EA Featue - Discussion Forum (Link to)

[bioform]

Version 7.5 Beta 3

I have been trying to start making use of EA's discussion forum feature.

For example I hace created a category (C), added a topic (T), added a post (P), and a reply (R)

My goal is to be able to create a hyperlink to a specific A, T, or P. and I seem to have come up against a wall...

If you create a hyperlink, and then set the hperlink type to "Forum: there is no hyperlink address field... so the result is the discussion form window is opened and focus seems to be on the first category.

If you look at the tagged value window you can see the $forum//(Hyperlink) field... it seems like you should be able to add the path, as if you right-click a post (P), you get the option to "Copy path to clipboard" and see C::T:::R

So there seems all the parts are there I just dont seem to be able to get them all together in one sock so to speak...

Any ideas out there?

ALSO is anyone else making use of this feature?
I am interested in using it for FAQs within the model, also requirement discussions, what am I working on "entries", etc.

It has some very useful possibiliites with the ability to drag and drop any element (including diagrams) into the entry creating a link from the element to the post,etc.

Also, it seems that you CAN embed URLs?!

[Eve]

I'm afraid that we don't currently support hyperlinks to a forum post (or any other type of forum entry.)  Only for opening the forum.

[bioform]

Thanks for the response Simon.

Does Simon or anyone know the answers to or anything else about any of the following...

1.) Do we know if forum links are on the "radar" as a future feature or does anyone else think it might be helpful? I would think that it might be useful to link to a specific forum entry. Also it might be nice to just be able to drag the Cat, Topic, Post, or Reply into the link frame to allow for cross-linking of related posts, etc.

2.) I double checked and the ability to enter a URL and then navigate the URL is supported in the discussion forum, but rather implicitly it would seem. Do we know anything about where we stand with this capability within element's RTF fields?

3.) I noticed the link created when a element is dropped within a post's frame are NOT displayed in the heirarchy list (not too suprised as these are really not a modeling type of link...) just wanted to confirm this was intended.

4.) The discussion forum entries do have an option to "Copy path to clipboard" when you right-click them? What would the intended purpose of this be?

5.) There is no menu or feature that indicates you can print an item from the discussion forum, I kind of stumbled upon it (click in the note section of the entry and press Ctrl-P)

6.) Anyone else think it might be nice to have some of the same forum features in discussion forums that are supported on the EA forums?

I am planning on looking into the table structure where this info is stored and trying to figure out some ways that the information might be exploited...

Thanks,
David

[Eve]

1) It's something that I have wanted myself at times, and would certainly be useful.  But there's no specific plans that I am aware of at this time.

2) Element RTF fields are still a restricted subset.

3) Hierarchy window shows relationships between elements (including some that aren't actually connectors).  But a forum post isn't an element, so can't be shown in this window in its current form.

4) I didn't know this feature existed, but I'm told that it's so you can send that path via email and someone will be able to find what you're talking about.

5) I suspect that's coming automatically from the control being used there.  It could be added to the toolbar if there was demand for it.

[RoyC]

Printing option - what exactly is the requirement here?

If you double-click on any item at any level (Category, Topic, Post or Reply) to open it, there is a toolbar at the top of the text panel containing a printer icon. You can print the text of that post or reply.

In the Category | Topic | Post | Reply hierarchy, if you click on any item at any level and then press Ctrl+P, you can print the current text of that item. However, in terms of clicking and pressing and moving the cursor around, it's probably quicker to double-click the item and single-click the printer icon.

We don't specifically talk about printing the text of an item. We just say double-click to open it and use the Word-Standard toolbar (in the Forum Editor topic).  

[bioform]

Printing option - what exactly is the requirement here?

If you double-click on any item at any level (Category, Topic, Post or Reply) to open it, there is a toolbar at the top of the text panel containing a printer icon. You can print the text of that post or reply.

Roy and Simon thanks for the quick replys!

I was making the assumption, that not everyone would be able to "Edit" a posting (e.g. You posted a response, I would not be able to open it and then see the tool bar with the printer.)

I have not started figuring out how to set up permissions yet, as I am just learning about the DF feature, so I assumed (oh oh) that would be the case.

So my experience with the UI (from a not being able to open a post and edit it POV) is that the "Printer" icon on the main toolbar is not enabled, and I do not find a right-click context menu with the option to print.

And since I did not see anything that indicated Ctrl-P would work... thus my post.

Just for my FYI, does in fact Ctrl-P work as the default in most situations?