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25.2. Signature FAQs

This topic contains frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to signatures in LincDoc and LincDoc Mobile.

Note: If you have any suggestions for additional FAQ content, contact LincDoc Technical Support.

The following issues are described below:

What does it mean to "flatten" a document?
What does "locking a field" mean?
How do I ensure that fields are updated when tied to signature events?
How do save actions work?
What is the purpose of the Signer name field attribute?
Scenario: I created a form with a multi-stage signature workflow where other users fill out the form, submit it, and sign it. But when other users (or administrators) received the document via email (or retrieved the document using a search), why were their updated fields not displayed in the document?
Scenario: A field in my form is supposed to update to a new value when a signature is applied, but it doesn't look like any change has occurred when I view the document. What happened?
Scenario: A form was submitted and signed, but I (an administrator) need to make additional updates to some fields. However, the fields all appear to be read-only and I cannot update them. What happened?
Scenario: I filled out a form and submitted it, but the generated form doesn't show any available signature fields (or the field I expected to find is now missing). What went wrong?
Scenario: I'm using an iPad and I've accessed a previously signed form that has multi-stage signatures. I want to edit and sign the form, but I'm getting a warning message stating that no signature fields are present. How do I sign the form?

What does it mean to "flatten" a document?

Flattening a document disables the ability to update the document after it has been generated. Flattening can be implemented via any of the following methods:

The flatten generated PDFs? check box is selected on the Admin dialog box's eForm/Document Package tab.
A Word document is converted to a PDF file using the Output format drop-down list on the Admin dialog box's eForm/Document Package tab.
The flatten signatures action is used.
The signature field's Signature mode attribute is set to Image.

In addition, individual fields have an advanced attribute called Exempt from flattening, which can also be used to control flattening on a field-by-field basis. By default, this attribute is set to Never for signature fields, and the field is always flattened.

What does "locking a field" mean?

When using signatures, you can lock a field, which removes the ability to edit a field after a particular signature is applied. A signature field's Fields to lock attribute controls this behavior. When used, this attribute sets the selected fields to a read-only state when the form is viewed following submission.

Note: If a locked field contains a calculation, the calculation needs to have additional rules in place to disable it. Otherwise, the field can still be manipulated by the calculation (since it is only read-only).

How do I ensure that fields are updated when tied to signature events?

At times, a workflow will require a field to be updated when a signature-related event occurs (such as apply before signing, after signing, before declining, and after declining). To ensure that these updates occur as expected, you also need to perform the following steps:

Verify that the affected field's Exempt from flattening attribute is set to Never.
If you are using a "signature acceptance" event, the signature field that is controlling the related update must enable the field (the field must be selected) in the Fields to update when signing attribute.
If you are using a "signature decline" event, the signature field that is controlling the related update must enable the field (the field must be selected) in the Fields to update when declining attribute.

How do save actions work?

A form may be required to save at certain points during the data entry process. At these points, a save action event can occur on a specified field or at the form level (via buttons or events).

Important: You must have a repository configured to save the related data.

By default, a save action occurs when a user submits a form, signs a form, or declines a signature. In addition, it is a common practice to add a save button to the form (via the Actions tab). This button gives your users the option of saving their progress and returning to the form at a later time. Typically, a save button is accompanied by an email action to the current user, providing additional confirmation that the save took place as expected.

What is the purpose of the Signer name field attribute?

Signatures use the Signer name field attribute to determine who should sign the form when more than one signature is required. If the Signer name field attribute is assigned to a field that is blank, the signature will not be available for signing when a document is generated.

Scenario: I created a form with a multi-stage signature workflow where other users fill out the form, submit it, and sign it. But when other users (or administrators) received the document via email (or retrieved the document using a search), why were their updated fields not displayed in the document?

This scenario usually means the form has been flattened, and the newly generated document does not reflect any field changes that occurred after the flattening.

You should examine the following items to resolve this problem:

Verify that the flatten generated PDFs? check box is not selected (not checked) on the eForm/Document Package tab.
Was one of the source documents a Word document? If so, verify that it can be converted to a PDF source document. Otherwise, it will not work properly, since a Word document converted to a PDF is automatically flattened.
Open the form's Admin dialog box, click the Actions tab, and determine if the flattening signatures action has been used.

Scenario: A field in my form is supposed to update to a new value when a signature is applied, but it doesn't look like any change has occurred when I view the document. What happened?

Typically this issue is associated with the usage of the signature events defined on the form's Actions tab, which is not the recommended way to update a signature field.

If you want a specific signature to trigger a specific field action, it needs to be associated with one of the following four actions from the signature field's Actions and Buttons attribute:

Before applying signature
After signing
Before applying decline
After declining

Scenario: A form was submitted and signed, but I (an administrator) need to make additional updates to some fields. However, the fields all appear to be read-only and I cannot update them. What happened?

To remedy this situation, the form's administrator must access the eForm or Document Package and make sure that the appropriate Fields to lock attributes are locking the correct LincDoc fields.

Scenario: I filled out a form and submitted it, but the generated form doesn't show any available signature fields (or the field I expected to find is now missing). What went wrong?

Note: This scenario can occur in both the standard LincDoc application and when using LincDoc Mobile.

Signature fields that do not appear can be due to any of the following reasons:

A sign-able condition not being met.
The Signer name field attribute on the signature having a value of NULL.
The field to which the signature is assigned being empty.

Scenario: I'm using an iPad and I've accessed a previously signed form that has multi-stage signatures. I want to edit and sign the form, but I'm getting a warning message stating that no signature fields are present. How do I sign the form?

Usually when this problem occurs, the form is already fully signed, or there are signature fields that have already been flattened.

To prevent this problem from occurring:

Verify that the flatten generated PDFs? check box is not selected (not checked) on the eForm/Document Package tab.
Verify that a signature field's sign-able conditions are being met.
Confirm that there are unsigned signatures (that the form is not completely signed).
Confirm that there are signer name fields associated with the signatures, and that the signer name fields themselves are not empty (contain a value of NULL).

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