Handling Documents
Right clicking on a file pops-up a command menu enabling you to manage the document.
Open document
Files can be opened directly from Fred by clicking the “Open” command or by double clicking the file. The file will be downloaded to a local copy and opened with the corresponding application.
Document metadata
See 15 Handling metadata
Move document
By simple drag and drop you can move files to any location in the tree. Notice that you need to have the appropriate rights to execute a move. You need at minimum file creation rights in the receiving folder and file deletion rights in the originating parent folder.
Copy Document
Copying files in Fred will make a copy on the desktop clip board. You can paste the document to any application on your desktop.
A second way for copying files is to drag and drop from the Fred window onto another application window (ex. Explorer, Word document, an e-mail …).
Copy a file link
Provided that the receiving users have access to the Alfresco repository, it is more appropriate not to copy the file into an e-mail communication but to copy a link to the document using “Copy Link address”, by right clicking on the file. This avoids the multiplication of identical information in the organization.
Copy a Fred Link
This action copies a link which will open up a new tab in the Fred application which will have the folder highlighted in the detail pane.
Mail as attachment
“Mail as attachment” allows you to send a document as attachment by email, directly from Fred.
The document will automatically appear as an attachment in a new email.
Send document link via Email
“Mail as Link” allows you to mail a link to a certain file or folder in Fred. Provided the receiving party has access rights, clicking the link will open the Alfresco Browser and show the file/folder and its content. By doing so, you will avoid multiplication of documents.
Rename file
To rename a file, click “Rename”.
Or push the F2 key
Or one can click once on the highlighted file.
Enter the new name of the file and push Enter.
Delete files
To delete a file click
“Delete”
. If you do not have the appropriate
rights, this command will be disabled.
You can delete a selection of multiple files.
You will be able to restore the file by clicking on ‘Window\Recycle Bin’. See 19.2 Recycle bin
Refresh metadata
The metadata in the columns in the details pane or in the metadata pane are metadata of the specific time when you visited this content. If another user has updated the metadata, this will be updated in your view the next time you refresh the folder content (see 11.1 Refresh) or in the metadata pane when you reselect the document. You can enforce a refresh of the metadata by clicking “Refresh” or F5 on the folder or the file.
Locking, Check-out and check-in documents
Locking a document will prevent others to upload new versions of the document. Users will still be able to preview and download the document.
Check-out and check-in are two important functions in a Document Management System (DMS):
Check-Out: you are locking the document for other users and make a “Working Copy” of the document to be edited. The users will still be able to open the locked document, but they will not be able to modify the document on the Alfresco server. You will be able to modify the “Working Copy” of the document
Check-in: when you have finished the modifications on the document, you can check-in the document into the original document. This will update the original document, remove the “Working Copy” and unlock the original document. Now the document is again available to others for modification.
Edit offline
The edit offline command combines a Check-Out and the download/opening of the working copy.
The Edit Offline command in Fred will:
Lock the document
Create a working copy
of the original documentDownload that working copy to your local drive
Open the working copy for editing.
The working copy is copied to a Fred folder on your local hard drive. This folder is defined in settings (repository tab) of Fred.
After editing the document you can simply save the local working copy of the document without indicating where you are saving the document.
When you want to continue working on the working copy after you have closed the local copy, you can reopen the local copy by double clicking the working copy in Fred or by clicking the “Open” command.
You do not need to drag and drop or upload the working copy to Fred. With the “Update Main Document” command you will:
Upload the local working copy to Alfresco
Update the master (locked) document with the new edited document
Unlock the master document
With the Discard Changes command you will be able to unlock the main document and remove the working copy including any changes you have applied to the document.
Pushing metadata from the Alfresco server into Office documents
Fred enables you to write Alfresco metadata values to metadata fields in office documents (MS Office, Open Office). Changing metadata values in Alfresco will change the value in the related metadata field in the document. Prerequisite is that the naming of the metadata field in the document template are the same as in the Alfresco document model.
You can create a document template which uses metadata fields to create the content. Using the above described mechanism, one can further automate/assist the creation of documents. Some examples: creation of a corporate document reference number, meeting date, meeting subject, …
Take contact with your Fred IT team to configure this functionality at the server side.
Word Add-in
It is possible to download and install a Fred Word Add-in. This Add-in shows you all the business metadata which is pushed from Alfresco into the document.
Convert to PDF
The Convert to PDF command is available for MS Office documents and converts the document into a PDF version using the MS Office application on your desktop.
A PDF version of the document is made available on Alfresco in the same folder.
Preview document
There are multiple options to preview a document:
Flash preview as provided by Alfresco Share including the formatting of the document
Image preview of the first page
Text preview without formatting. The text is selectable.
Html preview for outlook email files.
The administrator can determine per document type what the default preview is. When browsing through a list of documents, one will get the default preview of that document.
Within the navigation tab and the search tab, you can configure to have the preview at the right or at the bottom of the details pane.
Clicking the “Preview” in the file menu will open the preview of the document in a separate tab.
This command will not be enabled when no preview of a document is available. Contact your administrator to enable previews for specific document types in Alfresco.
Enable versioning
Versioning of a document can be activated through the Fred interface. By default, a document is not versionable in the Alfresco repository.
When uploading the same document (same name) you will be asked to upload a new version or to cancel uploading. You can specify if the new version is a minor or major version and provide comments on the new version.
Show version history
Once a document is made “versionable”, the command “Show Version History” becomes available.
With this command you can see the list of all versions of the document. Every version can be opened individually. You cannot upload documents in this list.
You can revert an older version of the document to the most recent version. This will create a new version.
Compare WORD documents
You can compare two version of a WORD document. When selecting two version of a specific WORD document, the Compare Version command will be enabled.
The Compare versions command will download both version and use the WORD application on your desktop to compare the two versions.
Show File in Alfresco browser
The “Show in Browser” command enables you to jump from the Fred window to the Alfresco Web interface. This enables you to view more file details and use all functionalities available in Alfresco.
File permissions
Similar as to Folder permissions, you can read and set permissions on files.
See “11.14 Folder permissions” for more information.
Multi document functionality
Some commands in the file menu are available when you select multiple folders: “Open”, “Edit Offline”, “Copy”, “Cut”, “Copy Link Address”, “Mail as attachment”, “Mail as Link”, “Show in Browser”, “Delete”, “Properties”, for all the selected documents.
Using shortcuts
A full list of the shortcuts available:
Ctrl+C= Copy file/folder
Ctrl+X= Cut file/folder
Ctrl+V= Paste file/folder
Ctrl+A= Select All
Ctrl+Q= Quit application
Ctrl+F= Quick search in Fred
Ctrl+T= Add new tab
Ctrl+A= Select all objects in the detail navigation pane or in the details search pane
Del= Delete file/folder
F2= Rename file/folder
Backspace= Previous menu
Alt+arrow left= Go to previous menu or submenu
Alt+arrow right= Go to next menu or submenu