User guide

v.4.0

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• Personal documents
• Personal documents sharing
• Group documents
• Folders and subfolders
• Drop box
• Search
• Delete documents
• Online edition
• Virtual drive
• PDF conversion
• Public access
• RSS access
• Podcasting
• Remote servers
• Links between a document and a contact

Personal documents

1. Add a document (upload) [top]
   Select a level in the folders hierarchy and click on File upload in the right part of the screen. Click on Browse to select the file on your computer.

   You can send several documents (up to 5) in a single operation. There is a progress bar for the upload.

   The upload time of a file depends on the file size and on your connection speed. Don't close the pop-up window; it will automatically close when uploading is done.

2. Description [top]
   Each document can have its own description. Click on Actions, enter a description and click on Save.
3. Edit a document [top]
   To edit a document, you must first download it on your computer, make the necessary changes, delete or rename the current document on the Web and replace it with the new version by uploading it.

   You can simplify all this by using a virtual drive.

4. Download a document [top]
   Click on the document name or select Download in the Actions menu of the document.

   Each time the document is downloaded (using the Web interface or the virtual drive), the download counter is updated. You can view it by clicking on Actions.

5. Rename a document [top]
   Select Rename in the Actions menu of the document.
6. Move a document [top]
   Select Move in the Actions menu of the document. Then select the destination folder. The document will be moved and disappear from the current folder.
7. Copy a document [top]
   Select Copy in the Actions menu of the document. Then select the destination folder. The document will be copied to this other folder and the original file will remain in the current folder.

Personal documents sharing

1. Default access rights [top]
   
   • View documents: yourself (can be changed).
   • Edit documents: yourself (can be changed).
   • Add documents: yourself (can be changed).
   • Delete documents: yourself (can be changed).
2. Allow someone to view a single document [top]
   You must first allow the person to view the folder containing the document: to do so, click on Access next to the folder name (the root folder name is your own name) and tick the boxes in the View folder column. Note: if the folder is contained into other folders (root folder included), these folders have to be visible as well! At this point, only the folder is visible: no content inside it is visible.

   Then click on Actions next to the document and choose Access. Tick the boxes in the Download document column.

3. Allow someone to edit a single document [top]
   Editing a document means editing the document data (name and path) but not the file contents.

   In the Actions menu of the document, click on Access and tick the boxes in the Edit document column.

4. Allow someone to add documents [top]
   Click on Access next to the folder name and tick the boxes in the Add documents column.

   Note: Ticked persons are also allowed to create subfolders and upload documents in these.

   Note: Each folder has its own access rights. You can easily apply the same rights to all subfolders by ticking Apply this setting to all subfolders of. Be aware that if you edit the main folder rights later on, you'll have to apply to all subfolders again.

5. Allow someone to delete documents [top]
   Note: This right applies to all visible documents and subfolders in the current folder: don't give it to anyone.

   Click on Access next to the folder name and tick the boxes in the Delete documents column.

   Note: Each folder has its own access rights. You can easily apply the same rights to all subfolders by ticking Apply this setting to all subfolders of. Be aware that if you edit the main folder rights later on, you'll have to apply to all subfolders again.

Group documents

1. Access to group documents [top]
   Select the group name in the second pull-down menu (the default value is "Private") or click on View in the menu bar and then on "Group Nameofthegroup".
2. Default access rights [top]
   
   • View documents: all group members (can be changed).
   • Edit a document: document creator (can be changed).
   • Add documents: group administrator (can be changed).
   • Delete documents: group administrator (can be changed).

   Note: in the group environment, all folders can always be viewed by all members (cannot be changed). This does not mean that all documents can always be viewed by all members: each document has its own access rights.

3. Add a group document [top]
   Note: You can add content in the current folder only if the group administrator has allowed you to.

   Upload a new document as you usually do it in your private environment. You can also create a subfolder and upload documents within.

4. Share a private document with a group [top]
   Note: To use this feature, the group administrator must have allowed you to add documents in the group documents root folder (first level folder).

   If the document is already in your private documents, you can share it with the group. Go to your private documents and select Share with groups in the Actions menu of the document. Then tick the group name. If the box cannot be ticked, that means that the group administrator has not allowed you to add documents in the group documents root folder.

   The document appears in the group documents root folder. You can then move it to another folder (provided you are allowed to add documents in the destination folder).

5. Hide a document to a member [top]
   When a document is added in the group documents, it can be viewed by all members. To hide it to one or more members, click on Access in the Actions menu, untick the box labelled All members of and then untick the group member(s) in the View document column.
6. Notify group members [top]
   When creating or editing a group document, you can send an email notification to all group members (except yourself) to let them know that a new document (or a new version of a document) is available. This standard notification can be personalized with your own comments. Note : Only the document creator may send a notification.

   To send a notification, select Notification in the Actions menu of the document.

7. Allow someone to edit a group document [top]
   Editing a document means editing the document information (name, location in the folders tree), not the document contents.

   Select Access in the Actions menu of the document and tick the boxes in the edit document column.

8. Administrators: allow members to add documents [top]
   Click on Access next to the folder name and tick the boxes in the Add documents column.

   Note: Ticked persons are also allowed to create subfolders and upload documents in these.

   Note: Each folder has its own access rights. You can easily apply the same rights to all subfolders by ticking Apply this setting to all subfolders of. Be aware that if you edit the main folder rights later on, you'll have to apply to all subfolders again.

9. Administrators: allow members to delete documents [top]
   Note: This right applies to all documents and subfolders in the current folder: don't give it to anyone.

   Click on Access next to the folder name and tick the boxes in the Delete documents column.

   Note: Each folder has its own access rights. You can easily apply the same rights to all subfolders by ticking Apply this setting to all subfolders of. Be aware that if you edit the main folder rights later on, you'll have to apply to all subfolders again.

Folders and subfolders

1. Create a folder or a subfolder [top]
   Select a level in the folders hierarchy and click on New folder in the right part of your screen.
2. Rename a folder [top]
   Go to the folder (by clicking on its name in the left part of the screen) and then click on Rename in the right part of the screen.
3. Delete a folder [top]
   Go to the folder (by clicking on its name in the left part of the screen) and then click on Delete in the right part of the screen.

Drop box

1. Definition [top]
   The dropbox is a special folder in your private Documents, where the members of the groups you belong to may drop Documents. The dropbox is like a postbox: when someone drops a document, it becomes invisible to him.

   This feature enables you to receive files directly in the Documents tool rather than by e-mail: reports, homeworks, etc.

   Note: All the members of the groups you belong to may always use your dropbox.

2. Drop a document [top]
   To drop a document in someone else's dropbox, first create it in your private Documents. Then, choose Send to a dropbox in the Actions menu of this document. In the group list, click on the recipient's name.
3. Manage the dropped documents [top]
   Usual features (sharing with groups included) apply to Documents dropped in your dropbox. You can also move them to other folders or delete them.

Search

1. Features [top]
   The search engine searches all your private Documents as well as all group Documents you may access. It searches the content of the following file formats: Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, PDF, HTML, RTF and Text.

   NB: The search engine ignores password protected files.

2. Simple search [top]
   
   • The default criterion is "Any text field": file name, content, description and author name. Enter a text in the field.
     You can use the * wildcard (* stands for 0 or more letters). Example: "Name contains vir*" will match documents such as "Virtual office.doc", "Virtual drive.xls". Note: * cannot be used at the beginning of an expression.
   • Add one or more criteria by clicking on Add. Click on the Trash next to a criteria to remove it.
   • If there are several criteria, decide if they all must be true (logical AND) or if at least one criterion must be true (logical OR).
   • Eventually, choose to search the current environment only or all environments.
3. Advanced search [top]
   Advanced search allows you to enter your own query, just like in search engines such as Google. You must however use the virtual office search syntax.
4. Search results [top]
   Each Document is displayed with its relevancy score. Click on the magnifying glass to display its details: author, path and relevant excerpt. The excerpt is displayed only if the content was a search criterion.

   By default, search results are sorted by relevancy score, but you can sort them by file name, weight and date using the arrows on top of the list.

   As long as you remain connected to the virtual office, you can display the results of the last search by clicking on Search results in the left part of the screen. They are again sorted by relevancy score.

Delete documents

1. Delete a document [top]
   Click on the Trash next to the document.

   The document is not deleted but just moved to the Trash, so that you can get it back in case you made a mistake. To delete the document, empty the Trash.

2. Delete a selection of documents [top]
   Tick the boxes next to the documents and click on To trash.

   The documents are not deleted but just moved to the Trash, so that you can get them back in case you made a mistake. To delete the documents, empty the Trash.

3. Manual Trash emptying [top]
   Go to the Trash, click on Select all and then on Delete. Documents are deleted and there is no way to get them back.

Online edition

1. Features [top]
   You don't need Office software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice) installed on your computer anymore to be able to edit word processing, spreadsheets and presentations documents. The virtual office integrates an online editor which offers the main features.

   This editor is available if your virtual office administrator has activated it (it is disabled by defaut) and if you have the right to edit a specific Document.

   Select Edit online from the contextual menu of an "Office" Document. To save your changes, click on the "Save" button in the online editor.

   Note: The online editor is provided by a third-party application, which will access your edited Documents contents. The third-party company offers no guarantee that the service will be available in the future.

   Note: The online editor does not handle secure connections (HTTPS). This is a third-party application limitation.

Virtual drive

1. Definition [top]
   The virtual drive allows you to access your documents directly (without a Web browser): documents are in a special folder on your computer, protected with a login and a password.

   This folder acts as a standard folder: you can add, delete and/or rename files and subfolders. You can also open a file from the folder or from an application on your computer. The virtual drive is also an easy way to back-up the files stored on your personal computer.

2. Create a virtual drive [top]
   The procedure depends your operating system. Click on Virtual drive to view the procedure.

   You will notice that the virtual drive consists of different folders:

   • A 'private' folder: it contains your private folders and documents
   • A folder for each group: each folder contains group folders and documents

   Note: All documents must be stored in one of these folders: you may not place documents or create new folders on the top level.

3. Potential problems [top]
   For optimal use, note the following:
   • Avoid accents in folder names
   • Configure your personal or network firewall to allow the connection to your virtual drive (WebDAV protocol on port 80: your computer must be allowed to send data ).
   • According to the subscription type, levels in your folders and subfolders vary between 4 and 6. If you try to place more levels in your virtual folders, you will get an error

PDF conversion

1. Features [top]
   To view a file for which you don't have the necessary software installed on your computer, or simply to convert a Document to PDF format, select Convert to PDF in the contextual menu of this Document.

   The conversion is made in real time and requires a time which depends on the size and complexity of the file. Please wait while the conversion is processed. When it is finished, you can save the PDF file on your computer.

   The following formats are accepted: .doc, .txt, .ppt, .xls, .odt, .sxw, .ods, .sxc, .csv, .odp, .sxi

Public access

1. Definition [top]
   The standard access rights allow data sharing in groups of authenticated users.

   Public access allows you to publish data on the Web: anybody will be able to view them without a virtual office account and without any authentication. Public data can only be viewed: Web users may not add, edit or delete public data.

   You just have to activate the public access and communicate the URL of a specific data (or the corresponding RSS feed) by e-mail, on your Web site, etc. This feature allows you to publish forms, reports, studies, etc.

   If you are allowed to use public access, "Public access" will appear in the access rights windows.

   Note: publishing content you don't fully own is against the law. You will be held sole responsible in case of legal action.

2. Settings [top]
   To set data (a document for instance) in public access, you must first set the folder which contains this document in public access, as well as all folders up to the root folder (included).

   For example, if you want to set the document "form.doc" in public access and that this document is in the subfolder "communication" of the folder "public", you have to set the root folder, the folder "public" and the subfolder "communication" in public access. When a folder is public, the icons and replace the single icon in the right part of the screen.

   Then, you have to set the document itself in public access. Because each document has its own access rights, you don't have to set public all documents within a folder.

3. Public access folder [top]
   Display the folder access rights and tick the box labelled Public access in the View this folder column. The and icons replace the icon in the right part of the screen.

   Setting a folder in public access is not enough: at this point, no data can be accessed from the Web. You have to choose what data will have public access.

4. Public access data [top]
   Display the data's access rights and tick the box labelled Public in the View column. Data with public access appear with the icon.
5. Access public data [top]
   The public URL, allowing public access, is displayed in the Actions menu of a given document.
6. Public access and groups [top]
   Because the group administrator sets the access rights within the group Documents, he alone may authorize public access in the group. If group members set some data public, this will have no effect until the group administrator decides to open public access.

RSS access

1. Features [top]
   RSS allows to gather several Websites (newspapers, blogs, etc.) in a single interface. You subscribe with an RSS reader (a software or a special Website) to an RSS feed, that is a special Web page published by each Website allowing RSS access. This RSS feed usually contains the title and summary of the last 10 published articles, with an hyperlink for each of them leading to the full story on the Website. As the RSS reader automatically refreshes all feeds, you are easily and quickly notified about new stories on all selected Websites.

   In this context, the virtual office offers several feeds: private (your inbox, your agenda, your documents, your bookmarks, etc.) and group (group agenda, group documents, group bookmarks, etc.). These feeds are protected by your usual login and password.

2. Available feeds [top]
   Each folder has its own RSS feed. It contains all Documents of the folder sorted by creation date (recent documents first). Modification dates are not taken into account.

   The feed contents depend on your access rights. For example, if you have access to some documents in the group A, they will also appear in the RSS feed of their folders. If you can't access any Documents in a given folder, the corresponding RSS feed will be empty.

3. Public feeds [top]
   Public RSS feeds appear with the icon. The icon only appears if your subscription allows public access and if the folder has been set for public access.

   A public RSS feed contains the list of the public documents in a folder. By default, a document is not public. See the public access documentation for further details.

   Public RSS feeds can be viewed in any RSS reader, because they don't require authentication.

   If the public RSS feed icon is displayed, the private RSS feed icon is also displayed. This feed uses standard access rights and requires authentication.

4. Compatible software [top]
   All RSS readers that manage authentication (feeds with login and password): Feedreader (Windows), for instance.
5. Software settings [top]
   
   1. Go to a calendar and move the pointer to one of the images.
   2. Right click on the image and select Copy this link location.
   3. Go to the RSS reader, create a new feed and paste the address.
   4. Enter the virtual office login and password in the RSS reader, and give the feed a name.
   5. Set up the automatic refresh rate in the RSS reader.

Podcasting

1. Definition [top]
   Podcasting allows easy broadcasting of MP3 files, using software such as Apple iTunes and MP3 players such as iPod. If your subscription allows public access, you can easily create podcasts using a public RSS feed . Each time you add an MP3 file, it is automatically available for your podcast subscribers.
2. Create a podcast [top]
   You can easily create podcasts in the virtual office
   1. Create the necessary files in a folder.
   2. If you wish, add a description to each of them (using the Actions menu). The description will appear in the podcast.
   3. Set the folder for public access
   4. Set all files in this folder in public access
   5. Let people know about the URL of the public RSS feed of this folder. To get this URL, right click on the icon and choose "Copy this link location".
   Note: publishing content you don't fully own is against the law. You will be held sole responsible in case of legal action.
3. Listen to a podcast [top]
   The first step is to get the podcast URL:
   • Either someone gives it to you, by e-mail for instance.
   • Either a folder in a group you belong to contains audio files in public access (they appear with the icon). Right click on the icon and select Copy this link location.
   Get a podcast software such as Apple iTunes (free). In iTunes, select "Subscribe to the podcast" in the "Advanced" menu. Paste the podcast URL and click on "OK". For other settings and how to connect to an iPod, see iTunes help.

Remote servers

1. Definition [top]
   A remote server is a document server that allows WebDAV (usually on port 80) or SMB/CIFS connections . By configuring a remote server in your virtual office, you can gather all your documents in a single interface.

   Note: the remote server sets the access rights (read, write) for its folders and documents. It also sets the available disk space.

2. Add a remote server [top]
   Click on Remote servers in the menu bar. Fill in the connection settings:
   • Name: this name will identify the server. This name is limited to the virtual office and has no link with the remote server actual name.
   • URL: remote server address
   • Login: your login on the remote server
   • Password: your password on the remote server.

   Then click on Save. This will automatically validate the settings and create the remote server if the settings are valid. If the settings are invalid, edit them. If they are correct but not validated, contact the remote server technical support.

3. Edit a remote server [top]
   Click on Remote servers to display the remote servers list. Click on Edit next to the remote server, edit the settings and click on Save.

   Note: if you edit the remote server name, the change will be taken into account the next time you log into the virtual office.

4. Deactivate a remote server [top]
   You can deactivate a remote server without deleting it. Display the remote servers list and untik the box next to the remote server name.
5. Delete a remote server [top]
   Click on Remote servers to display the remote servers list. Click on the Trash next to the remote server.
6. Operations on remote servers folders and files [top]
   A remote server folder is similar to a virtual office folder for basic operations: add, delete, rename a document, etc. You can copy or move folders and documents from the remote server to the virtual office and conversely.

Links between a document and a contact

1. Definition [top]
   It is possible to link a document to a contact in your addressbook. This allows you to link a résumé to a person, for example.
2. Link a document to a contact [top]
   Select Copy to clipboard in the Actions menu associated to the document. In the addressbook, edit the contact and click on Paste Doc at the bottom of the window. The document now appears in the contact details.

   Note: A document can be linked to several contacts.

   Note: As long as a document is linked to a contact, the document cannot be deleted. To delete it, you must first break the link between the document and the contact(s).

3. Break the link between a document and a contact [top]
   In the addressbook, edit the contact and select Delete next to this document.