Browser gadget
Information valid from AMI version 8.0 initial release
Summary
The Browser gadget is a navigation tool for structure objects. It lets you select the current object to work with, and also lets you add new objects, copy objects, link and unlink objects, reorder child objects, and move objects from one structure point to another.
When the gadget first opens it shows tabs labelled with the names of structure types (e.g. Events, Lists, etc.). The range of structure types displayed is set in the Workspace Editor.
Selecting a tab shows all that structure type's root level objects. Those with child objects have an arrow icon in front of them. Selecting one of these arrows 'opens' the object and displays its children. If the Browser gadget is configured as the main browser, selecting an object's name selects that object as the current context, updates other gadgets. The current context is highlighted.
Selection Mode
By default the Browser gadget lets you only select a single object at a time, and that object becomes AMI's current object. However, the gadget can be configured to display a checkbox in front of every object, and these allow you to make a multiple selection without changing the current object. If no checkboxes are ticked, commands such as Copy or Link will apply to the current, highlighted object. If even one object's checkbox is ticked though, the commands will apply to those objects instead.
Drag and Drop Features
By default the Browser gadget does not allow objects to be dragged around the tree structure with the mouse. However, the gadget can be configured to enable drag-and-drop mode. This allows you to perform some object actions by dragging the objects:
- You can drag objects to reorder them within the current parent object, or move them to another parent.
- Hovering an object over another object briefly will open the object if it contains children.
- Dropping an object on top of another object will attempt to move the dropped object in to that object.
- Dropping an object on to the bin will attempt to unlink that object.
Workspaces with Multiple Browsers
Workspaces can contain more than one Browser gadget. When a workspace contains multiple browsers, only one of them can be used to select the current context. The other browsers can be used to select objects for actions like copy and paste.
Although only one browser at a time can act as the 'main' browser, the user can change which browser performs this role by clicking the icon in the gadget's header.
Favourites
The Browser gadget can be configured to show a star icon to the left of every object. This icon works in conjunction with the Favourites lists defined in the Favourites gadget. You can click the star icons to add objects to Favourites lists.
If there are no Favourites lists defined in the Favourites gadget, then selecting the star icon will bring up a prompt to create a new list, and then add the object to that list. If there is more than one Favourites list, then selecting a star will bring up a dropdown showing the available Favourites lists, as well as the option to add a new list. However, if there is only one Favourites list defined, then selecting a star icon will just add that object to the list, as a one-click operation.
Browser gadgets must have Show Favourites Icons enabled to show star icons.
Gadget Action Menu Items
Copy
Copies the currently selected objects to the clipboard allowing them to be pasted into both this and other Gadgets.
Paste Link...
Pastes the objects from the front page of the clipboard, linking them at the currently selected structure point. Selecting this menu item displays the Paste Object dialog.
Paste Duplicate...
Similar to the Paste option, but it creates duplicates of the objects on the front page of the clipboard, inserting them at the currently selected structure point. Selecting this menu item displays the Paste Duplicate dialog.
If there are any globally unique attributes to the object, this operation would normally fail because those unique attributes would need to be duplicated. To avoid this problem you can specify a Unique Prefix and/or Suffix to be added to the values of such attributes. If, for example, the attribute 'SKU Code' is globally unique, and you entered "xxx" in the Unique Prefix field, then the SKU "ABC123" would be duplicated as "xxxABC123."
Add to List...
This item is only enabled when the user has selected one or more objects. It brings up a dialog with two dropdown controls. The first shows all the top level List structures; the second shows all the child objects of the List selected in the first control. Clicking the Okay button adds copies of the selected objects into that List child object.
Add to Previous List
Like 'Add to List...', but it automatically uses the same List object as before.
Run Asset Linking now...
Asset structures only. Runs the scheduled Asset Linking rules for objects at this structure point and below. See Asset Linking.
Add Object
Allows the user to create a brand new object, linking it at the currently selected structure point. Selecting this menu item displays the Add Object dialog.
Add Root Object
Allows the user to create a brand new 'root'-level object, linking it as a child of the currently-open structure. Selecting this menu item displays the Add Root Object dialog.
Reorder Children
Allows the user to re-order the child objects of the currently selected object. Selecting this menu item displays the Reorder Child Objects dialog. You can choose attribute values to display from the Show Details menu.
Synchronise Children...
Synchronise the child objects of some or all of the instances of the selected object.
Move
Allows the user to move the selected objects to a new structure point. Selecting this menu item displays the Move Object dialog.
Unlink
Unlinks the currently selected objects, moving them to the Bin. Selecting this menu item displays a standard confirmation dialog.
Delete
Removes all instances of the selected object from all locations in the structure. Be very careful when using this feature as it cannot be undone.
Empty Bin
Removes all objects in the selected bin, except for those that are the last instance of that object. Last instance objects can only be removed using the Delete feature.
Add Comment
Allows the user to add a new comment to the selected objects and optionally email a notification to others.
Access Rights
Shows user access permissions for the selected object. You can also change these permissions.
- Inherit—access rights come from the group above
- View—may open an object to see its data
- Edit—may change an object
- Delete—may completely remove an object from Agility
- Unlink—may put an instance of an object into a structure's BIN
- Allow Link To—may make other objects a child of this object
- Allow Link From—may make this object a child of another object
- Change Access Control—may alter the access rights of the object
See the Principles ~ Access Rights article for further information.
Structure Options
- Index for search—whether this structure is indexed for enhanced searching
- Index objects in the bin—whether instances of objects in the bin are indexed
- Index objects in the doc structure—whether instances of objects in the documents structure are indexed
- Enable near real-time delta indexing—whether changes (deltas) in the structure are processed as soon as they take place. If this is not enabled then changes will only be reindexed when the entire structure is reindexed
- Event is complete—flags the event as complete, which can be used to exclude it from Browsers with the Show Completed Events option. By default, objects in completed events are not indexed when they change. This option is not available outside of the Events structure.
Set Root Context
Makes the browser gadget treat the currently-selected object as the 'root' object of the structure. The browser will not display any objects outside of the selected root object, which can help to speed up navigation when working with a small subset of objects. This setting is saved between sessions.
Clear Root Context
If a root context is set, this menu option clears that setting and refreshes the browser structure to show all the objects which were previously hidden.
Set Default Context
Sets the currently-selected object to be the default context for this user. This setting is saved between sessions, and this context will be loaded by default whenever the user logs in or refreshes the browser.
Clear Default Context
If a default context has been set using the menu option above, this menu option removes it.
Disable/Enable Selection Checkboxes
Hides or shows the checkboxes to the left of each object.
Options
Brings up the Options dialog (see below).
Refresh
Refreshes the currently selected object only. Other objects are not refreshed, even if they have been opened up to show their children. If no object is highlighted, this command has no effect at all.
Gadget Options
Show Bin
Should the Bin object be visible underneath the document root?
Show Documents
Should the Document sub-structure be visible underneath the document root?
Show Completed Events
Should events flagged as completed be visible in the browser?
Object Name Prefix Attribute
Specify either the attribute definition ID or name of the attribute to prefix to objects if the gadget's Show Object Name Prefix When Set option is enabled in the workspace.
If Object Name Prefix Attribute is not set in the gadget it will use the workspace's definition for Object Name Prefix Attribute.
Sort Objects in the Bin using:
Allows a different sort order to be selected for objects displayed in the bin.
- Default—leaves objects in their standard order.
- Modification Date—sorts the most recently modified objects to the top of the list.
- Object Name—sorts by the alphabetic order of object names.
- Object Type—sorts by the alphabetic order of object type names.
Invert Bin Sort Order
Inverts the sorting applied by the previous sort order when checked.