Classroom preparation

1. Classroom preparation • Copy Portable Alfresco with Training database to client PCs • Copy documents from Sample folder to Desktop

2. User Introduction Paul Holmes-Higgin www.alfresco.org

3. Agenda • Getting Started with Alfresco • Advanced Alfresco User • Getting Started with Customization

4. Company Background • Founded by a team that has been building Enterprise Content Management Systems for 15 years • Open Source and Commercial visible source • Low-cost and widely available, but professional • Core development team based in UK • Contributors around the world

5. What is Alfresco • Centralized repository of content • Documents/content objects • Business objects • Services for managing and transforming content • Web-based client application • Microsoft Windows integration • Programmatic interfaces

6. What is Alfresco Repository/Services/Interfaces

7. Alfresco Web Client Toolbar Breadcrumb Shelf Header Detail Hover over an item for a hint of what it does

8. Alfresco Web Client - Toolbar Home spaces Hide/show Shelf Help Logout Search

9. Alfresco Web Client - Breadcrumb Path of parent spaces

10. Alfresco Web Client - Shelf Clipboard Recent spaces Shortcuts

11. Alfresco Web Client - Header Information Actions Other options

12. Alfresco Web Client - Details Click on link or icon does the same Page through more items Perform actions on item – hover for hint More actions available from popup menu

13. Working with Spaces and Content • Topics to be covered: • What is a Space? • What is Content? • Creating and editing content • Searching • Space Templates

14. What is a Space? • Just like a folder, but more • Can hold any type of content • Give a description and choose an icon • Add sub-spaces and content • Smart Spaces • Rules • Work with other users • Map to Windows network folder

15. What is Content? • Often can be thought of as a file or document • Made of two main elements • The “content” itself • Information about the content (meta-data) • Content • Anything: documents, video, audio, images, XML, HTML • Properties • Format, language, creator, dates • Classifications • Links to related content • Translations • Different formats (e.g. PDF, HTML, Text) • OCR’d text of scanned image

16. Creating and Editing Content • HTML or plain Text created and edited in-line • WYSIWYG editor in the browser • Upload content • Select file from user computer in the browser • Network folders, FTP and WebDAV • Download from Alfresco to user computer • Standard browser feature, choose where to save • Network folders, FTP and WebDAV • Update documents by uploading changed file • Edit Microsoft Office documents directly

17. Searching • Combined search of both contents and properties • Full-text search • Any words in content, regardless of format • Best-match based on number of matched words • Property constraints • By category • Between dates • Custom properties • Path constraints • Only content below a given space

18. Space Templates • Re-useable templates of spaces and content • Create a library of standard projects • Different types of projects have different structures • Standardized documents • Standardized management • Create a template in the same way as a space • Add sub-spaces and content • Create spaces based on other spaces

19. Working with Spaces and Content – Hands on • Login using jbloggs/jbloggs

20. Working with Spaces – hands on • Create a space named ‘Training’ using the Create Space action • Goes to Create Space page • Name is required (* marks required fields) • Description is optional but helpful • Choose an icon to help visually • Click ‘Create Space’ button to complete • Navigate into ‘Training’ • Click on ‘Training’ name or space icon • Notice that the breadcrumb shows the path of parent spaces • Create more spaces inside named ‘Documents’ and ‘Presentations’ • View details/properties of ‘Documents’ Space (header Action or View Details icon) • Shows details about the space • Use Next and Previous Item actions to cycle around the details of all the spaces in ‘Training’ • Click the ‘Modify’ icon in the top right of the Properties section • Change the description or icon

21. Working with Spaces – hands on • Navigate back to ‘Training’ using the breadcrumb • Change View to Icon and Details to see the differences • Sort spaces and content in the Details View • Click the down triangle against the Name column to sort it in reverse, click again to sort it alphabetically • Click box against another column to sort on it • Go back to Browse View and navigate to My Home • Go to the top link in the breadcrumb, or click ‘My Home’ in the toolbar • Notice that the ‘Documents’ folder can be navigated to directly

22. Working with the Shelf – hands on • Go to Company Home (toolbar), into ‘Guest Home’ and copy ‘Alfresco-Tutorial.pdf’ to Clipboard • Return to ‘Training’ (Recent Spaces or My Home) • Paste from Clipboard • Remove from Clipboard ( or Remove All) • Does not delete the actual item • Cut the just copied ‘Alfresco-Tutorial.pdf’ to the Clipboard • The content remains until pasted • Can cancel the cut by removing it from the Clipboard • The icon in the Clipboard indicates whether it was from a cut or copy • Paste from Clipboard to ‘Documents’ • Navigate into ‘Documents’ and paste from the Clipboard • Check it is no longer in ‘Training’ • It is automatically removed from the Clipboard

23. Working with the Shelf – hands on • In ‘Documents’, click its View Details • On the Actions… menu, choose ‘Create Shortcut’ • Adds link to space in the Shelf • Click the shortcut to navigate to the space view • On the ‘Alfresco-Tutorial.pdf’, View Details and from the Actions… menu, choose ‘Create Shortcut’ • Adds link to content details • Click ‘Close’ to return to ‘Documents’ • Click the shortcut to return to the details for ‘Alfresco-Tutorial.pdf’ • Select the Remove Item icon in the Shortcuts to remove a shortcut • Does not remove the item it is linked to • Recent spaces remembers the last 6 spaces you visited for quick navigation

24. Working with Content – hands on • Navigate to ‘Documents’ • View ‘Alfresco-Tutorial.pdf’ by clicking on its icon or name • If recognised by the browser then it is displayed directly in a new window • View its details using the View Details icon • Click the ‘Modify’ icon in the top right of the Properties section • Change the title and description • Click OK to save change, but stay in Details page • Download a file by clicking the icon in the properties section and choosing to save it your Windows Desktop • Close the Details view

25. Adding Content – hands on • In ‘Documents’ choose the Add Content action • Browse to ‘simple.html’ and upload, then click Next • When setting details of the upload, an option to make in-line editable • Only for HTML and textual content • Automatically turned on for html content • Check default details and click Finish • Check the document has been added to Alfresco by viewing it • Use Add Content to upload ‘myword.doc’ to the Training. • Notice that Alfresco extracts metadata, such as title, automatically • Click on ‘myword.doc’ in ‘Training’ • If it can not be viewed directly in the browser, it will prompt to save or open • IMPORTANT: Any edits made to a document through the open prompt are on a temporary file, and are not kept automatically by Alfresco, but may be saved using Save As if available

26. Creating and Editing Content – hands on • For HTML or plain text content • In the ‘More…’ menu for ‘Documents’, choose Create Content • Choose HTML content, then Next opens WYSIWYG editor • Add some content (go wild!) • Click Next to enter details – save as ‘simple.html’ • In-line editable is enabled by default for HTML • Turn it on for plain text if wanted • Either click Finish to complete, or click Next to see a summary of changes about to be made and then click Finish • Select the ‘Edit’ icon for ‘simple.html’ and make changes • As it is in-line editable you can use the WYSIWYG editor • Save the changes

27. Creating and Editing Content – hands on • Other content (if not in-line editable) • In ‘Training’, select the ‘Edit’ icon for ‘myword.doc’ • Follow instructions to download • Easiest is to right-click on the link and choose ‘Save link as…’ or ‘Save target as…’ • Choose where to save, such as the Desktop • Edit the file (MS Word or WordPad), make changes and save • Click the More Actions icon for ‘myword.doc’ in Alfresco and choose ‘Update’ • Browse to the Windows Desktop and select the recently changed ‘myword.doc’ and upload it • View the document in Alfresco to see the changes have been made

28. Searching – hands on • Quick Search from the Toolbar • Enter search text, e.g. ‘system’ (one or more words) • Will search all content • Wildcards - * for partial word match • Options to search on • Just content • Just content names • Just space names • Content and content names • Everything • Press enter to search or click icon in the Toolbar or options menu • Search results returned ordered on best match • Same options for views, use Details View to reorder results • View the Details of one of the matched results, then use Next and Previous Item to cycle through them • Close the search results using the Close Search action

29. Searching – hands on • Advanced Search from the Toolbar search options • Advanced options page • Search within a space, optionally its sub-spaces • Matches a given category, optionally sub-categories • Matches properties • Title, description, author • Within date ranges • Created, modified • Try restricting the search to ‘Documents’ • Click to specify a space • Defaults to current space • Click ‘Training’ to navigate into sub-spaces • Navigate into ‘Documents’ • Click OK to confirm selection • Note: click ‘Go Up’ to navigate to parent spaces • Clear all options using Reset All action

30. Advanced Space Wizard – hands on • Navigate to the ‘Training’ space • Create a space using the Advanced Space Wizard action in the header ‘Create…’ menu • From scratch • Similar to simple Create Space • Option to choose Space Type • Folder Space • Discussion Space’ • Based on existing Space • Choose a space • All content, sub-spaces and smart space information will be copied • Try creating a new space based on ‘Training’ • See that all the content has been copied too

31. Advanced Space Wizard – hands on • Based on a space template • Ensure you are in ‘Training’ • Choose the Software Engineering Project template • Name the new space ‘Project X’ • All content, sub-spaces and smart space information will be copied • Note: Create templates by hand • In the Company Home, Data Dictionary space • Just as if a normal space

32. Forums and Discussions • Forum spaces may be defined to contain Forums • Using Advanced Space Wizard ‘From Scratch’ • Forums may also be associated with spaces and content items • Using the “Start Discussion” action • Discussions move with the item • Forums contain Topics which contain Posts • Posts may have Replies • Searchable

33. Forum Hands-On • Go to the Samples space in Company Home • Go into Example Forums then General Discussion • Go into ‘Does the system do this?’ • Post a reply (green arrow) • Edit your reply • Go to the ‘myword.doc’ content you added earlier • Training > Documents • From its more actions menu select “Start Discussion” to open a new Forum • Add a topic

34. Managing Content • Topics to be covered: • Check in and check out • Versioning • Categories • Workflow • Network Folders

35. Check In and Check Out • Provides a way to lock the item so that no one else can work on it at the same time • Everyone else can just view the item • Check Out locks the item and creates a working copy which can be edited (content and details) • Check In replaces the original item with the working copy and releases the lock • Cancel check out will delete the working copy and release the lock, as if the check out had not happened • Discussions can be started on the working copy and get merged back in to the original on check in

36. Versioning • Allows a history of previous versions of an item to be kept • A new version is created when content is saved, by default • An item needs to be “versionable” for versions to be kept • Individually, via smart spaces, by type or globally • An example of an “aspect” • Can look at version history, view previous versions of content – future, revert to version

37. Categories • All content can be linked to one or more categories • Hierarchies – taxonomies - ontologies • Aids searching • Including sub-categories • Properties may be categories • Constrained set of allowed values • Editable by administrator

38. Workflow • Simple workflow • Approve or Reject steps • Choose name for the steps • Move or copy item to another space • Usually smart spaces • Part of a chain of workflow steps • Can be to someone else’s space • Workflows usually added by smart spaces • Can be done by hand for individual items

39. Network Drives • Allow access to content in Alfresco directly from Microsoft Windows • Controlled shared drive • Open as a Network Folder • Browse and use just like any other Windows folder • Add as shortcut on Windows Desktop • An Alfresco space appears as a Windows folder • Mount as a drive • Drag and Drop files into Alfresco • Edit content directly with other programs • Network folders can be smart spaces • Work off-line using Microsoft Briefcase

40. Working with content - Hands on • Login using provided jbloggs/jbloggs

41. Check In and Check Out – hands on • Go to ‘Documents’ and click the check out icon for ‘simple.html’ • Creates working copy • Locks original • Choose where you want the working copy to be kept – choose current space • Option to download the working copy for editing – not mandatory • Edit the working copy, make some changes and save • See who has checked out an item by hovering the mouse over the lock icon • If the lock has a key, you have the permission to be able to check it in or cancel the check out • Click the check in icon for the working copy • If you have been doing edits to the content from within Alfresco, choose to use the copy in the current space • If you downloaded the file to make changes, you need to upload the file to get the changes checked in • You may choose to check in the changes and keep the content checked out • Click ‘Check In’ to complete • The working copy will be made the current copy • The original will be deleted (if not versionable) • Cancel a check out using the ‘Undo Check Out’ action on the ‘more…’ actions on the working copy

42. Versioning – hands on • Go to the Details for ‘simple.html’ • Open the Version History section • If there is no version history already, click ‘Allow Versioning’ • Adds the “versionable” aspect to the item • Initial version is recorded • Click the ‘Check Out’ action in the Details header • A working copy is created • Edit, change and save the working copy • Check in the working copy • You have the additional option of recording a note about the new version, such as why changes were needed • Choose whether major or minor update: this affects the version number • Go to the Details page for the ‘simple.html’ and open the Version History section • Extra row that contains information about the version • Click the ‘View’ action for a particular version to view or download its content

43. Categories – hands on • Go to the Details for ‘simple.html’ • Open the Categories section • If there is not a category already, click ‘Allow Categorization’ • Adds the “categorizable” aspect to the item • Click the modify icon on the Categories section • Category picker behaves like the space picker • Click the ‘Software Document Classification’ category and navigate down to ‘Short Software Description’ (first option several deep) and select it, then click ‘Ok’ • Go to advanced search and search for the text ‘simple’ but only for categories ‘Software Descriptions’ and below

44. Network Drives – hands on • Go to the ‘Drafts’ space in Project X > Documentation • Click on the ‘Network Folder’ link • Opens Windows Explorer showing contents of Drafts as a Windows folder • Drag and drop ‘myword.doc’ from the Windows Desktop into the Drafts folder • In the browser, click on the ‘Drafts’ space to refresh the page in Alfresco • ‘myword.doc’ will appear • Double-click ‘myword.doc’ in the Drafts network folder to edit it • Make changes to it in MS Word or WordPad and save it • View document in Alfresco through the browser • Modified content is in Alfresco • Go to the Details page for ‘myword.doc’ in Alfresco • Workflow has been added because Drafts is a smart space • New version will have been created if versionable • Create a Briefcase and drag documents from the network folder • Go offline, work on document, then synchronize when online again • Create shortcut to Network folder on Windows Desktop • Drag folder icon from Explorer address bar • Go up one folder level, right-click folder and choose ‘Send to>Desktop’

45. Advanced Users • Topics to be covered: • Content Model and Aspects • Collaborative Working • Content Actions • Rules • Presentation Templates • FTP & WebDAV

46. Content Model and Aspects • Content model • Specialized types of content • E.g. invoice, policy, client report • Additional properties and associations • Hierarchical with inheritance • Aspects • Can be added to anything • Optional or mandatory • May add extra properties or processes • Dublin Core • Versionable • Categorizable

47. Collaborative Working • Spaces are normally readable by everyone but only modifiable by the owner • Depends on how Alfresco is configured, so can be different! • Possible to make spaces private, so others can not read them • Invite users into a space and give them a “role” • Users can be associated with a group (Professional Network) • Invite a group with a given role • Do not need to change invite when new users added to group • The role determines what they are allowed to do in the space • Readers, reviewers, approvers, editors • New roles can be configured • An email notification can be sent to the invited users • Control of permissions can be at the content item level

48. Collaborative Working • Space “roles” • Permission groups • Consumer • Read spaces and content • Editor • Consumer + update content, edit properties • Contributor • Consumer + add new content, update content, edit properties • Collaborator • Editor + Contributor • Coordinator • Full Control • Invite others, take ownership of content in space

49. Content Roles • Roles may be applied to individual content items • Users may be invited to content items using the “Manage Content Users” action • As usual, Consumer role is the default for all users • When “Inherit Parent Space Permissions” is not selected • Uninvited users cannot see the content item • Only invited users may see it, and may access it according to their assigned role

50. Consumer Role on Content Item • May READ content item • Content • Content Properties • May also • Copy • Preview in template