Highlights of IBM Datacap version 9.1.6

IBM Datacap Version 9.1.6 has the following new features and enhancements.

New in Datacap Insight Edition

Datacap integration with IBM Business Automation Content Analyzer

Datacap Insight Edition is enhanced to enable to use Business Automation Content Analyzer process documents including OCR, document classification, headers and KVP field data extraction. The new actions libraries are added to call Content Analyzer.

Business Automation Content Analyzer is a cloud-based REST API web service, which is designed to rapidly accelerate extraction and classification of data from documents. Content Analyzer actions embedded in Datacap provide you with an easy way to connect to the Business Automation Content Analyzer API services to digitize, classify, and extract unstructured documented content using OCR and PDF text extraction. It can also enable Watson™ and other AI technologies to reveal business insight from documents. Some of the functional enhancements of this integration are:
  • Recognition during peak volume can be offloaded to Content Analyzer, which can scale up as needed, reducing the burden on the machines running other Datacap rulerunner tasks.
  • Content Analyzer can be used as an additional alternative for page or document classification within Datacap.
  • Extract key-value pairs from pyrographs and tables in the document.
  • After recognizing the text on the page, you can populate a field or a variable based on the extract targeted data saved as key-value pairs.
  • A page or a document can be recognized and a searchable PDF file or a text file can be created in a single step.
  • Get a complete picture of the data held in the documents by using IBM AI algorithms, and save the output in a json file.
These functions can be applied to different document types such as, PDF, TIFF, TIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, DOC, DOCX.

Proxy support to NLU and NLC actions

Actions for proxy support are available on Natural Language Understanding (NLU) and Natural Language Classifier (NLC).

Action updates

With the version 9.1.6, Datacap supports 64-bit actions, gaining the benefits of 64-bit architecture and interaction with native 64-bit components. An application can seamlessly use 32-bit or 64-bit actions within the same application, task, ruleset or rule. An application developer can mix actions as they create an application and do not need to make decisions based on the underlying architecture of the action library.

The following action libraries run in a 64-bit architecture:
  • ApplicationObjects
  • EWSmail
  • ExportToText
  • ExportToXML
  • FileIO
  • ImageFix
  • PictureCharacterValidation
  • Statistics
  • ValidationsAndTextAdjustments
The 32-bit versions of these actions continue to be available alongside the 64-bit versions. For action libraries that were deprecated in favor of a new 64-bit version of the action library, existing applications continue to run using the deprecated actions. It is recommended that applications using deprecated actions are planned to be updated to use the replacement actions before the deprecated actions are removed in a future release. For action the libraries EWSMail, FileIO and ImageFix, no application update is required. Any existing application that uses these three action libraries do not require any update and will automatically run the new action library.
Table 1. Existing 32-bit action libraries with a 64-bit replacement library:
Existing Library Replacement Library
DCO ApplicationObjects
Export ExportToText
ExportXML ExportToXML
Picture PictureCharacterValidation
Statistics Statistics
Validations ValidationsAndTextAdjustments
Vote VoteUsingComparativeText
32-bit action libraries converted to 64-bit:
  • EWSMail
  • FileIO
  • ImageFix

The following new actions libraries are added:

  • AutomaticDocumentFingerprinting
  • IBMCMExtended
Action added under SharedRecognitionTools action library:
  • AnalyzeImage
  • SetFingerprintRecognitionPriority
  • IsBlankPage
  • SnapCCOtoDCO
  • SnapDCOtoCCO
  • SnapFieldToCharacters
Action added under Common actions library:
  • SetChildPageType
Actions added and updated under Document Analytics action library, see DocumentAnalytics action library.

Web Services actions library

Web Services action library has been enhanced to support Windows authentication through the introduction of a new action, WsIsWindowsAuthenticationEnabled (). This action needs to be connected to a webservice url that is hosted against Windows Authentication.

Functional enhancements

Updated OCR/A Engine files

OCR/A Engine files are updated to improve performance times when calling OCR_A.Recognize () through Rulerunner Server Services. Additionally, the updated engine files improved the table detection when SingleLinePerCell recognition engine setting is enabled.

Enhanced Datacap to support SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Groups

Beginning in SQL Server 2012, Microsoft introduced SQL AlwaysOn Availability Groups and now Datacap does support the use of AlwaysOn Availability.

Image Enhancement ruleset for changing the color depth of an image

The color depth of image can be increased or decreased. This is useful to adjust the color depth to match the requirements of some image enhancements that operate when an image has a specific color depth. For example, if the source image is a black and white image and you wish to run the Close filter, which requires a 24-bit color depth, then the image color depth can be changed to 24-bit, the filter applied and then the image can be reduced back to a black and white image. The Image Enhancement ruleset allows order of operations as well as repeating operations, so the image adjustments can be arranged as needed to improve an image's quality for optimal recognition. See the steps of how to use the IBM Datacap Image Enhancement ruleset technote: https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=ibm10739519

Enhanced Rulerunner Manager services

Datacap Central Rulerunner Manager

Datacap Rulerunner Manager has been enhanced through the use of a new user-interface Datacap Centeral Rulerunner Manager to enable you to configure Datacap Rulerunner Manager settings, configuration and logging options of more than one Rulerunner Server Services in a centrally located user interface.

There are two new features added to Datacap Central Rulerunner Manager: Central Rulerunner Management tab and Task Timeout feature under the Settings tab.

Batches in 'running' state now is 'aborted' after a Rulerunner thread restart

Enhanced RuleRunner Server services to return the state of the batch from 'running' to 'aborted' when Rulerunner thread completes its restart interval timeout. See Rulerunner Manager settings for more.

Datacap Navigator

Consistent UTC time support

Consistent date and time usage based on UTC format within Datacap has been enhanced so that applications can operate across any time zones.

Customized job order in shortcut panel

As a user you can order jobs in the shortcut panel. For example, user can order jobs under ‘Verify’ so that ‘Navigator Demo’ tasks appear at the top of the list. There are three sort types supported: Ascending (by Job name), Descending and Customized. With "Customized" sort, you can adjust the Job order by using Move Up and Move Down buttons.

Enable auto-complete in field details

The auto-complete is enabled in Datacap Navigator, so that browser prompts previously input data to speed up data entry.

Improved page number display in local renderer

Automatically hidden page numbers are displayed in localTM image viewer in 2 secs, unblocking the image content behind the page number.

Consistent page naming in tree and thumbnail view

The thumbnail view is updated to have both image name and page number or page number only which is always in sync with contents in tree view structure.

Deleting entire document and pages under other document at same time

A delete option is added in Datacap Navigator to delete the complete document when the document is clicked. This new feature provides an administrative option to enable the Remove Page and Document function on the batch tree that including all clients has the batch tree as Scan, Verify, and Classify etc.

It can delete a whole documents node and the pages under it, and the pages on other node as the picture showing. It can be deleted by context menu, Actions button menu and also the hot key "Ctrl + F10". And the delete also can be undo.

Displaying the time stamp value as the local time zone

On previews version, Datacap Navigator only gets the timestamp without time zone information. So the timestamp only display the server time value on client side.

On version 9.1.6, According API the TMS and the wTM side provided it give the time zone information of server side. So It can transfer the timestamp string to ISO format with time zone.

Other enhancements

Datacap Application Manager allows copy-paste string values in text boxes

In Datacap Application Manager after selecting a Datacap Application under the Applications section and then in the 'Advanced value' section of the 'Custom values' tab, you can directly paste the a string value in the value-text box instead of typing it manually. This new enhancement enables you to copy-paste a string value that is long or consists of different combination of characters instead of manually typing in the string that might result in typing errors. Learn more...

IBM Datacap Web Services (wTM) logging improvements

A new configuration setting name="serviceLogLevel" has been created in the \Datacap\wtm\web.config file and in \Datacap\Taskmaster\wTMservice.exe.config file to suppress, generate or moderate a detailed level of information returned in task rrs logs and wrrs logs. Entering a value from 0 through 5 will control the level of detail written to logs mentioned above.

For example,

<setting name="serviceLogLevel" serializeAs="String">
<value>4</value>
 </setting>
Table 2. The following table lists the different logging levels that can be updated as a value to set the serviceLogLevel in web.config file
Setting task_rrs.log log
0 no logs not created
1 created and returns basic date and time information with no details of individual actions execution. not created
2, 3 created and returns lower level details of individual actions execution. not created
4 created and returns moderate level details of individual actions execution. created with minimal logging
5 created and returns high level details of individual actions execution including document hierarchy navigation path implemented during execution of rules. created with detailed logging

Learn more...

Deprecated and dropped in IBM Datacap 9.1.6

When upgrading from an older version of Datacap that has ruleset that used a deprecated action, the ruleset needs to be updated in the application. This can be seen as a highlighted red action in Datacap Studio when the application is launched. Replace the ruleset with the latest version to update the rules to use the newer actions. The ruleset DLL, "<name>.rul.dll", exists in the "Rules" folder of an application. Copy the latest version of the DLL from the \Datacap\RRS directory to the Rules directory of the application to update the ruleset. Copy the ruleset only. Do not copy the config file associated with the Rul.Dll. If the config file is also copied, then the existing custom settings for the ruleset will be reset.

Moving 32-bit VBS Split action to 32-bit C# Split Batch action: 32-bit VBS Split action library is marked deprecated and equivalent 32- bit C# Split Batch action library is created.

ActiveX: The ActiveX scanning in Datacap Navigator has been deprecated.

Other actions are deprecated:
  • Cco2cco actions
  • Export actions
  • OCR_J actions
  • Picture actions
  • Recog_Shared actions
  • Vote actions

The following actions were deprecated and recommended in previous releases and have been removed in 9.1.6:

Flex:
  • AddToErrorMsg - Instead, use the AddToErrorMsg action in the Invoice action library.
  • AllowOnlyChars - Instead, use the AllowOnlyChars action in the Validations action library.
  • ApplyPictureString - Instead, use the ApplyPictuerString action in the PictureCharacterValidation action library.
  • CalculateNotesZone - Instead, use the CalculateNotesZone action in the Invoice action library.
  • CheckForSticky - Instead, use the CheckForSticky action in the Invoice action library.
  • ClearErrorMsg - Instead, use the ClearErrorMsg action in the Invoice action library.
  • CreateFingerprint - Instead, use the CreateFingerprint action in the Invoice action library.
  • DetailFix - Instead, use the DetailFix action in the Invoice action library.
  • DoMsgbox - This Action is Deprecated, its functionality is no longer supported.
  • ExecuteSQLBind - Instead, use the SmartSQL action in the Lookup action library.
  • FindExportImage - Instead, use the FindExportImage action in the Invoice action library.
  • FPXMLUsed - Instead, use the FPXMLUsed action in the Invoice action library.
  • iloc_SetDetailSimple - Instead use the iloc_SetDetailSimple action in the Invoice action library.
  • Is_InCharSet - Intead use SetPictureCharacters and PIC_ApplyPictureString in the PictureCharacterValidation action library.
  • Is_JobName - Instead, rrCompare("MyExpectedName", "@JOBNAME").
  • IsBatchVariable - Instead, use the rrCompare action in the Rrunner action library.
  • IsChildFieldBlank - Instead, use rrCompare in the rrunner action library.
  • IsChildFieldValue - Instead, use rrCompare with in the rrunner action library.
  • IsCurrentObjVariable - Instead, use the rrCompare action in the Rrunner action library.
  • IsFingerPrintClass - Instead, use the IsFingerPrintClass action in the Invoice action library.
  • IsInINI - Instead, use the IsInINI action in the Invoice action library.
  • IsInList - Instead, use the IsInList action in the Invoice action library.
  • IsMultipageDocument - Instead, use the IsMultipageDocument action in the Invoice action library.
  • IsSinglePageDocument - Instead, use the IsSinglePageDocument action in the Invoice action library.
  • IsStationIDSuffix - Instead, use the IsStationIDSuffix action in the Invoice action library.
  • IsTaskName - Instead, use rrCompare in the rrunner action library.
  • LoadCCOFromField - Instead, use the LoadCCOFromField action in the Invoice action library.
  • MovePDF - Instead use RenameFile in the FileIO action library.
  • OpenConnection - Instead, use the OpenConnection action in the Lookup action library.
  • ParseImageName - Instead use SplitFileName in the FileIO action library.
  • PopulateZNLineItemFieldDynamic - Instead, use the PopulateZNLineItemFieldDynamic action in the Invoice action library.
  • ReadFPXMLZones - Instead, use the ReadFPXMLZones action in the Invoice action library.
  • SaveObjectVariable - Instead, use the rrSet action in the Rrunner action library.
  • ScanLineItemDynamic - Instead, use the ScanLineItemDynamic action in the Invoice action library.
  • SetDynamicDetailZones - Instead, use the SetDynamicDetailZones action in the Invoice action library.
  • SetPicChar - Instead, use the SetPictureCharacter action in the PictureCharacterValidation action library.
  • SetStickyNo - Instead, use the SetStickyNo action in the Invoice action library.
  • SwitchMMDD - Instead, use the SwitchMMDD action in the Invoice action library.
  • ValidateVendor - Instead, use the ValidateVendor action in the Invoice action library.
  • WriteErrorMessage - Instead, use the WriteErrorMessage action in the Invoice action library.
ImageConvert:
  • ConvertJPG2TIFF - Instead, use ConvertToTIFF.
  • ConvertTiff2JPG - Instead, use ConvertToJPEG
  • SetChromFactor - Instead, use SetChrominanceFactor
  • SetDeleteORG - Instead, use SetDeleteOriginal.
  • SetLumFactor - Instead, use SetLuminanceFactor.
Imprint:
  • ImPrint - Instead, use the AnnotateImage action.
Invoice:
  • AllowOnlyChars - Instead, use the AllowOnlyCharacters action in the ValidationsAndTextAdjustments action library.
  • DoMsgbox - Functionality no longer supported.
  • Is_InCharSet - Instead use SetPictureCharacters and ApplyPictureString in the PictureCharacterValidation action library.
  • Is_JobName - Instead, use rrCompare("MyExpectedName", "@JOBNAME")
  • Is_JobNamePrefix - Instead, use rrCompareCaseLength("Main","@JOBNAME", "False", 4, "True")
  • IsChildFieldBlank - Instead, use rrCompare("@EMPTY", "@F\MyFieldToTest")
  • IsChildFieldValue - Instead, use rrCompare("Expected Value", "@F\MyFieldToTest")
  • IsCurrentObjValue - Instead, use rrCompare in the rrunner action library.
  • IsStationIDSuffix - Instead, use rrCompareCaseLength("-Test","@STATION", "False", 5, "False")
  • IsTaskName - Instead, use rrCompare("MyExpectedName", "@TASKNAME")
  • MovePDF - Instead, use the RenameFile action in the FileIO action library.
  • OpenConnection - Instead, use OpenConnection in Lookup.rrx.
  • ParseImageName - Instead, use the SplitFileName action in the FileIO action library.
  • SetToDocIDMPTIFF" - Instead, use rrSet("@APPPATH(export)+\+@ID+.tif","@F\FieldName.text")
Locate:
  • GoLeftWord - Instead, use the GoPreviousWord action in the Locate action library.
  • GoRightWord - Instead, use the GoNextWord action in the Locate action library.
  • GroupWordsLEFT - Instead, use the GroupPreviousWords action in the Locate action library.
  • GroupWordsRIGHT - Instead, use the GroupNextWords action in the Locate action library.
  • MergeWordLF - Instead, use the MergePreviousWord action in the Locate action library.
  • MergeWordRT - Instead, use the MergeNextWord action in the Locate action library.