dox42 GmbH | Vegagasse 5/2, A-1190 Vienna
IBAN: AT571420020010936536 | BIC: BAWAATWW | Handelsgericht Wien | FN: 393153 t | UID: ATU67845433
Version 4.6.1.4
Page 2 (of 45)
Content
3.1 dox42 App Registration __________________________________________________________________ 4
3.2 dox42 Online Configuration _____________________________________________________________ 13
4.1 Configure Azure AD in dox42 Datamap Designer (AAD impersonation) ___________________ 16
4.2 Configure Azure AD with AAD Application User and Certificate ___________________________ 20
4.3 Configure Input Parameters in the dox42 Add-In _________________________________________ 21
4.4 Integration of Multi Value Fields _________________________________________________________ 23
4.5 Integration of Single Value Lookup or Person/Group Fields_______________________________ 29
5.1 Set-up of “SharePoint Online Client Extensibility Web Application Principal” _______________ 33
5.2 Expose API for dox42 Online App ________________________________________________________ 34
5.3 Permissions of AAD App “SharePoint Online Extensibility Web Application Principal” and
Admin Consent _________________________________________________________________________________ 35
5.4 Upload Solution “dox42-cmd.sppkg” to SharePoint App-Catalog __________________________ 36
5.5 Add App to Site Collection_______________________________________________________________ 37
5.6 Configure dox42 Actions in dox42CommandBar Config __________________________________ 38
5.7 Custom Button Name ___________________________________________________________________ 38
6.1 How to Call dox42 Using a Button in the List/Library Ribbon ______________________________ 39
6.2 How to Call dox42 in the List/Library Context Menu ______________________________________ 41
6.3 How to Call dox42 from a SharePoint Workflow __________________________________________ 44
1
What is dox42 SharePoint Integration? _________________________________________________________ 3
2
Requirements for dox42 SharePoint Online App ________________________________________________ 3
3
Azure Active Directory Application for dox42 Online ____________________________________________ 4
4
Configure a SharePoint Data Source in the dox42 Add-In ______________________________________ 16
5
Integrating the dox42 SharePoint App into SharePoint Online __________________________________ 33
6
Integrating dox42 into SharePoint On Premise with SharePoint Designer _______________________ 39
7
Support ______________________________________________________________________________________ 45
Page 3 (of 45)
1 What is dox42 SharePoint Integration?
The dox42 SharePoint integration enables you to generate one or many documents directly from
SharePoint. Technically, the dox42 Server and dox42 Online is a web service with REST and SOAP
interface and can therefore be integrated into almost any button, workflow, or specialist application,
independently of SharePoint.
The dox42 integration to SharePoint Online is an additional module for dox42, which we provide free of
charge for customers. The dox42 SharePoint Online App enables you to use dox42 document automation
within your Office 365, SharePoint online without any need of scripting or programming skills. It provides
you with an interface to easily configure dox42 web service calls and lets you integrate them in form of
buttons in chosen SharePoint libraries or lists. Easily create your own dox42 buttons and generate
documents right from your SharePoint Online libraries or lists with a single click. Adding or editing dox42
calls yourself allows you to quickly adapt to changes or requirements. Scripting or editing with SharePoint
Designer is not necessary for SharePoint Online, but described for on premise installation at the end of the
documentation.
2 Requirements for dox42 SharePoint
Online App
The requirements to use dox42 SharePoint Online App are listed below:
SharePoint Online
dox42 Online tenant
Azure Active-Directory Application for dox42 Online (Azure Active Directory Application
for dox42 Online)
Azure Active-Directory Application “SharePoint Online Client Extensibility Web
Application Principal”
Page 4 (of 45)
3 Azure Active Directory Application for
dox42 Online
Using dox42 with AAD and/or with dox42 Online (Saas), requires the following properties:
Application ID > is provided after the app registration in the Microsoft Admin Center
Redirect URLs
Tenant ID
Client Secret for dox42 Server
For the AAD integration, you have to configure a few settings in the Microsoft admin center, in your dox42
Server and in the dox42 Add-In Datamap Designer.
Please note that you need (global-) Admin rights for some of the following steps:
App Registration
Enabling required permissions
Entering Redirect URL(s)
3.1 dox42 App Registration
Firstly, you need to create an application in the Microsoft Azure AD admin center to set the AAD
permissions for the dox42 Add-in and Server.
1. Open the Office 365 Admin Center
2. Go to -> “Admin centers” -> “Azure AD”, or click here to log in immediately:
https://aad.portal.azure.com
3. Click on “All services” -> “App registrations”
4. Click on “New Registration”
Page 5 (of 45)
Now configure your dox42 application:
Page 6 (of 45)
Name your application accordingly and choose which accounts should have access to your application.
Also add a Web Redirect URI containing the link to your dox42 Server instance and click on “Register”.
Now that you have registered your application, you can copy the Application (client ID) and Directory
(tenant ID) and paste it into an Excel Config file. This allows you to manage your configuration details
centralized. See Chapter 4.1.2 for more information on how to set up this config file.
3.1.1 Token permissions
Next, you need to grant token permissions for your app. Within your newly added application, click on
“Redirect URLs”.
Now, on the In the Implicit grants section of the Authentication register, tick both “Access tokens” and “ID
tokens”:
Note: In this documentation, we use the redirect URL of a dox42 Online server (SaaS):
https://yourcompany.dox42.online/
If you are registering a dox42 on-premise server, use the URL of your dox42 server:
https://yourdox42server.yourcompany.com
xxxx
xxxx
xxxx
Page 7 (of 45)
Scroll down further to find additional settings. Under Advanced Settings keep “Allow public client flow” set
on “No”.
Page 8 (of 45)
3.1.2 Enter redirect URLs
Now scroll up again to the beginning of your Authentication page. You need to add Redirect URIs next.
Please specify the following:
• Your dox42 Online Server URL:
https://yourcompany.dox42.online/
o (in our example: https://dox42test.dox42.online/)
• Any additional URLs for applications you want to call the dox42 server from, e.g.
Dynamics 365 CE/CRM. Please add the exact URLs where the dox42 Server will be called
from. (e.g. https://Yourcompany.crm4.dynamics.com/
The URL that you include as the Server URL (http://.....dox42.online/) is the one you will need to include
in the dox42 Server Configuration in the dox42 Datamap.
Page 9 (of 45)
Note: You may NOT use wildcards (*). Microsoft changed this behavior during 2018, so you may find older
working App registrations using wildcards, but new App registrations will not work with wildcards.
3.1.3 Add a mobile and desktop application for your
dox42 Add-In
Now you need to add your dox42 Add-in as a “mobile and desktop application” to your app. On the top of
the Authentication page, click on “Add a platform” and then on “Mobile and desktop application”.
Page 11 (of 45)
Select your required expiry date (we recommend using “Never”) and click “Add”.
Make sure to COPY the Client Key, as it will be hidden afterwards, and you will not be able to retrieve it
again:
We copied the key into our Excel Config File, together with the other values of the app registration. When
working with an Excel config file, we recommend encrypting the values of the client key by using the
dox42 Crypto Data source. A template for this config file is included in your SharePoint app package.
You find this “Connection.xlsx” file in the SP_app_template folder. Please see Chapter 4.1.2 to get more
details on how to set up this config file.
3.1.5 Add API permissions
Move to the register API Permissions and click “Add a permission”. You need to grant the application
delegated permissions for SharePoint Online.
xxxx
xxxx
Page 12 (of 45)
Please select the permissions according to your requirements and systems you are using dox42 with.
The dox42 server requires SharePoint read and write rights for a couple of output actions (SharePoint
Action), therefore grant delegated SharePoint Read & Write rights.
Next click on “Grant Admin Consent” for Your Company, to give your application the full permissions
(Alternatively, you can also later on click on “Consent” within the dox42 Add-in AAD connection):
Page 13 (of 45)
Your app registration is complete now, next you need to configure your dox42 Server accordingly.
3.1.6 Further information AAD app registration
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/develop/quickstart-register-app
3.2 dox42 Online Configuration
Once your set-up for your Azure AD app is finalized, you need to complete the configuration in your dox42
Server. If you work with dox42 Online, follow this chapter.
Please log into your dox42 Online management UI with the username and password received from dox42.
The URL for your management UI looks like this: https://yourcompany.dox42.online/MAUI
Page 14 (of 45)
In this dox42 Class tutorial video, we give a detailed explanation of the dox42 Online Management UI
(MAUI): https://www.dox42.com/Resources?search=/maui/i&
3.2.1 Add your Azure AD App registration settings
1. To complete the dox42 Online set-up, click on the Settings page on your MAUI home
screen.
2. Then click on “Add” in the “SharePoint Online Sites for dox42 Templates” section and
enter your SharePoint Online sites, where you call your dox42 templates from. Please
make sure to add a Slash ( / ) in the end of the site URL. If you call templates from
various SharePoint sites, please add all of them. E.g.
https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/yoursite/
Each SharePoint site needs to be added with the App ID, Tenant ID and the generated
Client Secret value of the dox42 App registered in the Azure AD Admin Center (see
chapter Error! Reference source not found.). Don’t forget to click on Save & Deploy after
each site you add to the list.
3. Configure your trusted template locations. Click on “Add” in the “Trusted Template
Locations” sections of your settings page. Your templates have to be stored on
SharePoint Online, hence your trusted template location could be
https://yourcompany.sharepoint.com/, or you could also specify a specific SharePoint
site. Don’t forget to click on Save & Deploy after every Trusted Template Location you
add.
4. Upload your Aspose (dox42 OEM Developer) license (not applicable for trial installations)
5. If you want to send emails via dox42 online, also add the email server, address and
password at the top section of the page. Again, don’t forget to click on Save & Deploy
after you’ve added the email configuration.
Page 15 (of 45)
2
5
5
3
4
1
5
Page 16 (of 45)
4 Configure a SharePoint Data Source in the
dox42 Add-In
4.1 Configure Azure AD in dox42 Datamap Designer
(AAD impersonation)
The information from the AAD admin center (see Chapter 3) must be used for the AAD configuration of
the SharePoint data source in the dox42 Add-In.
Access the required data in the AAD Admin Center:
Page 17 (of 45)
4.1.1 AzureAD /Entra ID Login
If you are using multi-factor authentication and SharePoint Online as template storage, you need to
provide information in the AzureAD Login/Entra ID Login window, to open templates directly from
SharePoint Online.
Click on “Azure AD Login” in the dox42 ribbon and provide the SharePoint Site URL you manage your
templates on, the AzureAD Tenant ID, App ID as well as the Desktop Redirect URI of the dox42 App
registration you have previously added to your Azure Active Directory.
Change the Log-in Behaviour from Auto to Always Ask, if you are a dox42 partner and working with
Microsoft Accounts from multiple Azure tenants on your machine.
You can find an example in the screenshot below.
3
4
Page 18 (of 45)
You can find more information about dox42 Azure AD App registrations in our SharePoint and D365
documentations, as well as the dox42 Class of AAD login: https://www.dox42.com/Resources
You then have two options to configure your connections using AAD in the SharePoint Data source:
4.1.2 Option 1: Using an Excel config file filling in the
information dynamically.
We recommend using this file to integrate all the information dynamically in your dox42 Add-In while
connecting to SharePoint Online using AAD. That saves a lot of time during the template design process
and avoids copy & pasting. Please make sure to encrypt your Client Secret with the dox42 Crypto Data
Source, before storing it there.
A template for this config file is included in your SharePoint app package. You find this
“Connection.xlsx” file in the SP_app_template folder.
Insert the information from your AAD Admin Center into the respective fields in the config-Excel file:
We recommend encrypting your Client Key with the dox42 Crypto Data source.
Page 19 (of 45)
Connect this config-Excel file with the Data Map Designer. Then you can insert the information
dynamically from the Excel data fields to the AAD configuration dialogue:
After completing the fields, do not forget to click on Consent for both the Add-in and Server. SharePoint
admin rights are required. This step can be skipped, if you clicked on “Grant Admin Consent” within the
AAD admin center already (see Chapter 3.1.5).
Page 20 (of 45)
4.1.3 Option 2: Using copy/paste
Paste the information from the AAD center into the respective fields within the AAD Configuration in the
Add-In:
Also, we recommend encrypting your Client Key with the dox42 Crypto Data source in this case. If you
have not clicked on “Grant Admin Consent” within the AAD admin center already (see Chapter 3.1.5),
please consent for both the Add-In and Server here.
4.2 Configure Azure AD with AAD Application User
and Certificate
Sine dox42 Version 4.5. you can also connect to your SharePoint Online data sources with an application
user and a certificate, that has been added to Azure AD.
To configure, click on “Azure Active Directory Certificate” in the SharePoint data source, add your App ID
and Tenant ID and click on Import certificate. The certificate needs to be uploaded to your Azure AD app
registration beforehand and needs to be password protected.
Page 21 (of 45)
4.3 Configure Input Parameters in the dox42 Add-In
The dox42 SharePoint App needs an input parameter to generate your documents, which must be
configured in the Add-In. You find one sample template in your SharePoint App Package folder:
SP_app_template
1. Please configure an Input Parameter and name it for example ItemID
Page 22 (of 45)
For testing your documents easier with the dox42 Word Add-In enter a Default Value for example:
[ {"id": "1"}, {"id":"2"}]
2. Add a XML/JSON data source and call it for example JSON. The JSON data Source
parses the ID, which is important for the SharePoint App:
• Click on Insert Data Field and select your created Input Parameter: ItemID
• Element: id
• Fields: Read Dropdown: Content; Data Field Name for Example ID
3. Add your SharePoint Data Source and enter a query in your SharePoint Data Source:
Filter the ID with your previous created JSON.ID data field:
Page 23 (of 45)
You can use the provided template to test if everything is set up correctly after you have entered your AAD
information and the site links in the excel connection file (see Chapter 4.1.2).
4.4 Integration of Multi Value Fields
To start the integration please connect to your SharePoint or Office 365 environment and select the
desired list/library that contains multi value fields. When integrating multi value fields you have two
options – values or xml.
Page 24 (of 45)
4.4.1 Integration of multi value fields using “values”
a. If you want all data from the multi value field to be inserted as one data field that adds up
the fields with a separator, please use the option Multi Value = “values” and type in your
separator.
b. The multi value field “Color” will return the following when clicking on “Test”.
Page 25 (of 45)
c. Insert the multi value data field and generate the document.
4.4.2 Integration of multi value fields using “xml”
a. If you want to have all data from the multi value fields to be separated into individual
data fields please select the option Multi Value = “xml”
b. The multi value field “MetaData_Test” will return the following when clicking on “Test”.
Page 26 (of 45)
c. Add a new XML Data Source and select the multi value field using “Insert Data Field”.
Initialize the “SharePoint MultiValue Field” as “Managed Metadata”, “Lookup” or “Person
Group”.
d. Click on “Insert Data Field” in the dox42 Ribbon and insert the “Label” data field for
managed metadata from the XML Data Source. Then create an “Automated Range”,
repeat for the XML Data Source and generate the document.
Page 27 (of 45)
4.4.3 Integration of choice fields using “xml”
a. If you want to have all data from the choice fields to be separated into individual data
fields please select the option Multi Value = “xml”.
Page 28 (of 45)
b. The choice field “Color” will return the following when clicking on “Test”.
c. Add a new XML Data Source and select the choice field using “Insert Data Field” and
initialize the “SharePoint MultiValue Field” as “Choice”.
d. Click on “Insert Data Field” in the dox42 Ribbon and insert the “Value” data field for
choice data from the XML Data Source. Then create an “Automated Range”, repeat for
the XML Data Source and generate the document.
Page 29 (of 45)
4.5 Integration of Single Value Lookup or
Person/Group Fields
To start the integration please connect to your SharePoint or Office 365 environment and select the
desired library that contains single value lookup or person/group fields. When importing lookups you have
three options – values, id or xml.
Page 30 (of 45)
4.5.1 Integration of single value lookup or person/group
fields using “values” or “id”
a. In Single Value Lookup/Person/Group you can select either “values” or “id” to be returned
from the SharePoint Data Source directly.
b. The lookup field “CreatedBy” will return the following “value” when clicking on “Test”.
Page 31 (of 45)
c. Insert the lookup data field and generate the document.
4.5.2 Integration of single value lookup or person/group
fields using “xml”
a. If you want to have both “value” and “id” from the lookup or person/group field please
select the option Single Value Lookup/Person/Group = “xml”
Page 32 (of 45)
b. The lookup field “CreatedBy” will return the following “xml” when clicking on “Test”.
c. Add a new XML Data Source and select the lookup or person/group field clicking on
“Insert Data Field”. Then initialize the “SharePoint MultiValue Field” as “Lookup” or
“Person/Group”.
d. Click on “Insert Data Field” in the dox42 ribbon, insert the “Value” and “Id” data field from
the XML Data Source and generate the document
Page 33 (of 45)
5 Integrating the dox42 SharePoint App into
SharePoint Online
5.1 Set-up of “SharePoint Online Client Extensibility
Web Application Principal”
First, you will need to set up the “SharePoint Online Client Extensibility Web Application Principal”, if not
already existent. With the commands below you can log in and then add the app using PowerShell:
Connect-SPOService -Url "https://[Tenant]-admin.sharepoint.com"
Enable-SPOTenantServicePrincipal
1
In order to execute the command above, a SharePoint Online PowerShell-Module is required. You can test
if it already exists by executing the following command:
Import-Module -Name Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell
A red error message means the module does not exist and needs to be installed. With Windows 10 this
can be done using the following command:
Install-Module -Name Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell -RequiredVersion 16.0.8212.0
Subsequently, log into your SharePoint Online admin tenant and activate the tenant service principal with:
Connect-SPOService -Url "https://[Tenant]-admin.sharepoint.com"
Enable-SPOTenantServicePrincipal
By executing the command above “SharePoint Online Client Extensibility Web Application Principal” is
being added to App registrations in your Azure Active Directory admin center as you can see in the screen
capture below. This may take a few minutes.
1
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/sharepoint-online/enable-
spotenantserviceprincipal?view=sharepoint-ps
Page 34 (of 45)
5.2 Expose API for dox42 Online App
Next, you need to expose a new scope within your dox42 Online App in order to be available to select for
API permissions of “SharePoint Online Extensibility Web Application Principal”.
1. Go to App registrations > dox42 Online > Expose an API
2. Select Add a scope
3. If you have not set an Application ID URI, you will see a prompt to enter one. Enter your
application ID URI or use the one provided (in this format:
https://yourcompany.com/fb04c99e-......) and then select Save and continue. The
Application ID URI must be globally unique.
4. When the Add a scope page appears, enter your scope's information:
Page 35 (of 45)
5.3 Permissions of AAD App “SharePoint Online
Extensibility Web Application Principal” and
Admin Consent
Permissions must be granted to Azure Active Directory App “SharePoint Online Extensibility Web
Application Principal” to access dox42 Online AAD Application.
To do so please follow these steps:
1. Open Microsoft 365 admin center and go to “Azure Active Directory”
(https://aad.portal.azure.com/)
2. Open “App registrations” and search for “SharePoint Online Extensibility Web Application
Principal”
3. Choose to manage the app and go to “API permissions” and click on “Add a new
permission”
4. Search for your dox42 online tenant from “APIs my organization uses” and select it
Page 36 (of 45)
5. Go to “delegated permissions” and accordingly select permissions and click “Add
permission”
6. Grant your organization with admin access to facilitate usage of the app:
5.4 Upload Solution “dox42-cmd.sppkg” to
SharePoint App-Catalog
To use dox42 SharePoint Online App on your sites, you need to upload the solution to your SharePoint
Online App-Catalog. To do so, you first need to create the App Catalog site collection (it may already be
existent). (instructions can be found here)
When the site collection App Catalog was created, go to Microsoft 365 admin center > Show all >
SharePoint > more features > Apps > App Catalog > Apps for SharePoint > Select New and browse for dox-
42-cmd.sppkg file, or drag the app into the library. To successfully upload the app you must have Admin
permissions for the Site Collection AppCatalog.
Page 37 (of 45)
To upload a new version of the app, simply
upload the new version (make sure it has the
same name as the existing app).
Make sure to mark “Add as new version to
existing files”.
5.5 Add App to Site
Collection
Within the site collection of your site select New > App and find “dox42 command extension” within Apps
from your organization. The app will be added by clicking on it. After the new button appears in your lists
please click on it once → A list called “dox42CommandBar Config” will be created afterwards.
Open “Site contents” to find the list. This needs to be done by a user with permissions to manage the site.
Within this list you will be able to configure dox42 calls.
To deploy updates, go to site contents, open the context menu of “dox42 command extension” and select
Details. The button “Get it” will be available whenever a new version was uploaded. Click on the button for
updating to a new version. This needs to be done for each site seperately. Updates have no effect on
already configured dox42 calls.
Page 38 (of 45)
5.6 Configure dox42 Actions in dox42CommandBar
Config
You can configure dox42 calls within the list “dox42CommandBar Config”, which you can find in site
contents. It was created during deployment of the app. To configure a dox42 call, create a new item filling
in the following parameters.
Parameter name
Requirement
Effect
Title
mandatory
Name of action displayed in list or library
Active
mandatory
Yes/No – whether to be shown or not
List-Name
mandatory
Name of list/library in which actions will be shown
dox42 tenant
mandatory
Name of dox42 Online tenant, full name (FQDN) without protocol,
example: demo.dox42.online
Cliend-ID
mandatory
Client-ID (GUID) of AAD application for access to dox42 online
tenant
Operation
mandatory
Choose from GenerateDocument, GenerateSpreadSheet and
GenerateSlides according to the format of your template
Template
mandatory
Complete path of template location (only for GenerateDocument
and GenerateSlides)
Datamap
optional
Complete path of template location (only for
GenerateSpreadSheets)
Parameter
Element-ID
optional
Name of input parameter (without ‘InputParam.’) to which the
element ID of selected items are given to in the DataMap for
example ItemID (Configure Input Parameters in the dox42 Add-In)
Query-String
Optional
Additional optional parameters/output actions to give to dox42
Server e.g.
ReturnAction.Format=pdf&ReturnAction.FileName=Document.pdf
(more info: dox42 Server Documentation)
Send by Post
Optional
Yes/No – whether to make the Server Call via POST instead of
GET. Adds the Lisa-Item-IDs to the request body.
Configured calls will be available when clicking on the dox42 button above the list/library items or within
the context menu of an item.
5.7 Custom Button Name
Since dox42 SharePoint Online App Version (0.1.0.7915) you can rename the dox42 button that appears in
the command bar. This can be done via Site Contents > “dox42CommandBar UI Settings“ Add a new Item
with the title “Button Title”. In the “value” field write the name you want to assign to your buttons.
Page 39 (of 45)
6 Integrating dox42 into SharePoint On
Premise with SharePoint Designer
6.1 How to Call dox42 Using a Button in the
List/Library Ribbon
We have created a document locally that generates a list of all employees based on data from a Microsoft
SharePoint list. Our goal is to generate this document directly from SharePoint using a button in the
SharePoint list/library ribbon following these steps:
1. Upload your document template and datamap to a SharePoint document library (e.g.
dox42Templates). Alternatively you can also put the document template and data map
directly on your dox42 Server in the file system.
Page 40 (of 45)
2. Create the REST link for the dox42 Return Action. Please make sure that you have
installed the dox42 Server properly and that the dox42 Server is allowed to read data
from SharePoint. To create the REST link please see the dox42 Server Documentation.
(Hint: You can also create the REST link using the dox42 Server Client and clicking the
“REST URL” Button in the bottom right corner.)
3. Open the list/library for which you want to create the button in SharePoint Designer.
4. The dox42 REST Call will be integrated using “Custom Actions”. In the “List Settings”
ribbon click on “Custom Action” > “View Ribbon”. The “Create Custom Action” dialog will
open up.
Page 41 (of 45)
5. In the “Create Custom Action” dialog you can add a name and a description. In “Select
the type of action” select “Navigate to URL” and use the dox42 REST Link. You can also
add a button image URL in the “Advanced custom action options”.
6. The Button will now show up in the SharePoint “Files” ribbon.
Security Advice
The best way to secure dox42 calls in SharePoint Online is to use dox42 Azure Active directory
integration.
Please note that without configuring AAD integration the SharePoint user login, authentication and
permissions are not used for the dox42 call as this REST call is simply a URL. If someone knows your
dox42 Server URL, templates, and input parameters, and has got permission to call the dox42 Server
he/she will be able to call this or a modified URL using any browser independently from SharePoint. So, if
your SharePoint list contains sensitive data, be careful!
A simple way to get more security is to add an additional input parameter to your data map to send some
kind of pass phrase. Check the pass phrase in your dox42 data map using a dynamic field and throw an
exception if not correct. You can even make the pass phrase dynamic using some JavaScript in the dox42
REST link. This method is obviously not bulletproof but easy to realize and offers a reasonable level of
protection.
6.2 How to Call dox42 in the List/Library Context
Menu
In this sample we are going to generate a PDF SharePoint list item using a dynamic REST Link based on
our selected list or library item. We are only going to use the dox42 ReturnAction.
Page 42 (of 45)
1. Create the REST Link for the dox42 Return Action. Please make sure that you have
installed the dox42 Server properly and that the dox42 Server is allowed to read data
from SharePoint. To create the REST Link please see the dox42 Server Documentation.
(Hint: You can also create the REST Link using the dox42 Server Client and clicking the
“REST URL” Button in the bottom right corner.)
2. Based on the static REST link in our sample we are going to make it dynamic for the
context menu link. The static link is:
https://yourserver.com:4242/dox42services.asmx?Operation=GenerateDocument&DocTemplate=https%3a
%2f%2fYourServer.com%3a4242%2fdox42Templates%2fEmployeeContract.docx&InputParam.EmployeeID=
1&ReturnAction.Format=PDF
Page 43 (of 45)
The input parameter “EmployeeID” needs to be dynamic based on the list item. We are going to use the
function {ItemId}, which gets the ID of the list item:
Overall the REST Link will look as follows:
https://yourserver.com:4242/dox42services.asmx?Operation=GenerateDocument&DocTemplate=https%3a
%2f%2fYourServer.com%3a4242%2fdox42Templates%2fEmployeeContract.docx&InputParam.EmployeeID=
{ItemId}&ReturnAction.Format=PDF
BTW: {ItemId} is case sensitive, be sure to use the correct casing.
3. Open the list/library in SharePoint Designer.
4. The next step is to integrate the dynamic link into the SharePoint context menu. The
dox42 REST Call will be integrated using “Custom Actions”. In the “List Settings” ribbon
click on “Custom Action” > “List Item Menu”. The “Create Custom Action” dialog will open
up.
5. In the “Create Custom Action” dialog you can add a name and a description. In “Select
the type of action” select “Navigate to URL” and paste the dynamic dox42 REST link that
we have created earlier.
Page 44 (of 45)
6. The context menu will now have the option to “Preview Contract with dox42”.
6.3 How to Call dox42 from a SharePoint Workflow
You can call the dox42 WebService from a SharePoint Workflow.
Please be sure to use SharePoint 2013 Workflow Platform as you need the “call HTTP WebService Action”
which is not available in earlier versions.
1. Create a Workflow Variable e.g. “dox42Request”
2. Store the dox42 REST link to this Workflow Variable. You can use the String Builder to
create dynamic parts of the link e.g. input parameters.
3. Create a “call HTTP WebService Action” and use the Workflow Variable “dox42Request”
as WebService URL
Security Advice
To use a SharePoint Workflow with SharePoint on premises to call dox42 allows for a very simple but
effective security configuration. You can restrict the access to the dox42 WebService to the IP of your
SharePoint Server. That way your dox42 Server can only be called from your SharePoint Server, thus the
SharePoint user permissions are enforced.
Page 45 (of 45)
7 Support
In addition to this documentation, please refer to the following tutorial videos:
• dox42 Class of dox42 SharePoint App Configuration
• dox42 Class of SharePoint Data Source – Advanced
Visit https://www.dox42.com/Resources to find more dox42 classes, video tutorials, up-coming
webinars, documentation and much more on dox42.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact support@dox42.com. We are
happy to
help you!
We wish you a successful implementation of dox42!
