This topic is organized into the following sections:
In an eRoom you can view, add, and edit files created in other applications. Other members can share these files as long as they have the same or compatible applications (example).
When you add a file to your eRoom, you are its owner and initially the only person who can edit it. However, you can add other members' names to the list of people who can edit it. You can also keep track of different file versions.
See also: If you have eRoom Enterprise, see Working
with Content Server-linked files.
Note: If file
protection is turned on in your community, the only members who can
delete a version-tracked file or turn off version-tracking for a file
are the eRoom's coordinator and administrators. Further, if the related
community option to version-track all new files is turned on, only the
coordinator and administrators can turn it off when adding a new file,
or for an existing version-tracked file.
Click its icon.
Or, right-click its icon and pick "View" from the pop-up menu.
When you view a file, others can still access it. Reading a file does not reserve it for you, nor prevent others from viewing or editing the same file.
Plug-in only:
If you edit a file you have open for viewing, and you have edit rights
to the file, when you close the file, eRoom asks if you want to save your
changes. If you click "Yes", eRoom reserves the file, uploads
your changes, and releases the reservation.
You can add files to eRoom either by creating them in eRoom or by adding (uploading) them from your computer or from a Content Server
Plug-in only: You can drag
and drop a file or folder from your Windows desktop into an eRoom
item or attachments box. Also, if you are using the plug-in, you can create files in eRoom.
Go to where you want to add the file.
Locate the file you want to copy from your desktop, or a local or network drive. (You can also use the Windows Explorer to locate the file.)
Drag the file onto an eRoom item box, folder, or attachment box.
Go to where you want to add the file.
Open the Add File page directly by doing the following:
Right-click an empty area of the item box, folder,
or attachment box and pick "Add File" from the pop-up menu.
Or, in the command bar, click "add file".
The Add File page opens.
Or, open the Add File page from the Create page by doing the following:
In
the button
bar of the eRoom's front page, click 
.
Or, in a folder's button bar, click 
.
Or, in the command bar of an item box, folder, or attachment box,
click "create".
Or, in empty area of an item box, folder, or attachment box, right-click
and pick "Create Item".
The Create page opens.
Pick
"Other File".
The Add File page opens.
On the Add File page, do one of the following:
If you are using eRoom with your browser only (without the plug-in), click "Browse" to select the file you want to add from your computer.
If your site/community uses eRoom
Enterprise, you can pick "Add
a file from the Content Server" and click 
to select the file from the repository.
If more than one repository is available, the "Content Server
Link: Pick a repository" page opens. In that case, pick a repository
and click "OK". (You skip this step if there is a default
location specified for the current eRoom,
folder,
or database
attachment field. In this case, you can click "Change Repository"
to select a different one.)
Log in if you are asked to do so.
From the "Content
Server Link: Pick Files" page of the target/template picker,
browse or search the cabinets and folders within
the repository to locate the file(s) you want to link
to, and then click "OK". The "Add File" page re-opens
with the path to the file(s) you selected visible in
the text box.
When you click "OK", eRoom creates Content Server-linked
files that point to the ones you selected in the repository.
If you are using eRoom with the plug-in, you can pick "Create a new file in eRoom", type a File name, and select a File type from the list. When you click "OK", the file is created in your eRoom.
Pick the options you want.
Select "Track versions" to track versions of the file you are adding. This option is only available when you upload a file from your computer or create a new file in eRoom without linking to the Content Server.
With eRoom Enterprise only, you can select "Link to the Content Server" if you upload a file from your computer or create a new file in eRoom and you want to link it to a repository (see the following procedure). This check box is already selected if you are creating the file where Content Server linking is on by default.
Select "Upload, then add another" to upload a file and return to the Add File page. This option is only available when you upload a file from your computer.
Select "Private draft" to add the file with its Open list set to just the file creator -- access control can be edited later.
Click "OK" to add or create the file in your eRoom, or to create a Content Server-linked file, depending on your choices.
Note: Your
site might block some file types (for example, .bat,
.exe, .doc, etc.) from being opened or put
into eRoom, in case they might pose a security risk. This is an option
set by your site administrator.
Open the Add File page.
Pick either "Upload a file from my computer" or "Create a new file in eRoom" and select the "Link to the Content Server" check box. (This check box is already selected where Content Server linking is on by default.)
Note: The "Link
to the Content Server" check box is unavailable for files in a folder
or eRoom with a rights-management
policy that automatically protects eligible content.
After locating the file on your computer or specifying a file name and file type to create, click "OK".
From the "Content Server Link: Pick Location" page, browse the cabinets and folders within the repository to where you want to store your file(s). Or, you can click "Change repository" to select a different one, if available.
Pick the target cabinet or folder, and (if available) pick a template from the drop-down list. Click "OK" when you've make your choice.
On the "Content Server Link" page, either pick an alternative location, or click "OK" to confirm that you want to store the file(s) in the specified repository location.
If file properties are required when files are linked to the Content Server (a site or community setting) then the WDK Properties component opens in a new window. If you picked a template that has mandatory properties, you must specify those properties before you can store the file on the Content Server. If your file has no mandatory properties, you can specify properties or not, as appropriate. Click "OK" to set the properties and close the window.
When you click "OK" on the Add File page, eRoom uploads the selected or created file(s) to the specified location in the repository and, at the same time, creates one or more Content Server-linked file icons in your eRoom.
If any of the new links have the same name as a file that already exists in the same container in your eRoom, an incremental number is appended to the name of the link (for example, filename.txt, filename (2).txt, filename (3).txt, and so on).
Note:
If you click "OK" on the Add File page and then click "Cancel"
on subsequent target/template picker pages, eRoom uploads or creates the
file in eRoom but does not store it in a repository.
See also:
To
create Content Server-linked files from existing files in eRoom
While you're editing a file, eRoom prevents other members from editing
it by reserving it exclusively for you. When you either replace the file
in the eRoom or abandon your changes, eRoom releases the reservation.
After you make changes, eRoom puts an unread mark (
)
on the file so others know it is updated.
Note: If necessary, the eRoom coordinator can release a reservation on any
file in the eRoom so that others can edit it.
If you want to hold a file for editing later, you can put a manual reservation on it. This prevents other members from editing the file until you have time to finish editing it and can release the reservation.
Note: With
eRoom
Enterprise, you can reserve, edit, and release reservations on Content
Server-linked files in eRoom. When you do, the corresponding action is
applied to those files in the repository. For example, if you edit a Content
Server-linked file in the eRoom application, that file is checked out
to you and locked in the repository until you save your changes and release
the reservation. At that time, a new version of the file is checked back
in to the repository, and the lock is removed. Conversely, actions performed
on Content Server-linked files in the repository have the corresponding
effect on those files in eRoom.
Right-click the
file's icon and pick "Access Control" from the pop-up menu.
Or, in the item or attachment box in details view, select the file's
check box, and then click "access" in the command bar.
On the Access Control page, select the "Reserved for editing" check box.
Reserving a file for editing copies the file to a local folder that you can access while offline by choosing Start > Programs > eRoom Files for Offline Editing.
When you enter an eRoom, and if there is a changed file in your offline editing directory, eRoom asks what you want to do with that file. You can either
Upload -- copy the changes to eRoom
Keep Working -- do not copy the changes, and leave the reservation intact (eRoom will ask again the next time you enter the eRoom)
Abandon -- discard the changes
If you choose to upload or abandon the changes, you can also decide whether to release the reservation afterwards. If you check "Same answer for all files", eRoom handles all files the same way.
Click the file's edit icon (
).
Or, right-click the file icon (in either the item box or the map),
and pick "Edit" from the pop-up menu.
eRoom reserves the file for editing and opens it in its native application.
Edit the
file and save your changes.
eRoom automatically uploads the changes and releases the reservation.
Plug-in only: To upload a file you've edited outside of
eRoom, you can drag
and drop it from your desktop onto the old copy in your eRoom.
Click the file's edit icon ().
Or, right-click the file icon (in either the item box or the map),
and pick "Edit" from the pop-up menu.
On the Edit File page, pick "Edit it." and
click "OK".
This reserves the file for you to edit.
Using the link that the Edit File page provides, either open the file in the same or a new browser window.
Edit the file.
If you opened the file in the same browser window, click
"Back" to return to the Edit File page.
Or, if you opened the file in a different browser window, click to
close the browser's window.
In the prompt dialog for the modified file, click "Yes"
to save your changes.
This opens the browser's "Save As" dialog box so you can
save the file to your disk.
After saving the file to your computer, return to the
Edit File page (in the same or different browser window).
Note: If you close the Edit File page
by clicking "OK" before adding the file back to eRoom, eRoom
keeps your editing reservation
on until you release it (or a coordinator or administrator releases
it).
On the Edit File page, click "Add" to save the edited file back to eRoom.
On the Replace File page, browse for the saved file.
To turn on version tracking for the file, select the "Track versions"
check box.
To keep your editing reservation on the file, clear the "Release
the editing reservation afterwards" check box (otherwise, eRoom removes
the reservation).
Click "OK" to replace the file in your eRoom with the file that contains your changes.
You can keep your editing reservation on a file and edit it outside of eRoom. In this case, the next time you edit the file from eRoom, the Edit File page opens and asks if you want to Replace it with a new version or Abandon your changes and release your editing reservation. If you pick "Replace...", the Replace File page opens, as in step 9 of the preceding procedure.
eRoom can keep an automatic archive of all previous versions of a file.
Files set to track versions have a version icon (
) next to their name in list and details view (not when viewed as large
icons).
Right-click the file and pick "Track Versions"
from the pop-up menu.
Or, with your browser only, select the "Track Versions" check
box when you are adding or editing the file.
Once version tracking is turned on for a file, a check mark appears next to the "Track Versions" command on the pop-up menu. Each time you upload changes to that file, a dialog box lets you provide a title for the version and enter notes about your changes.
Right-click the file's icon and pick "Show Versions"
from the pop-up menu.
Or, with your browser only, click the version icon () next to the file name.
The file's version page opens and displays the current version of the
file, the file's version history (which lists each version along with
information about who made the changes and when), and any notes about
the changes in each version.
Go to the file's version page and edit an earlier version.
That version becomes the current version of the file.
Go to the file's version page and in the Version Notes section, click "add a version note".
Right-click the icon for a file that has version tracking turned on and pick "Track Versions" from the pop-up menu.
Or, go to the file's version history page and click "turn off version tracking".
Confirm that you want to turn off version tracking and delete all old versions of the file.
With eRoom Enterprise, eRoom files stored on a Content Server are automatically version-tracked. While you can only access the most current version of those files in eRoom, the Content Server stores their version histories so you can access them there.
Each time you upload changes to a Content Server-linked file, the eRoom version-tracking dialog box has an additional option for you to flag the new version as a new major version in the Content Server. If you leave that check box clear, the version is saved as a minor version. The version's name is passed to the corresponding value in the Content Server.
If you link to the Content Server an existing file that is already version-tracked in eRoom, you can either move all versions to the Content Server, or just the current one. If you move only the current version to the Content Server, previous versions are discarded (that is, they do not go into the eRoom Recycle bin).
You can protect an eligible file (Microsoft Office or Adobe Acrobat) with rights management by creating it or moving it to a folder (including an eRoom) in which rights management is enabled and the container's effective policy is that eligible content will automatically be protected.
If you have Edit rights to the file and the container's policy is that eligible content can be protected, you can enable rights-management protection using the following procedure.
Open the file's Access Control page.
If rights management is enabled in your eRoom, and the file is not protected, the page includes a check box labeled "This file is permanently protected by a rights management policy."
If the file is already protected, there is no check box next to the label.
If the folder's effective policy is that it can be protected, and you have Edit rights to the file, the check box is enabled and unchecked.
Select the check box labeled "This file is permanently protected by a rights management policy."
Click "OK" in the confirmation dialog box.
Once you click "OK" on the Access Control page, the file is permanently protected and it cannot be reverted to an unprotected state.
Click "Policy settings"
to open the file's Rights Management policy settings page. Settings
on this page define the file's actual policy.
The restricted symbol (
) appears next to any setting overridden by
the file's effective policy, thus rendering the actual setting ineffective.
Note:
Protected files are not indexed for searching. You can, however, locate
such files using the file name and properties.
You can select multiple files and either enable rights-management protection for them or edit their policy information. If all of the protected eligible files use the same policy settings, the Access Control page and the Rights Management policy settings page appear the same as described in the procedure To protect a file with rights management.
If at least one eligible file is not already protected, the check box labeled "This file is permanently protected by a rights management policy" and the Policy settings button appear on the page.
If the selection includes both files and folders, none of the rights-management settings appear on the Access Control page because they are different for folders and files.
On the Rights Management policy settings page, if any setting is not the same for all selected files, it is cleared (check mark removed or text field emptied). Any change you make to a setting is applied to each of the selected files.
See also: Specifying
rights management for a selection of multiple folders
If an eRoom or folder is enabled as "automatically protect" after you start editing an eligible file in that container, but before you upload your changes, eRoom automatically protects the file when you upload your changes to eRoom.
When you open a protected file, the title bar in its native application (Office application or Adobe Acrobat) includes the words "IRM Protected". If you point to these words with your cursor, a ToolTip shows the policy values protecting the file. However, the value of "Expiration" actually reflects the Refresh access to offline files setting rather than the Expire files setting for the policy. Hence, if you are viewing the file online, the value is always "None"; if you are viewing the file offline, the Expiration value shows when you must refresh the file's offline access. For information about offline access to protected files, see IRM client Help.
Before you can access a protected file, you must first authenticate yourself with the policy server. If you are using the eRoom plug-in, eRoom logs you in to the policy server in the background. Otherwise, the server's login dialog box appears in which you can enter your eRoom credentials.
If you perform an action on a file that is protected in eRoom without first logging into eRoom, the IRM client displays an IRM server login dialog box. You must enter your eRoom username and password in order to access the protected document.
eRoom version tracking works the same for protected files as it does for unprotected files. Each version of a protected file is protected by its own policy, which is always the same as the current version’s policy. You can change the policy for the file's current version only. If you move, copy, or restore a version-tracked file to a folder or an eRoom set to automatically protect eligible files, and if any of the file's versions is ineligible for protection, the operation fails and a message appears that explains why.
You can display the rights-management history for a protected file using the History command on file's the right-click pop-up menu. This command is available to administrators, coordinators, and members on the file's Edit list. Picking the History command opens the File History page, which shows the following information about rights-management-related events:
the date and time the event occurred
the type of event that occurred
the name of the member who executed the event
The History command is only available for protected files.
A protected file’s effective policy remains in effect when you try to access the file via WebDav, SAAPI, eRoom XML, or outside of eRoom completely (for example, sending it via email or accessing it from a shared network drive). The file's access control properties specify which eRoom members can access the file, and what they can and cannot do with the file, both inside and outside of eRoom. Members without access to the file in eRoom cannot access it outside of eRoom.