Virtual Folders
Virtual Folders (VF) allows you to control electronic documents within iSite and share these with external users.
From this page you can:
- Add Folders
- Organise Folders
- Manage Documents
- Search for Documents
Opening Screen
The page that opens when you click on Virtual Folders (VF) contains a list of folders and an area for viewing folders and documents.
Folders
A folder is a container in which one or many documents can be stored and linked so that they can be more easily organised.
VF contains two types of folders:
- The main folder, labelled ‘Virtual Folders’, is the centre from which all other folders can be accessed.
- From the main folder you can create and access parent folders, these are sub-folders of the main folder.
Virtual Folders shows you a list of all available folders; from here you are able to access your folders and documents.
Add a Folder
To add a folder right click on ‘Virtual Folders’ or click the 'Add folder' button; this will generate the option to ‘Add folder’ as shown below.
Clicking on this will open the box shown below. You will then be able to enter the name of the folder e.g. Reports. Clicking ‘Add’ will add the folder as a sub-folder of the main VF. Clicking ‘Cancel’ will close the box and return you to the main page.
Once you have added the folder it will generate the toaster (pop-up) shown below to confirm that it has been added successfully.
Organise Folders
To organise your folders, right click on the folder that you wish to organise. This will generate the drop down menu shown below.
Remove Folder
The ‘Remove folder’ option will allow you to delete the highlighted folder*. Before permanently deleting the folder, iSite will ask you to confirm that you wish to delete it by opening the box shown below.
Clicking ‘Confirm’ will remove the folder. Clicking ‘Cancel’ will return you to the main page.
Rename Folder
‘Rename folder’ allows you to change the name of the highlighted folder; clicking this option will open the box shown below. After changing the name you can click ‘Rename’ to save the change or click ‘Cancel’ to return the main page without saving.
Set Security
Set security allows you to manage which users can access and make changes to a particular folder; clicking on this option will open the box shown below.
From here you can manage which users can access a particular virtual folder. To select a user click on ‘Search contacts’ and start typing in the name of a contact; this will generate a drop down menu from which you can select the required contact. Once you have selected a contact they will be added to the list as shown below.
From here you can select what type of access the user will have:
Full – Gives the user full access to the library allowing them to view all aspects and make changes. Selecting this option automatically highlights view.
View – Allows the user to view the library; if this is the only option selected then they will be able to see the library but not make any changes to it.
None – Selecting this option gives the user no form of access to the library; they will not even be able to view it.
In the example shown below Jack Hays has been given full access rights, Joseph Winsor has been given the ability to view the document but not make any changes to it, and Nathan Astley has been prevented from accessing the library. In this scenario the set security table would appear as shown below.
By default; if an individual user has not been given access to the folder then they will not be able to see it. If a user doesn’t have access to a document in the DMS then they will not be able to access it in VF, even if they have access to the folder in which in the document in stored.
Download Folder as Zip File
Download folder as zip file allows you to condense the folder and download the folder onto your own PC; from here you can access the documents offline.
Share Folder Internal
When you have created a virtual folder you have the ability to share the content with anyone else that has access to the site. This could for example, be a template folder which can be shared between all people in your team.
To do so, create the folder in your virtual folders.
Right click on the folder and click set security (As shown below)
This will open a new window offering you the choice to,
Select who from the contacts you would like to share the virtual folder with. You can then offer full access which will also mean that person can add documents to the virtual folder or view only, which means they can only look at documents and not add any new ones to it.
Doing this will automatically make the new folder appear in the added persons virtual folder list.
Share Folder Externally
Share folder allows you to share a folder with an external user for a set period of time.
This can be used when sharing drawings, or documentation that may be required to be filled in by third party users that do not have access. Any documents that have been put in this folder will be shared and the third party user will be able to access them. Once the time & date has passed they will no longer have access. Should new documents be added during this sharing period the user would also have access to these documents.
To share a folder, right click on the folder you would like to share and click on "Share folder"
Clicking on this will open the box shown below.
- Clicking on the
symbol will open a calendar and allow you to select an end date for access to the virtual folder.
- Clicking on the
symbol will generate a drop down menu of different times and allow you to select an end time for access to the virtual folder.
The end date and time will then be displayed in the Expiry Date box.
- To share a folder with an external user, enter their email address into the E-mails box.
- You can share the folder with multiple people at the same time by putting a comma(,) between their email addresses, for example, matt.brigs@123.com,peter.sims@321.com
- Clicking on ‘Share’ will share the folder with the person(s) whose email address(es) you have entered
- clicking on ‘Cancel’ will return you to the main page.
The users that have been added to the sharing folder will be sent an email explaining the folder address (Via hyper-link) and how long they have access until.
Clicking on the link will take the user to a holding site where all content of the folder will be available to them.
A history of who the folder has been shared with is available by right clicking on the folder in your virtual folder and selecting "Share folder".
Clicking on "End Session" will terminate the current sharing privileges with immediate effect and anyone that had access to the folder will have their access revoked.
Managing Documents
To manage documents in VF right click on the document within the results table that you wish to alter; this will generate the drop down menu shown below.
Replace Document
The Replace Document function allows you to replace the current document with a different version. Selecting this option will open the box shown below.
Clicking on ‘Upload document’ will open a link to the documents on your computer; from here you will be able to select a document to replace the current document.
You may wish to enter a version number for the selected document. For example, if you had revised a document and wanted to upload a new version you could name it ‘Version 2’ so that other users knew there had been a change to the document.
Clicking ‘Replace’ will replace the current document with the new version. Clicking ‘Cancel’ will return you to the folder.
Whilst replacing the document the loading bar shown below will appear in the top right corner of your screen. During this time you can carry out other tasks in VF but navigating away from VF will cancel the replacement.
Once the document has been uploaded it will display the toaster shown below to inform you that the document has been uploaded successfully.
Check Out Documents
Checking out a document gives you the opportunity to work on the document whilst stopping others from making changes to it. For example, the document may need to be updated but to stop two people from doing the same work, the document can be checked out so only one user can work on it until it is checked back in. Clicking on this option will open the following box asking you to confirm that you wish to check out the document. Clicking ‘Confirm’ will check out the document in your name, clicking ‘Cancel’ will return you to the document overview.
You can see whether or not a document has been checked out by looking at the document record table. To do this, find the document that you wish to view and scroll across the information until you find the column header labelled ‘Checked out by’. If the document has been checked out the name of the user who has the document will appear under this heading; if the document is not checked out then the field will be blank. The example below shows that the document ‘Analysis’ has been checked out by the user ‘Kayley’.
Check in Documents
When you have finished working on the document and are ready to check it in, right click on the document and it will generate the drop down menu shown below. This menu contains additional items associated with check in.
Selecting ‘Check in document’ will open the box shown below.
Clicking on ‘Upload document’ will open a link to the documents on your computer; from here you will be able to select a document to replace the current document.
You may wish to enter a version number for the selected document. For example, if you had revised a document and wanted to upload a new version you could name it ‘Version 0.2’ so that other users knew there had been a change to the document. If no changes have been made to the document then the version number will not be updated.
You will also be able to add comments about the document by filling in the ‘Comments’ text box.
Clicking ‘Check in’ will replace the current document with the new version and allow other users to access the document and make further changes to it. Clicking ‘Cancel’ will return you to the folder; the document will still be checked out in your name so other users will be unable to make changes to it until it is checked in.
During check in the loading bar shown below will appear in the top right corner of your screen. During this time you can carry out other tasks in VF but navigating away from VF will cancel the check in.
When the document has been uploaded it will display the toaster shown below to inform you that the document has been uploaded successfully.
Once the document has been checked in, the document record table will update and the column ‘Checked out by’ will now be blank indicating to other users that the document is available. The ‘Version history’ column will be updated to the most recent version and the ‘Publisher’ column will update with the details of the user who checked in the document. The ‘Last modified’, ‘File size’ and ‘Previous version count’ columns will also be updated.
Undo Check Out
‘Undo check out’ allows you to check in the document without making any changes to it or changing the version. Selecting this option will open the box shown below. Before checking the document back in, iSite will ask you to confirm your selection. Clicking on ‘Confirm’ will check the document in, and allow other users to access the document and make further changes to it. Clicking ‘Cancel’ will return you to the folder; the document will still be checked out in your name so other users will be unable to make changes to it until it is checked in.
Remove Check in Lock
Users with the appropriate admin rights will be able to remove the check in locks from documents; this means that they can force a document to be checked in without prior permission of the user who checked it out. The document will be checked in as the same version as when it was checked out and will then be available to be edited by other users. Selecting this option will open the box shown below.
Clicking on ‘Confirm’ will check the document in, and allow other users to access the document and make changes to it. Clicking ‘Cancel’ will return you to the folder; the document will still be checked out in the user’s name.
Copy Document
Copy document allows you to place a copy of the document in another folder; all copies are linked so that changes made to one version of the document will be mirrored in the other version. Selecting this option will open the box shown below.
From here you will be able to select which folder you would like to copy the document to; you can select as many folders as you require and after selecting the chosen folder will be highlighted. To deselect a folder, click on the folder again and this will remove the highlight. Selecting ‘Copy’ will make a separate copy of the document in all highlighted folders; selecting ‘Cancel’ will return you to the folder without making any copies of the document.
Once a document has been copied it will display the toaster shown below to inform you that the document has been copied successfully.
Recycle Document
Within the DMS Document functions dropdown the option to “Move to Recycle Bin” is available (controlled by security).
This moves the document to a security-controlled folder out of view of the end users. Within this folder all documents will display in the same way as the DMS but with only the function to restore back to its original location.
Manage Links
To see links associated with the document select ‘Manage links’; this will open the box shown below. Links already associated with the document are shown under ‘Existing Links’, these may have been added when the document was first uploaded. Here you can add a link to the document in the same way as you would when first uploading the document; search for the record under ‘Search Records’ and then select the record that you wish to link it to.
To delete all existing links click or the red cross
to delete the existing links individually. The link between the document and the user who uploaded the document cannot be deleted - this link is shown in italics.
Click ‘Save’ to save your selection or click the red cross to delete the record link. After clicking ‘Save’ it will generate a toaster to inform you that the links have successfully been added, as shown below.
Change Document Owner
Change document owner allows you to change who owns the document; selecting this option will open the box shown below. To change the owner of the document, search for the name of the user that you wish to change it to and select them. Clicking ‘Save’ will change the document owner to the user that you have selected; clicking on ‘Cancel’ will return you to the folder without changing the owner. Changing the document owner will update the information in the document record table to show the name of the current owner.
Once the owner has been changed it will display the toaster shown below to inform that the document owner has successfully been changed.
Send by Email
Send by email allows you to send the document to colleagues; this can be sent by either a link to the document on iSite or as an attachment in the email. Selecting this option will open the box shown below.
To add recipients to your email, search for users and select them from the drop down list. The user will then appear as a recipient; to delete the user from the recipient list click the red cross next to their name. You can also choose to add a mailing group, to do this rather than searching for an individual, you would search for the name of the mailing group, for example "Analyst group" this would add everyone that is associated with the mailing group.
You will be unable to send the email to users who do not have an email listed in their contact information; in the drop down list they will appear in faded grey and you will be unable to select them as a recipient option.
You can add a subject and a message just as you would do in a typical email.
The email will automatically include a link to the document on iSite which the recipient will then be able to open or save. To send the document as an attachment select the tick box ‘Send document in attachment’.
Click ‘Send’ to send the document to all recipients, or click ‘Cancel’ to return to the folder.
Once the document has been sent it will generate a toaster to inform you that the document has been sent successfully.
Document Properties
Document properties allows you to see which users have interacted with the document either by downloading it or emailing it to other users.
Details show the current document name and version number. You can use the icon to change the document name or version number.
Mailing List provides information about when the document has been emailed to other users.
Readership provides information about which users have downloaded the document.
Comments shows all of the comments that have been added about the document. It will show the comment, the name of the user that made the comment and the date on which it was made; it also specifies which version of the document about which the comment was made. To add a comment to the document, type it into the comments box highlighted above. When you are ready to submit the comment click on the button.
Related documents allows you to add a link to related documents in the DMS; it also shows you a list of the documents that have already been linked to the current document.
To add a related document click on the ‘Search records’ field and begin to type in the name of the document; this will generate a drop down list of all of the documents that you have access to. Select a document and the name will appear under the search records field. If you wish to add more related documents repeat the process, all of your selected links will appear under the search records field. To save the links click ‘Save’; the documents will then appear under ‘Existing Links’. To remove a link click the red cross next to the document. To remove all of the links click ‘Clear’.
Existing links shows you all of the documents that are related to the current document. You can only delete a link from existing links if the link was made from the current document; you cannot delete a link if it was made from another document. In the example shown below you would be able to delete the link to Analysis.docx by clicking the red cross next to the document. However, you would be unable to delete the link to Desert.jpg because it was made from another document; to delete this link you would need to go to the document where the link was originally made and delete it from there.
Links can only be added or changed by users who have appropriate permissions to edit the library; those who are only able to view the document will be unable to add or change links.
When a document is uploaded through Questionnaire it is assigned a Category; this can be viewed from the Categories tab of document properties. An example is shown below.
For more information on this function, see Prequalification.
Once you have finished viewing the document properties, click ‘Close’ to return to the folder.
Add Document to Virtual Folder
Add document to virtual folder allows you to add the document to another virtual folder. Selecting this option opens the box shown below.
In the search bar, type in the name of the virtual folder that you wish to add the document to and select it. Click ‘Add’ to add the document to the virtual folder, click ‘Cancel’ to return to the library.
Remove Document from Virtual Folder
This option allows you to remove a document from a VF; clicking on it will open the box shown below.
Clicking ‘Confirm’ will remove the document from the VF, clicking on ‘Cancel’ will close the box without removing the document.
Download Document
Download Document allows you to download the selected document to your PC; clicking on this option will open the popup shown below allowing you to open, save or cancel the document download.
Folder & Document Record Table
The folder & document record table allows you to view all folders and documents associated with the highlighted folder. From here you can view information about the document by looking under the column headers on the same line as the document. Column headers include:
Field |
Type |
Title |
Shows the name of the document |
File type |
Shows the document file type |
Checked out by |
Shows which users, if any, have checked out the document |
Version |
Shows which version of the document is currently on the system |
Created by |
Shows the user who first created the document |
Published by |
Shows the user who last published the document |
Last modified |
Shows the date on which the document was last changed |
File size |
Shows the size of the document |
Previous version count |
Shows how many versions have previously been uploaded to the system |
Owner |
Shows the current owner of the document |
Search Items in the Folder & Document Record Table
To search for items in the library & document view area click the button next to the column header. For example, if you wanted to filter by Title you could click the
button next to Title.
This will generate the drop down menu shown below; from here you will be able to use a more advanced filter to narrow down your search.
Use the drop down menus to define your search. For example, you may wish to search for a document that starts with the letter A AND contains the word ‘project’; in this case you would fill in the search filter as shown below.
Clicking on ‘Clear’ will take you back to the folder, clicking on ‘Filter’ will apply your search criteria and generate the results in the record table.
You can also sort items by grouping them; to do this drag the column header that you wish to group by into the blue box above the columns. This will then sort the documents into groups defined by the column header, an example is shown below. I chose to sort the document by file type so dragged it into the blue box above the columns, as you can see the documents have now been grouped by file type.
To change the order that the documents are displayed in click the column header that you wish to organise by. Clicking once will arrange them in alphabetical order defined by the information in that column; an example is shown below.
Clicking the column header for a second time will arrange the documents in reverse alphabetical order as shown below.
Clicking the column header for a third time will return the documents to displaying in the original order.
Functional Buttons
- 2.
- Custom filters allows you to conduct a more detailed search of the VF. Clicking on this button will open the box shown below.
- The full screen toggle allows you to expand VF to a full screen; clicking this button for a second time will reduce VF back to normal view.
Custom Filters
Custom filters allow you to make more detailed searches of the DMS. These are expandable & collapsible using the filter symbol. Clicking on this will open the search box shown below.
To apply a filter select an option from the drop down noted by “Select a Filter”. This will provide a list of options by which to narrow down your search. The option selected will determine which further search criteria can be specified; these are detailed below.
Filter Type |
Options |
Text |
Equal, is not equal, in, not in, begins with, doesn’t begin with, contains, doesn’t contain, ends with, doesn’t end with, is empty, is not empty, is null, is not null |
Numerical |
Equal, is not equal, in, not in, greater, greater or equal, less, less or equal, between, null, is not null |
Drop Down |
In, not in, is null, is not null |
Date |
Equal, is not equal, greater, greater or equal, less, less or equal, between, null, is not null |
Multiple rules can be added to build an advanced set of filters.
There are two options for adding filters:
Add Rule - A single rule is added to the set of filters as shown below. The rules are either applied as an AND or an OR filter based on the option in the top left corner of the box.
Add Group - A new sub group of rules is added to the list of filters as shown in the box below. Further rules can be added to the group or a further sub group using the buttons which appear at the top of the subsection.
Individual rules can be deleted by clicking the cross next to the rule. Rules can also be copied by clicking on the
button next to the rule, this will create a duplicate rule in the space below. Groups can be deleted by clicking the ‘Delete’ button above the group you wish to delete.
If you wish to start again, click the clear button to clear the filter.
Once you have finished creating your custom filter, click ‘Apply’ to search the library; the results will be populated in the main library & document viewing area.
Saving & Loading Filters
Once you have created a filter you will have the option to save it for future use. To do this you can click on the ‘Save’ button or on the ‘Save As’ button
. Clicking on the ‘Save As’ button will open the box shown below. You may wish to save filters if they are particularly complex, saving the filter will make it easier to search for the same criteria at a later date.
From here you will be able to give your filter a title and a description so that you can find it at a later date. To save the filter click on ‘Save filter’; to cancel saving the filter click on ‘Close’ and this will return you to the custom filter search.
To use a previously saved filter click on the ‘Load’ button ,this will open the box shown below.
From here you will be able to select a filter to use. Click on the filter that you wish to apply and then click ‘Select Filter’; this will populate the search criteria in the custom filter box and allow you to apply it to your selected folder.
You can search for a filter using the button next to each search criteria. For example, if you wanted to filter by Name you would click the
button next to the Name column header.
Clicking this will open the drop down menu shown below.
To delete a saved filter click on the ‘Delete’ button next to the filter.