Finding & Opening Documents

WhatsDocs offers powerful retrieval tools tailored for business professionals: searching your firm's central cloud archive with multi-attribute filtering, inspecting offline working files in the Local Workspace, instant UDIN lookup, and smart open protection.

1. Search the Central Cloud Archive (Open Document)

Click Open Document in the Retrieve group on the ribbon to open the comprehensive central document browser:

Search & Filter Features

Keyword Search: Search across document titles, UDINs, client names, and categories instantly.
Multi-Attribute Filters: Narrow results by Client, Document Category, Fiscal Year, Project, Task, and Team Allocation.
View Modes: Toggle between Table View, Card View, and Folder Hierarchy to inspect documents in your preferred layout.
Actions: Open, Download, Preview (Word/Excel HTML previews), View Version History, Duplicate, or Assign documents directly.

2. Local Workspace Browser (Offline-Capable)

Click Local Workspace under the Retrieve group to view files stored on your local computer in Documents\WhatsDocs\:

Why Use the Local Workspace?

Instant Offline Access: View and open active working drafts even when disconnected from the internet.
Sync Visibility: See at a glance which documents are Synchronized, Local Modified, or Local Only.
Folder Integration: Click Open Folder to jump straight to the physical repository directory in Windows Explorer.

3. Open by UDIN (Instant Lookup)

If a client, partner, or auditor references a Unique Document Identification Number (e.g. 25260042):

Steps

Click By UDIN
In the Retrieve group on the ribbon.
Enter the UDIN
Type the 8-digit identification number.
Instant Document Launch
WhatsDocs resolves the record, downloads the latest attachment, and launches it in the matching Office application immediately.

4. Smart Open & Window Activation Protection

WhatsDocs includes intelligent validation to protect your work and prevent duplicate file collisions:

Smart Open Sequence:

1. Active Window Check: If the requested document is already open in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, WhatsDocs brings that window to the front instead of opening a duplicate instance.
2. Preserve Local Edits: If your local file contains unsynchronized changes (Local Modified), WhatsDocs reopens your local file so you never lose typing.
3. Read-Only Protection: If a document has been marked completed, WhatsDocs opens it in native read-only mode to prevent accidental tampering.

5. Understanding Sync Status Badges

The WhatsDocs task pane header displays a real-time status badge reflecting the document's synchronization state:

Badge	Status	Business Meaning
🟢 Green	Synchronized	The local file matches the latest confirmed version on the central cloud server.
🔵 Blue	Local Modified	You have saved changes locally (`Ctrl+S`) that have not yet been published to the cloud archive via Update to WhatsDocs.
🟡 Yellow	Local Only	The document is profiled locally as a pending record and has not yet received its initial file upload.
⏳ Animated	Sync In Progress	File bytes are currently being uploaded to the cloud repository.
🔴 Red	Sync Failed	The last cloud upload encountered a network error. Your local work is safe and ready for retry.
⚠️ Orange	Conflict	Another user updated the server record after your local baseline was established. Use the conflict prompt to Overwrite or Cancel.

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