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Wildwood Canada Spire Help

File Attachments and Links in Spire v3.7

 
File attachments work differently in Spire v3.7+

Prior to v3.7, when you attached a file in Spire, a link to the file was saved in Spire. You clicked on this to view the attached file.

In v3.7, you now have four options. For all four, you create a new Communication, and add it there, or add it to an existing Communication (each one can have multiple links or attachments).


Topics on this page

  1. Attach a file
  2. Link to a file
  3. Link to a website URL
  4. Link to a folder
  5. Inventory Images
  6. Tools, Migrate Files

 

1. Attach a file to Spire
Add Attachment


In either an existing Communication (Note) or in a new one ...
Click on the Add Attachment button, and navigate to where the file is stored on your network.
The attached file appears in the lower part of the new Note.

As well, the attached file is COPIED into an obscure folder structure on the Spire Server, and THAT is the file that is displayed when you click the link. This is an important point, discussed below.

Unfortunately, this method has a HUGE drawback. Let's say for example, that the attached file was a list of specs for this Inventory item, and that these specs change over time. BUT ... because the file you attached is actually COPIED into this special folder on the Spire server, and THAT is the file displayed when you click on the link, if you update the original document, those changes will NOT show up when a user opens the file from within Spire. This is because Spire opens up ONLY the COPY of the ORIGINAL file, NOT the one you updated (which is located on your network in its original location).
In order to view the updated file from within Spire, you will have to remember to delete the "attached file" in Spire (click the "X" beside it), and then re-attach it.

In addition to this, because this Spire "media" folder is located within C:\ProgramData\Spire, it is possible that your drive C: on the server may become full much quicker than expected. However, there is a way to redirect this media folder elsewhere. But this is a technical matter - please ask Wildwood Canada for assistance.

Often the IT support people who are in charge of your servers do not want ANY data stored on drive C: on the server. This is a fairly common policy. Unfortunately, the Spire databases MUST be stored on C:. But ALSO storing the attached files on drive C: can lead to issues that your IT support wishes to avoid.


 

2. Add a Link to a file
Add Link, File

In either an existing Communication (Note) or in a new one ...
Click on the Add Link, File button, and navigate to where the file is stored on your network.
The linked file appears in the lower part of the new Note (in grey).

In this case, the Linked File is NOT copied anywhere, it is left where it is currently located.
Thus you avoid the problems described above that arise with Attached Files.


 

3. Add a link to a website URL
Add Link, URL

This allows you to add a link to a URL for a website.
Unfortunately, it does not allow you to navigate to a website URL here. You must do that in your Internet browser and then copy-paste the link here.

The website link is displayed in grey.

 

4. Add a link to a Folder
Add Link, URL

For this you use Add Link, URL.
Enter a display name for the Folder.
You cannot navigate to a folder, but you can do that in Windows Explorer and then copy-paste the Folder path from the address bar in Windows Explorer.
The folder path MUST be prefixed by  file:///  (no spaces).  This tells Spire it is not a web page.

Note that this is also an alternative method to create a link to a file.

 


 

5. Inventory Images

PLEASE NOTE: When you attach Images to an Inventory item, they are stored the same way as Attached Files, ie as described in #1, above. Therefore, if you edit the image file, that change will NOT be reflected within Spire until you delete the link and re-attach it.
There is NO option to save the Image attachment as a Link ( as you can do with Note Links).


 

6. Tools, Migrate Files

If invoked, this will move linked (attached) files from previous versions of Spire into the centralized media folder structure on the Spire server. It will also move any newly linked files (linked using the Add Link, URL method)!
Please consider the effect of this carefully before you do it! THERE IS NO UNDO.
Please educate your staff to NOT perform this function, because ANY Spire user can run it, regardless of their permissions!

 

 
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