Configure linked documents

Some files in the Office Maker and BiblioMaker programs allow you to create a link between a record and an external document stored on a hard disk or file server. This external document can be of any type, such as a PDF, Excel or Word file, an image, a website address (URL), a folder, etc.

Examples:

• In OM Business, an Item record is linked to a leaflet describing the product.
• In OM Finance, an Account record is linked to a bank statement.
• In OM Staff, an Employee record is linked to a curriculum vitae.

The paperclip symbol at the bottom of the screen gives access to the link management dialog box.

More info about managing linked documents 

The Linked documents configuration dialog box in Maintenance is as follows:

Main folder field: if you wish to require all users to save linked documents in a single folder (rather than on their own workstations, which would make them inaccessible to other users), set the folder path here. Use the button with the folder icon to navigate the disk hierarchy and select the desired folder.

Notice : if several users work in parallel with the software, it is imperative that the storage folder for linked documents is located on a file server accessible to all users.

Shared volumes table : This table establishes a correspondence between access paths on Mac and Windows. Indeed, the syntax of these paths differs between the two platforms: on the Mac, it will be of type Server:Folder:File whereas on Windows, it will be of type Drive letter\Folder\File. This correspondence is essential if you're working with a client-server version of the software in a mixed network, with Mac and Windows client workstations.

Each line in the table represents a remotely accessible volume. Above the table, buttons allow you to add, modify or delete mappings. Modifying or deleting mappings has no effect on physical volumes, which will not be renamed or deleted as a result of changes made in this dialog.

Linked documents table: Displays the paths to the folders containing the linked documents found in the database. Click on the button in the top right-hand corner of the table to fill it in. Each row of the table is made up of three columns:

• Path : path to folder containing linked document(s)
• Folder : folder containing linked document(s)
• Number of links : number of records in the database referring to linked documents in the folder

Caution : a change in the table is immediately reflected in the database records linked to the documents in the files mentioned here; it cannot be undone. This is why it is important to pay close attention to these modifications, to avoid any input errors that could render linked documents inaccessible.

The "Pencil" button is designed to replace one value with another, for example if a folder has been renamed or related documents have been moved to another folder. This button behaves differently depending on whether or not a table row has been previously selected:

• If a table row has been selected: a dialog is displayed, allowing you to replace the selected path by another. The "Arrow" button copies the folder path into the Replace with field.
• If no table rows have been selected: a dialog containing the Search and Replace with fields is displayed. It replaces all occurrences of a character string with another character string in all rows of the table. This command is powerful, but also potentially dangerous and should be used with care to avoid unwanted replacements.

Cogwheel : At the bottom of the dialog, the Cogwheel menu offers various commands: Search linked records creates a selection of records linked to external documents in the files concerned, Verify links ensures that links between records and external documents are valid (if documents are hosted on a server, this must be connected), Coherence check checks the syntax of access paths and Regenerate corrects them.