Reference Settings

Reference Settings

Reference Settings are used to define and manage the reference numbers assigned to various entities within the system, such as workers, customers, placements, timesheets, and other records.
References can be generated either automatically by the system or entered manually by users when creating new records. The method used depends on the configuration defined for each reference type.
The Reference Settings page (Admin → Reference Settings) allows administrators to configure the format and behaviour of references throughout the system. Users can define how references are generated and specify the format that should be applied to each entity type.
By default, all reference types are configured for Automatic generation using the system's standard reference format.

Manual References

To enable Manual referencing for a specific entity type:
    Navigate to Admin → Reference Settings.
    Select the required reference type.
    Enable the Manual Reference option by selecting the corresponding checkbox.
    Enter the desired reference format or validation pattern in the Reference Format/Regex field.
    Click Save to apply the changes.
Once enabled, users will be able to enter references manually when creating or updating records, provided the entered value matches the configured format or regular expression.
To use manual referencing without defining a specific format, simply leave the "Reference Format" field empty - This will allow users to provide references in any format.

Reverting to Automatic Referencing

To re-enable automatic reference generation, clear the Manual Reference checkbox and click Save. The system will revert to automatic reference generation using the configured reference format.

Using a Custom Format with Automatic Referencing

Automatic reference generation can also be configured to use a custom format. To do this, enter the desired format in the Reference Format/Regex field and click Save.
Once saved, the system will automatically generate references for new records using the specified format. This allows organisations to maintain consistent reference numbering while following their own naming or numbering conventions.
The Reference Settings page follows a right-to-left configuration approach. When enabling manual referencing, users should first select the Manual Reference checkbox and then enter the desired format in the Reference Format/Regex field.
If a custom format is entered before the Manual Reference option is enabled, selecting the checkbox will reset the format field to its default state. In this scenario, the custom format will need to be entered again before saving the configuration.
To avoid losing any changes, always enable Manual Reference before defining a custom reference format.
The table below provides a reference guide to the formats and regular expression (Regex) patterns supported by each reference setting.
Reference Settings
Accepts
Doesn't Accept
Automatic
  • Default Format
  • Custom Format e.g., ABC001
  • Blank
  • String with non-alphanumeric characters e.g., 123
  • Any characters before or after the regex e.g., 123-^\d3$ or ^\d3$-123
  • String without digits i.e., text-based strings e.g., ABC
  • String with whitespaces e.g., ABC 123
  • Special Characters Only e.g., !£$%^&*/
Manual
  • Default Format e.g., W0000A
  • Custom Format (String) e.g., ABC123
  • Regex e.g., ^\d{3}-[a-z]\/\d{4}
  • Whitespaces e.g., ABC 123
  • Whitespaces Only
  • Special Characters e.g., abc&123
  • Can be left as blank (will accept any string as reference)
NA
API
Accepts any Format (String)
Currently no validation forced against format(s)
  • White spaces
  • Empty Characters
  • Cannot be Blank or Null
Data Import
Accepts any Format (String)
Currently no validation forced against format(s)
  • White spaces
  • Empty Characters
  • Cannot be Blank or Null
Manual Reference validation rules, including any configured regular expression (Regex) patterns, are only enforced when references are entered through the application user interface (UI).
References supplied through Data Imports or the API are not validated against the configured Regex pattern and may be submitted in any format.

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