File Handling

File Management in the CMS

In Editing an Article, we show how to upload a file to the system so that applications or other documents that need to be available for download can be linked from a page in the site. Here we go more in-depth on how those work, where you can find them and distributing links.

Uploading

Once a file has been uploaded via a node, most often an article node, it is attached to that node for further management. In the file interface, there are options to insert and remove the file.

Uploading a new file with the same name will not overwrite the old file. The system appends the file name with a number, which means any link on the page will need to be updated. More on that below.

Removing or Deleting

Removing the file, clicking remove in the file interface will let the system know that this file is no longer actively linked.

If a file has been uploaded, and the editor navigates away from the page rather than saving, that file will not be attached to the page and cannot be tracked whether it is in active use. Please click remove next to the file prior to abandoning the edits.

Linking the file on the page

The easiest way to link to a file is to use the Insert option in the file interface. Once the link is inserted in the content area, it may be edited like anything else. Try not to delete all of the text at once as the link may be lost.

Another way to add or update a link to existing text, right-click (ctrl-click on a mac) the file name in the file interface and select "copy link location". Go to the text, select it if no link exists, and use the link tool. Paste (ctrl-v, cmd-v for mac) the link into URL box.

Linking elsewhere

As noted above, the file name, and thus the link, will change when an updated file is uploaded. To avoid broken links, never link directly to the file from other pages, emails or print materials. Rather, link to the page that has the link to the file.