Chapter 6. Collaborative tools

Table of Contents

6.1. Managing a forum
6.1.1. Creating a forum
6.1.2. Editing a forum
6.1.3. Managing topics
6.1.4. Participating to a topic
6.1.5. Moderating a topic
6.2. Commenting a document
6.2.1. Reading the comments of a document
6.2.2. Adding comments on a document
6.2.3. Replying to a comment
6.2.4. Deleting comments on a document
6.3. Searching users
6.3.1. Finding a user
6.3.2. Finding a group
6.4. Getting informed
6.4.1. Emails
6.4.2. Notifications
6.4.3. RSS and Atom feeds

Along with the document management features, Nuxeo DM integrates collaborative tools that enable teamwork, sharing and communication between contributors.

6.1. Managing a forum

A forum is a discussion space in which users can talk together. A forum is organized around different topics, in which users can add comments. Topics and comments are displayed in threads.

As for workspaces and sections, the access to a forum is defined by access rights. Forum access rights are the same as workspace access rights. However, in the case of a moderated topic, some users are declared "moderators" and are in charge of the approval of the topic content.

6.1.1. Creating a forum

Only users with writing or management rights can create a forum.

You can only create forums in workspaces.

To create a forum:

  1. In a workspace, click on the New document button.

  2. In the window Available Document Types, click on Forum.

  3. Fill in the creation form.

    Field Description 
    TitleType the name of the forum.
    DescriptionType a text explaining the purpose of the forum.
  4. Click on the Create button.

    The forum is created. You can now create topics to start discussing.

6.1.2. Editing a forum

Only users with writing or management rights can edit a forum.

When you edit a forum, you modify its title and its description.

To edit a forum:

  1. On the forum, click on the Edit tab.

  2. Modify the title or the description of the forum. You can also add a comment explaining what you edited on the forum.

  3. Click on the Save button.

    The modifications are saved and the Forum tab is displayed.

6.1.3. Managing topics

Only users with writing or management rights in a forum can manage its topics.

Topics are subjects of discussion, in which users can post comments to participate.

The access to topics is determined by the same access rights as in a workspace.

6.1.3.1. Adding a new topic

To add a new topic in a forum:

  1. In the Forum tab of the forum, click on the New Topic button.

  2. Fill in the creation form.

    Field Description 
    Topic title

    Type the title of the topic.

    Topic descriptionType a text explaining what the topic is about.
    Moderation

    A topic can be moderated, that is to say that the content needs to be approved in order to be available to forum readers.

    • If you want the topic's content to be available without preliminary approval, check No.

    • If you want the content to be approved, check Yes. Then, in the Moderators list part of the form, type a username in the search field. In the search results displayed in the first blue area, click on the Add to selection link corresponding to the users you want to be moderators.

  3. Click on the Create button.

    The Topic tab of the topic is displayed, with the form to add a first comment on the topic.

The list of the topics available in a forum is displayed in a table in the Forum tab.

6.1.3.2. Deleting a topic

Deleting a topic means deleting its content as well.

Important

When you delete a topic, it is definitively erased from the application.

To delete a topic:

  1. In the Forum tab of the forum, select the topic you want to delete by checking the corresponding box.

  2. Click on the Delete button.

    A confirmation window pops up.

  3. Click on the OK button.

    The topic is erased from the application.

6.1.4. Participating to a topic

To participate to a topic, you can add comments in it. The other users will be able to answer your comment.

6.1.4.1. Adding a comment to a topic

Yo must have at least writing rights to add comments on a topic.

You can attach a file to your comment, that users will be able to consult. The attached file of a comment cannot be modified or removed afterwards.

To add a comment to a topic:

  1. Click on the Topic tab of the topic.

    If the topic is empty, the form to add a comment is automatically displayed in the Topic tab.
  2. Click on the Add button to display the form to add a comment.

  3. Fill in the comment form.

    Field Description 
    TitleType the subject of your comment.
    CommentType the content of your comment.
    Attach a fileSelect the Upload button and click on the Browse button to select the file you want to attach to your comment.
  4. Click on the Add button.

    The comment is displayed in the Topic tab.

    • If the topic is not moderated, the comment has the status "Published" and all the users with access rights to the forum can read it.

    • If the topic is moderated, the comment has the status "Waiting for approval" and is not available in the topic. A moderator is notified that you added a comment and he or she needs to approve it so that the comment becomes available for all forum users.

      Tip

      If you are the moderator of the topic, your comment is automatically published.

6.1.4.2. Replying to a comment

Yo must have at least writing rights to reply to comments in a topic.

When a comment has been added, you can reply to it. The answer is inserted right after the comment it replies to.

To reply to a comment:

  1. In the Topic tab, click on the Reply link displayed top right corner of the comment you want to reply to.

    The reply form is displayed under the comment.

  2. Fill in the form.

    Field Description 
    TitleThe title field is automatically filled in and is of the following form: "Re: Title of the comment".
    ContentType the content of your reply.
    Attach a fileSelect the Upload button and click on the Browse button to select the file you want to attach to your reply.
  3. Click on the Add button.

    The reply is inserted after the comment it replies to.

    • If the topic is not moderated, the reply has the status "Published" and all the users with access rights to the forum can read it.

    • If the topic is moderated, the reply has the status "Waiting for approval" and is not available in the topic. A moderator is notified that you added a reply and he or she needs to approve it so that the reply is available for all forum users.

      Tip

      If you are the moderator of the topic, your reply is automatically published.

6.1.4.3. Deleting a comment

Only the comment's author and the topic moderators can delete comments.

To delete a comment in a topic:

  1. Open the topic.

  2. Click on the Delete link located in the top right corner of the comment to delete.

    The comment is immediately and permanently deleted.

6.1.5. Moderating a topic

When a user creates a topic, he or she decides if the topic is moderated or not. Moderation is a process that makes comments available to moderators only when they are created, until they approve or reject the pending comments. Approval is thus mandatory to make comments available for other forum users.

When a user creates a moderated topic, he appoints users to manage comments on the topic. Only these moderators can approve or reject pending comments.

Moderators can see if there are comments pending in the forum tab. The number of comments waiting for approval is indicated for each topic of the forum.

6.1.5.1. Approving a comment

Approving a comment means to publish it in the thread and make it available for all forum users.

To approve a comment:

  1. Open the topic that has pending comments.

    The pending comments have the status "Waiting for approval".

  2. Click on the Approve link in the top right corner of the pending comment.

    The comment's status is "Published". It is now available to all forum readers.

6.1.5.2. Rejecting a comment

Rejecting a comment means that you make the comment permanently unavailable for forum users.

To reject a comment:

  1. Open the topic that has pending comments.

    The pending comments have the status "Waiting for approval".

  2. Click on the Reject link in the top right corner of the pending comment.

    The comment's status is "Rejected". It is now permanently unavailable.

6.2. Commenting a document

You can add comments on the documents. Comments enable users to discuss about the document and its evolution.

Comments are attached to the document in the workspace. When the document is published, comments are not published with it.

6.2.1. Reading the comments of a document

You must have at least reading rights to read the comments of a document.

To read the comments of the document, click on the Comments tab.

6.2.2. Adding comments on a document

You must have at least reading rights to add comments on documents.

To add a comment on a document:

  1. Click on the Comments tab of the document.

  2. Click on the Add a comment link.

    A form to add a comment is displayed.

  3. In the text area, type your comment.

  4. Click on the Add button.

    The comment is displayed in the Comments tab. Users can now reply to your comment.

6.2.3. Replying to a comment

You must have at least reading rights to reply to comments on documents.

When you want to react to a comment, you can reply to it.

To reply to a comment:

  1. Click on the Reply link on the comment.

    A form is displayed under the comment.

  2. Type your comment in the text area.

  3. Click on the Add button.

    The answer is inserted after the comment it replies to.

6.2.4. Deleting comments on a document

Only the author of the comment and users with management rights can delete the comments of a document.

Important

Deleting a comment is a permanent action.

To delete a comment:

  1. Click on the Comments tab of the document.

  2. Click on the Delete link displayed in the top right corner of the comment.

    The comment is immediately erased.

6.3. Searching users

Nuxeo DM includes directories in which all users are registered. Any user can search the different directories to find the contact informations of a site member. Users account can be created by hand in the directories, or can be imported into Nuxeo DM directories from a LDAP or another type of directory.

There are two directories:

  • the member directory that contains all site members,

  • the group directory that contains the existing groups and their members.

6.3.1. Finding a user

To find a user and consult his or her directory card:

  1. Click on Users & groups in the page header.

    The user directory open on a search form.

  2. Type the user's username, first name or last name in the search box.

  3. Click on the Search button.

    The results are displayed in a table.

  4. Click on the user's username to consult his or her card.

6.3.2. Finding a group

To make rights management easier, the site administrator can create groups of users. Thus, you can give access rights to a whole group instead of to each group member individually.

You can consult the card of group, to see which users are members of the group.

To consult the card of a group:

  1. Click on Users & groups in the page header.

    The user directory is displayed.

  2. Click on the Groups tab.

  3. Type the group name in the search box displayed in the Group tab and click on the Search button.

    The results are displayed in a table.

  4. Click on the group name to see its members.

6.4. Getting informed

Nuxeo DM includes several ways to stay informed of the evolution of the Nuxeo DM site's content:

  • you can send punctual emails to users to let them know about an action on a document,

  • you can subscribe to notifications,

  • you can subscribe to RSS and Atom feeds.

6.4.1. Emails

You can send occasional emails to users. Emails are available on documents only.

You must have at least reading rights to send emails.

To send an email to a user or a group of users:

  1. On the document, click on the icon, located at the right of the breadcrumb trail section, next to the Print icon.

    The email creation form is displayed.

  2. Type the name of the user or group you want to send the email to, in the search box.

    Tip

    The search is automatically done as you type the name of the user or group.

  3. Click on the Add to selection link corresponding to the users or groups whose subscriptions you want to manage.

    They are displayed in your selection.

  4. Type the subject and the content of your email.

  5. Click on the Send button.

    The email is send to the selected users or groups. The Summary tab of the document is displayed.

6.4.2. Notifications

Notifications are emails automatically sent to users when an event occurs in a space. Notifications are available in every space of the application and on documents. Users can subscribe to notifications and spaces' managers can subscribe users to notifications.

There are five notifications:

  • modification: the user receives an email every time the space or its content is edited;

  • workflow changed: the user receives an email for each action that happens during a review (start, abandon, document approval, document rejection);

  • Approval workflow started: the user receives an email every time an approval workflow is started;

  • Comments moderation: the user receives an email when a comment is approved on a site.

  • publish: the user receives an email when a document is published in the specified section.

Publish notification is only available in sections. The other notifications are available in workspaces.

6.4.2.1. Subscribing to notifications

You must have at least reading rights to subscribe to notifications.

To subscribe to notifications:

  1. In the space, click on the My Subscriptions tab.

  2. Click on the Subscribe button corresponding to the notification you want to subscribe to.

    A green check mark is displayed in front of the notification you have subscribed to and an Unsubscribe button is displayed instead of the Subscribe button.

Tip

If the workspace or section manager subscribed you to a notification, the notification is already checked.

The notifications subscribed for a group are indicated in the My Subscriptions tab of users as inherited subscriptions.

6.4.2.2. Unsubscribing from notifications

You must have at least reading rights to unsubscribe from notifications.

You cannot unsubscribe from notifications subscribed for your group.

To unsubscribe from notifications:

  1. In the space, click on the My Subscriptions tab.

  2. Click on the Unsubscribe button corresponding to the notification you want to unsubscribe from.

    A button Subscribe is displayed instead of the Unsubscribe button.

6.4.2.3. Managing subscriptions

Only users with management rights can manage the users' subscriptions.

Users with management rights can see the subscriptions users have signed up to. They can also subscribe users or groups to subscriptions or unsubscribe them.

To manage subscriptions:

  1. In the space, click on the Manage tab.

  2. Click on the Subscriptions sub-tab.

    The lists of users subscribed to each notification type is displayed above a subscription form.

  3. Type the name of a user or a group in the search box.

    The users or groups matching the letters types are displayed as you type.

  4. Click on the user or group you want to subscribe to a notification.

    The user or group is displayed on the right of the search box.

  5. Select the action you want to do (Subscribe or Unsubscribe) and the notification concerned.

  6. Click on the Register button.

    The modifications are displayed in the list of subscriptions.

6.4.3. RSS and Atom feeds

All users can subscribe to RSS and Atom feeds.

RSS and Atom feeds are web syndication formats that enable users to consult the last modified documents of a space without having to go on the site by means of RSS and Atom readers.

RSS and Atom feeds are available in:

  • domains,

  • workspaces,

  • sections,

  • folders,

  • forums.

Tip

FireFox 2.0.3 integrates a RSS and Atom reader. You can thus use the RSS and Atom feeds to create a list of dynamic bookmarks.

To subscribe to RSS or Atom feeds:

  1. In your browser, click on the icon.

    A page with XML code is displayed.

  2. Copy the URL of the page.

  3. In your RSS and Atom reader, create a new RSS feed.

  4. Paste the feed's URL in the appropriate field and validate the feed creation.

    The RSS reader should ask for your Nuxeo DM username and password, as the access to Nuxeo DM is limited to authenticated users.

  5. Type your username and your password and validate the feed creation.

    The content of the space is now displayed in your RSS feed and automatically updated.