Linking Computer Files To Work Session Records
Data File Link records are used to link a computer file to a database record, such as a Work Session
record,
and to all of that database record's parent records .
Data File Link records hold a lot of useful,
memorable,
and searchable information about the file they're linked to.
It's because of this information that it's typically possible to locate any computer file in less
than 30
seconds by using a simple keyword search, where the keywords have nothing to do with the file's name
or its
location on a storage device.
The keywords you'll use for a search will typically come from whatever you can remember about the
contents of
that file, or anything else that was important to know about the linked file.
The file linking process explained below shows you how to link computer files to a Work Session
record, but
this same process can be used to link them to Idea, Task, Subtask, or Note records too.
When you click the New Data File Link hyperlink (image below) in any window that displays it,
you'll see windows and dialog boxes similar to the ones shown in the instructions below,
and as I've already mentioned, the linking process will be the same as what's being taught below.
Linking Computer Files to a Work Session using the Work Session Window
To link a computer file to a Work Session record first open the Work Session record in the Work
Session
Window .
Then on the left hand side of the window click the New Data File Link hyperlink.
When you click this hyperlink, a File Navigator dialog box, like the one shown below will be
displayed.
You use this dialog box to navigate to the folder containing the file(s) you want to link to the
database
record.
After you've found the files, use your mouse to select them, and then click the Open button to link
them .
If
you're just linking one file, then all you have to do is double click anywhere on its entry.
The dialog box will close and then the Linked File Description dialog box gets
displayed.
That dialog box asks you for a description about the files being linked.
Type as much text as you need to, to record whatever you think would be important for someone to know
about
the linked file(s).
It will primarily be the text in your description that's used to match keyword searches in the
future, that
are looking for the linked file(s).
Click the OK button to record the description in the Data File Link record.
The Data File Link records for each of the files you selected for linking, will all use this same
description .
It's possible to change the record's description later, but that's not shown here.
After the Linked File Description dialog box closes, the Import Files dialog box will
open.
This dialog box is asking you if you want the selected files copied to the project's Project folder,
and then
have the database files link to those copies.
Or, if you want the link to be on the original files .
Answer Yes to import the files into the project
folder,
or No to link to the original source files.
Answering Yes is normally the best idea because the software has tools that make it very easy to
backup and
restore the contents of the Project folder .
Also, those files will remain in the Project folder,
whereas you
can never be too sure as to what can happen to the original files.
After you make your decision, the dialog box closes and you return to the Work Session Window . That
window
will be displaying a message telling you how many files it linked to the record . Also, the window's
Data
Files field value will increase by the number of files linked.
Displaying The Data File Link Records The Work Session Owns
If you want to see all the Data File Link records the Work Session record owns, which will include
the ones
you just linked, then click on the Display Data File Links hyperlink on the left hand side of the
window.
The Work Session's Data File Links Index window will open and it'll be displaying all the files the
Work
Session is linked to .
Beneath that list of files is a Search panel that you can use to search for linked
files, if the list is large.
If you want to load and display the contents of a particular computer file, then just double click
anywhere
on the file's record entry in the list .
The software that's used to work with that type of computer file
will be loaded and it'll load and display the file for you.
In the image below, the Windows Photo Viewer software is used to display image files, and it's
displaying the
image that is linked to by the above Data File Link record.