4.4: Adding Files

Files can be copied into the collection by dragging and dropping. The mouse pointer becomes a ghost of the selected item (or, if more than one is selected, the number of them). Drop the selection into the Collection Tree to copy the files there (if the source was the Workspace Tree) or move them around within the collection (if the source was the Collection Tree).

When copying multiple files, they are all placed in the target folder at the same level, irrespective of the folder structure they occupied originally. When you copy a second file with the same name into the same folder, you are asked whether to overwrite the first one. Respond "No" and the file will not be copied, but the others will be. To cancel all remaining copy actions, click the "Stop" button.

Only the "highest" items in a selection are moved. A folder is higher than its children. You cannot select files within a folder and also the folder itself.

When you add a file, the Librarian Interface searches through the source folders for auxiliary files containing metadata previously assigned to the added file and, if it finds one, begins to import this metadata. As the operation proceeds, you may be prompted (perhaps several times) for extra information to match the imported metadata to the metadata sets in your collection. This process involves many different prompts, described in the Importing Previously Assigned Metadata section. For a more detailed explanation of associating metadata with files read Chapter 2 of the Greenstone Developer's Guide -- Getting the most out of your documents.

You can also add a "dummy" document to the collection by right-clicking in the Collection Tree or on a folder, and selecting "New dummy document". This will create a new empty file to which metadata can be assigned. The file can be replaced with a "real" file later on.