Link to external document

Hi Thomas, thanks for asking here!

Firstly, both IEE and Aurena supports "direct links" for viewing documents, or for opening a document details or a document overview screen. I will not go into the details here though, so let's forget for the moment how those links look like.

Now, there are at least two ways we could store these links in Docman such that a user can "view" them, or really view whatever the link links to:

1. Check in a link/shortcut file (more on what this is below)
2. Use a macro in Docman

Both approaches will require a file to be checked in to Docman. Option 1 obviously requires the link file to be checked in. In option 2 we can keep the link in the file itself or in a field, custom or standard. But for the macro to run, there needs to be a file checked in. It can be an empty dummy file or it can actually contain the link (then it is very close to what we get with a link file).

So, what is a link file? Well, if you open a web browser (only tested in Chrome) and open a web page, there will be a small icon to the left of the address field. You can drag and drop that to your desktop, and it will create a .url file. If you open it it contains this:

[InternetShortcut]

URL=https://community.ifs.com/technology-all-about-the-nuts-and-bolts-that-make-it-work-50/link-to-external-document-1705

You can simply check in such a file (after enabling the URL file extension in IFS) and then "view" it. Voila! Both IEE and Aurena should be able to handle that, without any extra stuff.

The second option, to use a macro, will be more complex but also give more flexibility. With a macro you can keep the link wherever you want, since it will be the macro that opens the link. The link can be stored in a field or in the file, it does not matter. You can do whatever works best for you. Aurena supports macro nowadays, using the Aurena Agent (let's discuss that in another post), but it's an extra installation step of course. For IEE it works out of the box.

How does the file get checked in?

The link file, or dummy file, can either be checked in manually, or you can create it using a script, even from PL/SQL code in the database. Since it's just needs to be a simple text file, it can easily be made in that way.

Did I answer your questions?

/Mathias
 

Great answer @Mathias Dahl …

Not so elegant but just fyi : Another solution that I’m aware of, is to customize “Create New Document” dialog and allow to enter the URL in there instead of actually check-in a file. In the background a dummy file will be created.

Then use another RMB to open the document which will actually open the URL that was stored.

Great answer @Mathias Dahl …

 

Not so elegant but just fyi : Another solution that I’m aware of, is to customize “Create New Document” dialog and allow to enter the URL in there instead of actually check-in a file. In the background a dummy file will be created.

 

Then use another RMB to open the document which will actually open the URL that was stored.

 

Good idea! I don’t even think you need a customization for that. You can let the user use the Title field to enter the URL if it is not too long, after the title. Like this: My title - https://blablabla. A custom event will then take care of cutting the URL and placing it in a file. Something like that should work, I think. The devil is in the details though… :)

 

 

Hi Mathias

Is this functionality also available within IFS 9.13?

BR. Ole Dam