts out of date.
- Reliable, read-only values. Lookup properties are maintained by the system. Users can't edit them, so they can't diverge from the linked document.
- Automatic synchronization. When a linked document is changed or deleted, AODocs updates every document that links to it.
- Rich data types. Not just text: numbers, dates, yes/no values, multi-value fields, categories, reference catalogs, and even whole table properties.
Key terms
| Term | What it means |
| Link to another document class | The field you add to store the link to another document. It holds a single linked document. |
| Linked class | The document class whose documents can be linked (for example, Supplier). |
| Linked document | The specific document the link field points to (for example, Clearline Office Supply Co.). |
| Lookup property | A read-only property that automatically receives the value of one property of the linked document. |
| Linked property | The property of the linked class that a lookup property copies (for example, Primary contact). |
How it works, in brief
An administrator configures lookup properties on a document class, in two parts:
- a link field that points to a document of another class (the linked class);
- one or more lookup properties that each pull a value from that linked document.
When an end user picks the linked document on a document page, AODocs fills in the lookup properties automatically. After that, whenever the linked document changes, the values are refreshed on every document that links to it. Lookup properties are always read-only – only the system writes them.
Learn more: How lookup properties are kept in sync.
What you can pull
A lookup property can pull almost any property type from the linked document, including:
- text, numbers, dates, and yes/no (boolean) values;
- multi-value fields (the whole list of values is copied);
- categories and reference catalogs (the lookup property must use the same category or catalog as the linked property);
- table properties (the whole table is copied, read-only).
Note: Library labels can't be used as a lookup property.
Set it up
- Configure lookup properties in a document class – the point-and-click walkthrough in the library administration.
-
AODocs API reference: Update a document class – for technical users (lookups are set in the
lookupConfigurationof each field).
To see what end users experience, read Fill in lookup properties on a document.