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Edit items

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Editing Items and compound objects allow you to edit and delete existing items and compound objects within your collection. You must have CONTENTdm administrator rights to edit metadata to use this function. If you do not have these rights, edit will not be hyperlinked on the items tab.

When you select edit from the items tab within CONTENTdm Administration, a page opens that allows you search for the item or compound object that you wish to edit. You can also click browse collection to view the entire collection within a results page. Once you have results, you can edit metadata within items and compound objects, change item permissions, delete items, replace items, and export a subset of data.

Search for an item or a compound object

Before you can edit an item in CONTENTdm Administration, you must search for it. The edit page allows you to find an item by searching across all fields, searching selected fields, searching for terms within close proximity to one another, or, if available, by searching by date. From the Edit page, click Browse Collection to browse the through the collection.

Before you search for the item(s) that you wish to edit or export, you can select the number of items displayed per page by selecting a number from the Display results drop-down list. The default is set to 50. Increase the number displayed per page up to 200 in 25 number increments.

You also can select how you would like results sorted. The default is set to Title. Other options include Relevancy, which sorts the results according to their relevance to your specified search, or searchable metadata fields that are defined for the collection. If you select to sort by Relevancy, the search results display in order of relevancy with the Title, Subject and Description fields displaying in the results set. (Relevancy is determined by the frequency and distribution of matching keywords in each record, compared to other records. Matches in the Title or Subject field that are mapped to Dublin Core are given more relevancy weight.)

Access the Edit function

  1. Open CONTENTdm Administration by clicking CONTENTdm Administration from the Administration menu within the Project Client. Or access CONTENTdm Administration by navigating with your Web browser to: http://your.server.address/cgi-bin/admin/start.exe
  2. Click the Items tab and then click Edit.

Search options

Search option Description
Across all fields If you are searching across all fields, you can search for all words, the exact phrase, any of the words, or none of the words. You can use more than one field when performing a search.
Selected fields If you are searching selected fields, use the drop-down lists to select what type of search you wish to perform in what fields. Select whether you want to search for all the words, the exact phrase, any of the words, or none of the words. Select the field that you wish to search.
By proximity If you are searching for two terms that are close to one another, use the drop-down list to select how close the two words can be. Choose from within 2 to 100 words. Select which fields, including the option of All, that you wish to search.
By date

Searching by date is only available for collections with a searchable date data type field. If you are searching by date use the drop-down lists to select the type of search you wish to perform in which field. Select whether you want to search from, after, before, or on a specific date. Entering a year is required to perform a search. Select a month and day to narrow your search.

Once you have searched for a term, your results are shown.

Editing items and compound objects begins with searching for the item or compound object that you wish to edit. If you wish to browse the entire collection, click Browse Collection. If you want to create a compound object with the Web editor, see Web-based compound object creation.

Your search results are likely to contain the compound object and the files that make up that compound object. If you want to edit pages within a compound object, you must search for the pages, because subpages are suppressed while you are browsing. The subpages are included when searching for an item, so that if you are searching for a term, you will be able to find that term in the specific page.

You can distinguish between an item and a compound object by whether it contains a structure option within its row. Only compound objects have structure that you can edit.

 Note: PDF compound objects do not display a structure option. You cannot edit or delete individual pages of PDF compound objects by using CONTENTdm Administration. To edit or delete individual pages of PDF compound objects, you must delete the compound object from the collection, update the structure, edit, or remove the pages in the original PDF file, and then import the file again. For more information, see Importing PDF Files.

When you edit items and compound objects, you will have the opportunity to work with controlled vocabulary and item permissions if you have the appropriate administrative rights.

You can change the image right applied to an item in your collection by editing it using the Project Client. You cannot edit the image right applied to the item by using the Web editor.

Edit items and compound objects

If you want to edit an item that has been returned in your search results, click Metadata to add or change the metadata. Click Delete to delete the item.

Edit compound objects

If you want to edit a compound object that has been returned in your search results, you can:

  • Click Metadata to edit, add, and delete metadata.
  • Click Structure to add and delete files within the structure of the compound object. If you are editing the structure of a monograph, you can add and delete nodes (the sections within the compound object). (PDF compound objects do not display a Structure link.)

Edit Metadata

Metadata is information about an item or compound object that is used for indexing and defining an item.

  1. Click Metadata next to the compound object to edit compound object-level metadata.
  2. Click Metadata next to a page or item to edit page-level metadata.
  3. In the Edit item page, view the item, if desired.
  4. Add, edit or delete metadata. (Fields marked with an asterisk are required.) Note: In CONTENTdm Administration, dates can be entered in fields designated as the Date datatype in the following formats: yyyy, yyyy-mm, or yyyy-mm-dd. (Additional date formats can be entered by using the Project Client to enter metadata. For more information, see Entering Dates.)
  5. Apply permissions, if desired. 

     Note: Permission settings for PDF compound objects apply to all pages of the compound object. You cannot set permissions for individual pages of PDF compound objects.

  6. Click Save Changes.

Use controlled vocabulary

A CONTENTdm administrator sets controlled vocabulary for any collection field. If you are adding metadata to a field that has a controlled vocabulary, you can view the current controlled vocabulary by clicking Controlled Vocabulary (or Shared Controlled Vocabulary, if shared with other fields or collections).

If the metadata that you wish to add is not in the controlled vocabulary, you will see the following message.

If you click OK, you will be returned back to the Edit Item page where you can delete the term that is not in the controlled vocabulary.  Then, if you have permissions, you can administer controlled vocabulary by navigating to field properties.  

Edit structure

If you are editing structure, you can:

  • Change page titles
  • Delete pages of a compound object
  • Move pages of a compound object
  • Add additional pages, using existing items in the collection

If you are working with a monograph, you can change node names, add or delete a node, and insert, move, and delete files within a node. Nodes are section titles within a compound object. You might have nodes named Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and Chapter 3, for example.

Once you have made changes to a compound object, save the compound object. The collection must then be indexed for those changes to be visible within the collection.

If you are working with PDF compound objects, you cannot edit or remove individual pages of PDF compound objects by using CONTENTdm Administration. To edit, delete, or move individual pages of PDF compound objects, you must delete the compound object from the collection. Then update the structure, edit, or remove the pages in the original PDF file, and import the file again. For more information, see Work with PDF files.

Change page titles

  1. In the Edit compound object structure page, click Edit for the page with the title that you wish to change.
  2. Type the new name in the text box.
  3. Click Change.
  4. After you have made all changes that you wish to the compound object structure, clickSave Changes.

Delete pages and nodes

  1. In the Edit compound object structure page, click Delete in the row containing the file or node that you wish to delete. Nodes are indicated by a bold title face. There is also no view capability for nodes.
  2. If you are deleting a page, you will be asked to confirm that you wish to delete the item from the compound object. Click OK.

     Note: Deleting a page when editing the structure of a compound object does not remove the page from the collection. If you need to delete the page from the compound object and from the collection, you will need to delete the page after you have removed it from the compound object.

  3. After you have made all changes that you wish to the compound object structure, click Save Changes.

Move pages

 Note: You cannot move a node location using the move function. If you wish to change the location of a node, create a new node of the same name (see below), and then move the subpages and subnodes into the new node. Then, delete the node.

  1. In the list containing the pages and nodes of the compound object, determine the row number of the location where you would like the page to be moved.
  2. In the Edit compound object structure page, click Edit for the page that you wish to move.
  3. Type the row number where you would like the page to be moved.
  4. Click Change.
  5. After you have made all changes that you wish to the compound object structure, click Save Changes.

Insert a node

 Note: This functionality is only available when editing a monograph.

  1. In the list containing the pages and nodes of the compound object, determine the row number of the location where you would like the node to be inserted.
  2. Enter the text that you wish to use as the node title.
  3. Select whether you want the node to appear after, before or in the position that you are about to type. The option in is used if you want a node placed within another node.
  4. Type the number of the row where you wish the node to appear.
  5. Click Insert.
  6. After you have made all changes that you wish to the compound object structure, click Save Changes.

Insert a page within a compound object

  1. Scroll down the insert item section and/or navigate to other pages in the collection to find the file that you wish to insert. Only single files can be inserted into a compound object. Compound objects within a collection cannot be added to other compound objects.
  2. Click Insert next to the item that you wish to insert.
  3. Select whether you want the page to appear after, before or in the position that you are about to type. The options used if you want a page placed within a node.
  4. Type the number of the row where you wish the page to appear.
  5. Click Insert.
  6. After you have made all changes that you wish to the compound object structure, click Save Changes.

Edit Item permissions

Permissions specify who can view items in a collection. You must have CONTENTdm administrator rights to select access rights to use this function. If you do not have these rights, the Permissions option will not be hyperlinked.

You can set permissions for items and metadata or set permissions so that metadata is available to all users but permissions are required to view the item. You can set permissions based on operating system user names or IP addresses.

Setting permissions for an item is different from setting user rights. User rights specify which users can perform which tasks in CONTENTdm Administration.

Type of permissions

CONTENTdm has two permission types:

  • Collection-level. The CONTENTdm administrator sets permissions for all items in a collection within Collection Configuration of CONTENTdm Administration. All imported items initially have collection-level permissions. To set collection-level permissions, you must have rights to configure settings and field properties AND rights to select access rights. See Collection Configuration for more information.
  • Item-level. The permissions are set for an individual item or compound object. Item-level permissions further restrict collection-level permissions. To set item-level permissions, you must have rights to select access rights.

You can set permissions based on operating system user names or IP addresses or both. You must know the user name(s) that you wish to grant permissions to and/or the IP addresses before you can change permissions.

Edit item permissions with the Edit page

  1. Open CONTENTdm Administration. Then, click on the Items tab and click Edit.
  2. Type your search criteria in one or more of the text boxes. You can search across all fields, search selected fields, search by proximity, or, if available, search by date. If you wish to browse the entire collection, click Browse Collection.
  3. Click Search. The results page opens.
  4. Find the item or compound object to which you wish to assign permissions. If you are assigning permissions to a compound object, use the row containing the compound object or one of its subpages.
  5. Note: Permission settings for PDF compound objects apply to all pages of the compound object. You cannot assign permissions for individual pages of PDF compound objects. For more information, see Work with PDF files.
  6. Click Metadata in the row containing the item or compound object that you wish to edit. The Edit item page opens.

    1. Restrict items based on user name:

      Enter the user names of the persons whom you want to grant access. The user names must have collection-level permissions. Separate user names with semicolons. For example, Chris Jones; Jordan Lee(Windows platforms) or CJones; JLee (Unix platforms).

    2. Restrict items based on IP addresses:

      Enter the IP address from where you want to grant access. The IP address must have collection-level permissions. Use wild cards (*) to allow access to a domain. Separate multiple entries with semicolon. For example, 192.168.0.*; 192.168.1.*.

      Specify an IP address range by using a hyphen in any one of the IP address range segments, either alone or in conjunction with a wild card. You can use more than one address range per IP address. Below are some examples of ranges:

      192.168.210-219.1

      192.168.219.1-49

      192.168.210-213.*

  7. Click Edit next to the permissions field. The Edit item permissions page opens.
  8. Select whether you want the permissions to apply to just the item (allowing the metadata to be viewable) by clicking the checkbox next to Permissions are required for items only. Metadata is viewable by all users.
  9. Click Save Changes.

Delete items and compound objects

You must search for the item or compound object that you wish to delete. If you are deleting a compound object, you must first decide whether you want to delete the compound object (and leave the subpages) or delete the compound object and its subpages. This is set at the top of the results page, under delete mode. Caution: Once you select a delete mode, it affects all delete operations within the editing function.

You can delete all items in the results page or you can delete one item or compound object at a time. Item records that are locked will not be deleted. Users must unlock the item records prior to deleting them.

 Notes: 

  • Deletions must occur at the CONTENTdm Admin site level to change the public view. Deletions from the Project client alter only the local client files.
  • To avoid server timeouts and maintain acceptable performance, we recommend you delete in batches of less than about 2,500 items at a time. (Or your administrator could configure server timeouts to handle larger batches.)
  • When you delete a PDF compound object, you delete all pages of the PDF compound object. The delete modes do not apply because the individual pages of PDF files do not exist separately on the server; they are extracted and displayed only when the user requests them. To delete individual pages of PDF compound objects, you must delete the compound object from the collection, remove the pages in the original PDF file, and import the file again.

Delete items within a results screen

  1. Open CONTENTdm Administration. Then, click on the Items tab and click Edit.
  2. Type your search criteria in one or more of the text boxes. You can search across all fields, search selected fields, or search by proximity. If you wish to browse the entire collection, click Browse Collection.
  3. Click Search. The results page opens.
  4. If you are planning to delete a compound object, select whether you want to Delete compound object only or Delete compound object and its subpages. The mode you select applies to all delete operations in the Edit section.
  5. If you wish to delete all items, click Delete All.
  6. If you only wish to delete one item, find the item or compound object that you wish to delete and click Delete in the row of the item or compound object.
  7. If you wish to delete selected items, click the checkboxes next to the items that you wish to delete and click Delete from the menu directly above the search results. This delete function only deletes items selected on the current page.
  8. A dialog box asks you to confirm that you wish to delete item(s).
  9. Click OK.

A page opens with the message that the item(s) has been marked for deletion.  The collection must then be indexed for the items to be deleted from the collection.

Export a Metadata Subset

Using the Edit function in CONTENTdm Administration you can search for specific items and compound objects and then export the results to:

You can also click Browse Collection to select all items in a collection and use the export function.

 Note: You can export PDF compound objects, but you cannot export the individual pages of a PDF compound object. The individual pages of PDF compound objects do not exist separately on the server; they are extracted and displayed only when the user requests them.

Export a metadata subset

  1. Open CONTENTdm Administration. Then, click on the Items tab and click& Edit.
  2. Type your search criteria in one or more of the text boxes. You can search across all fields, search selected fields, or search by proximity.
  3. Click Search. The results page opens.
  4. If you wish to export all results, in all of the results pages, click Export All. If you wish to export selected items, click the checkboxes next to the items that you wish to export and click Export. The export function only exports items selected on the current page.

     Note: Change the number of items displayed per page by navigating to the Edit page and selecting a number from the Display results drop-down list.

  5. The Export metadata page opens.
  6. Select the export method. Click Next. The Export successful window opens.
  7. Save the exported file(s) by right-clicking on the links and using your browser's save function.