Files
- Introduction
- Uploading Files
- Downloading Files
- File Details
- File Versioning
- File Comments
- Checking Files In/Out
Introduction
The Files feature within OnePlace allows you to upload personal files that only you see, as well as shared files that your entire team has access to. You are able to track multiple versions of a file, or only track the latest version of a file (which saves storage space). You can also post comments on a file that your other teammates can see and respond to.
The Files tab within a workplace and project displays the files which have been uploaded and attached to the workplace or project (if you are drilled into a project). A file can be attached to a workplace, project, task or discussion. The screen shot below shows files that have been uploaded into a workplace.
Uploading Files
You can add (upload) a file by clicking the Add button. You can upload any type of file into OnePlace, provided the file doesn't exceed the maximum upload size of 100 MB, and you don't exceed the storage limits for the account you are uploading the image into. One important option to note when uploading a file is whether or not you want to track versions on the file. See below for more details on file versioning within OnePlace.
Downloading Files
There are several ways to download a file:
- Download File Action Icon - Hovering over the title of a file will cause a toolbar of action icons to appear. Click on the download file icon (disk icon) to download the file.
- Filename Link - Click on the filename link that is part of the details of the file (shown below each file title) to download the file.
- File Details View - If you click on the title of a file, you will navigate to a dedicated view of the file. One of the actions you can perform on the file is a "Download File" action.
File Details
After you have uploaded a file, if you click on the title of the file, you will navigate into the File Details page. This page provides access to a number of actions you can perform on the file, and allows you to manage the various versions of this file that have been uploaded. You can also view the comments that members of your team have made about the file, as well as leave comments of your own.
File Actions:
- Edit File - Edit properties of the file, such as the file title and description.
- Archive File - Move this file into the archive.
- Download File - Download the latest version of the file.
- Upload File - Upload a new version of the file. In the case where the file is not tracking versions, this will simply replace the existing version with a new version.
- Check File In/Out - Check out or check in a file, depending on whether you currently have the file checked out or not. See below for more details on checking out a file.
- Trash File - Move this file into the trash.
File Versioning
When you upload a new file, you are given the choice of whether or not you want OnePlace to keep track of multiple version of that file if you want to upload more versions later on. If you choose not to use file versioning on a file, OnePlace will only keep track of the latest version, and will delete the old version if you upload a new one. Which of the approaches you use it up to you. If you are conscious about file storage space, and don't need to access older versions, feel free to turn off file versioning for a file (you can always turn it back on later if you wish).
If a file is tracking versions, you will see a "Versions" panel on the File Details view. You can see this in the screenshot above. This panel will list each version of this file that has been uploaded by anyone on your team. Using this panel, you can download or remove a specific version, or edit the note for a specific version. Clicking on the version number for a specific version will pop up the "Add Comment" dialog pre-populated with "@Version # - ", which makes it easy to comment on a specific version of a file.
Note that if a file has only one version, you are not allowed to remove that version (a file must always have at least one version). If you wish to remove that version, you'll either need to upload another version first, or, change the file to not track versions, and then replace the existing version with a new version.
Uploading a New File Version
To upload a new version of a file, click the "Upload New Version" button that is in the header of the "Versions" panel. You will see the dialog below. This dialog allows you to select a file to upload, as well as to enter an optional note about the new version. You can also choose to notify workplace members about the new version from this dialog.
Not Tracking Versions
If you chose to not track versions for a file, the screen will look slightly different (see below). There is no "Versions" panel (the file always has a single version). If you click the "Upload/Replace File" button, a dialog will pop up allowing you to choose the file you want to upload, which will replace the existing file.
File Comments
OnePlace allows you to hold a conversation around a file using the "Comments" feature. Anyone in the workplace can comment on a file, and the conversation can be as long as it needs to be. The latest comment is at the top of the "Comments" panel, and the oldest comment is at the bottom (on the last page of comments).
To add a new comment to a file, simply click the "Add" button in the "Comments" panel header. A dialog will pop up (shown below):
Comments work much like discussions. You can quickly reply to someone else's comment by clicking on their name in a comment, or by hovering over a person's name and clicking the "@" icon that appears. You are also allowed to edit or remove your last comment provided that no one else has posted a comment since you posted yours.
When a new version of the file is uploaded, OnePlace will automatically insert a comment indicating that a new version was uploaded. This is a handy reference point to let you know when certain comments are made before or after a specific version was uploaded.
Subscribe/Unsubscribe to Comment Notifications
One nice thing about file comments, is that you can subscribe to be notified when new comments are posted on a file by other members of your team. To subscribe to comment notifications, click the "Subscribe" button in the "Comments" panel header. This will subscribe you to comment notifications on this file only. If you want to receive comment notifications for other files, you must subscribe to each of those files as well. To stop receiving comments notifications for a particular file, click the "Unsubscribe" button in the "Comments" panel header.
Comment notifications are like any other system notification, in that they are sent to a user's inbasket and/or email, depending on how that user has his/her user preferences specified.
Checking Files In/Out
OnePlace allows you to check out a file, which essentially locks the file and keeps other team members from uploading new versions of the file while you have it checked out.
The screen below shows how the "File Details" view looks when you have a file checked out. Note that the "Check Out" button in the "File Actions" panel has changed to a "Check In" button. Also, the "Upload New Version" button has been removed from the "Versions" panel.
When you check a file back in, OnePlace allows you to choose a new file to upload, which will create a new row in the "Versions" panel for the new file version. You can also choose not to upload a new file, which will simply release the lock you have on the file without creating a new version. You can also provide a check-in comment that gets sent as part of the the "New File Version" notification (if you chose to notify other workplace members that the file has been checked back in).
