Your question is better than it's title which may make for less responses.
To many "Template" questions mean "I don't want your expertise, I want you
to find where somebody else has already done a database just like I want"
Implicit in your question is that you are going to do a database entry for
each item filed. Presumably you also want uniqueness.....i.e. a one-one-one
linkage between documents and records.
We do that, although only about 30% of our filing systems merit that type of
data entry work.
What this is about is the ability to search, sort and filter by a wide range
of criteria, but you still need to physically "file" by one method.
The record must include where it is to be filed, and, of course, it must be
clear on the document where it is to be (re) filed. You don't need a
conceptually perfect filing system, just one that you follow consistently.
And each document will need to have a unique identifier and it should be
marked on the document (in pencil or removal sheet/note if necessary to
preserve the original.) Make this your PK (Primary Key) Could be just the
usual autonumber or.....
We combine the two. The first 8 digits (9 characters) of the unique
identifier are the date of the document, in a fashion for sorting by date.
7/21/09 becomes 2009-0721. Follow this by a suffix so that you can have
multiple unique numbers for the same date. This can be -1,-2,-3 etc. or
-01, -02, -03. We use navy time for the time that it was entered so nobody
has to think about "takin out" a number. A 7/21/09 filed at 1:15 PM gets
a number of 2009-0721-1315. And it's filed by that #.
Then put a filed in for a description of the document. Then put in fields
any other attributes that you want to search, filter or sort by. Make and
follow rules for entry in those latter fields; use dropdown boxes to
complete them where possible.
