Linking objects to external documents
You can link objects in projects, for example tasks and resources, to external documents, or to webpages on the internet or an intranet. For example, you could link individual tasks to documents stored on your network that give more information on the task to be carried out, or you could link permanent resources to documents containing their CVs. You do this by entering hyperlinks to external documents into 'URL'-type user-defined fields.
In the case of projects that are stored in a data source on the server, your System Administrator must first create the 'URL'-type user-defined fields within Server Admin, which is supplied with Asta Enterprise. Alternatively, your System Administrator may add such a field to a user-defined table. Refer to Server Admin Help for details of creating user-defined fields in Server Admin.
In the case of local projects (.PP files), you use the User Field Manager dialog in the Asta Powerproject client to create the 'URL'-type user-defined fields in which to enter hyperlinks.
Once you or your System Administrator have created a 'URL'-type user-defined field, you can enter a hyperlink into it in the spreadsheet, in an annotation, in Library Explorer or in the User Fields tab of the object's Properties dialog (or the appropriate user-defined table tab, if the field has been added to a user-defined table).
You can enter links to documents into 'URL'-type user-defined fields in the following ways:
- As path and file names to documents in a specific location on the network, for example T:\Documents\Task49.XLS. In order for such links to work, all client PCs that can access the project must have the appropriate drive mappings set up.
- As references to webpages on the internet or an intranet, for example http:\\www.website.com\documents\task49.htm.
Once a link has been entered into the field, ALT-click the hyperlink to open the document it refers to.
To create a 'URL'-type user-defined field for a local project
- On the Project tab, in the Properties group, click User Field Manager. The User Field Manager dialog appears (the User Field Manager command is unavailable if the project contains any unsaved changes, if a Properties dialog is active, or if the project is stored on a server-mounted data source).
The tables in the database are listed in the left-hand pane. When you select a table, any user-defined fields created for that table are displayed in the right-hand pane. - Select the table to which you want to add a 'URL'-type user-defined field, then click Add. For example, if you want to be able to enter hyperlinks against tasks, select Task. The Add User Field dialog appears.
- Select the URL radio button.
- Enter a name for the field in the User Field Name field. To avoid possible naming conflicts with future versions of Asta Powerproject, prefix the user-defined field name with a unique string such as your company name or a non-English word.
- Click OK to confirm the dialog and create the new user-defined field. The field is listed in the right-hand pane of the User Field Manager dialog for the selected table.
- Click Close to apply the user-defined field and close the User Field Manager dialog. Any views onto the active project are closed so that the database can be updated.
To enter a hyperlink into a 'URL'-type user-defined field
Either:
- Display the 'URL'-type user-defined field that you have created in the spreadsheet and enter a hyperlink into the appropriate spreadsheet column.
- Display the user-defined field in a text annotation and enter a hyperlink into the annotation.
- Enter a hyperlink into the column that appears in the right pane of Library Explorer, relating to the field.
- View the User Fields tab of the object's Properties dialog (or the appropriate user-defined table tab, if the field has been added to a user-defined table) and enter a hyperlink into the field on the dialog.
Once you have entered a hyperlink into a 'URL'-type user-defined field, ALT-click the hyperlink to open the document.