1. About this guide

This document provides a comprehensive guide to using the KnowledgeWorker Office Integration tool.  The product overview describes the scope and key functionality of the Office Integration product and specifically, how you can access the repository from any of the Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel or PowerPoint).  The next section provides a description of each of the functions provided by the interface.

Each section contains a description of the key features and comprehensive “How to…” guides.

IMPORTANT: Throughout this guide all references to searching and publishing documents assume that the user understands the concept of the permissions controls provided by KnowledgeWorker.  For example, searches will only return references to folders and documents that the user has permission to see.

Selecting folders for publication will only be possible with folders that the user is allowed to see and to add content.  Publishing or versioning will only be possible where a user has permission to modify the content.

2. Product Overview

2.1 Description

The Office integration functionality has been in existence since the earliest versions of KnowledgeWorkerÒ.  The latest version, described here, provides a much higher level of functionality and in particular, supports the locating of documents directly from the Office Integration dialogue.

2.2 Office Version Compatibility

Office Integration is provided for the following versions of the Microsoft Office Suite:

• 2000 (SP3)
• 2002 (SP3)

The office integration functionality is provided as an Add-In to the Microsoft Office Suite.  The previous macro-based office integration components should be removed prior to the installation of the latest office integration add-in.  The instructions for removing the previous macros can be found in the Administration Guide.

The latest office integration Add-In offers several advantages over the previous macros even though both utilise VBA.  These advantages include: -

• Less impact on the security settings of the office application
• Avoids potential integration problems with customised document templates

2.3 The Office Integration Interface

The features now provided are:

• Publish a new document to the repository
• Add a new version to an existing document in the repository
• Modify the meta data when the document is published
• Save back to the repository a document that has been created using the KnowledgeWorker Generate Letter feature
• Add a new version of a document that has been created using the KnowledgeWorker Generate Letter feature
• Check-Out and Check-In documents including the benefits of fast Check-Out
• The KnowledgeWorker search functionality is now available directly from the Office Integration dialogue. From the resultant search list, you may view or Check-Out any of the listed documents for which you have the appropriate permissions.

NOTE: When any recognised Office document is opened from the Office Integration dialogue Windows will attempt to open that document with the correct application i.e. Word, Excel or PowerPoint.  These applications, or the appropriate Microsoft viewer software, must be installed on the client PC.  Certain other document types such as .txt files will open in an Internet Explorer Window.  All other file types will cause the dialogue below to appear.

You have the option to Cancel the operation or Save the file using the normal Windows dialogue.  You may subsequently open in the normal way from the operating system.

 

3. Publishing using Office Integration

3.1 Description

The process of publishing new documents and adding new versions to documents that already exist in the repository is identical for each of the Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).  Once you have clicked the Publish to KnowledgeWorker button the steps involved are:

• Login to the repository
• Locate the desired area within the repository
• Identify the document to be versioned OR enter the name of the new document
• Click on Save

OPTIONAL

• You may add Meta data to a new document                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Note: You will not be permitted to add items to a location in which you only have view permissions (See and See Content) or to version a document for which you only have view permissions. You may be prompted to add Meta data to a document where a category has been assigned to the containing folder because this is mandatory functionality.

Access to the publish functions is via the toolbar as shown in the following figure.  You must ensure that the toolbar is visible via the Office main menu View->Toolbars->KnowledgeWorker.

In order to maintain system security, each time you open the publish dialogue you will be required to login using your user name and password. See the section How to – Login / Connect

IMPORTANT

Unlike previous versions of the publish feature, the dialogue can be kept open on the desktop and used repeatedly to process Office documents.  However, you must be aware that when using any of the functions that update the repository, adding a document, adding new versions, the action will be performed using the currently active Office document.

For example, if you have been processing a PowerPoint document but wish to save a Word document that is also open, you must click on the open Word document to make sure that is the active document before performing the Save from the Office integration dialogue.

3.2 The Office Publish dialogue

Before reading each section, it is worth spending a little time to become acquainted with the Publishing dialogue.

Note: Unlike Explorer, in navigating to the desired folder it is necessary to click on the folder name before the plus sign is displayed.  There are system performance reasons for implementing the feature in this way.

3.2.1 Maximum number of items displayed

One of the values that control the way the dialogue displays items in the folders is the Max Results value in the connection settings, see the section Changing the repository connection.

In the example below the number of items is restricted to the first six.

Clicking the icon shown above will refresh the dialogue and display an additional number of items equal to the value of Max Results.  In the example shown below, a further six items have been displayed.

When all items in the folder have been displayed the icon will disappear.

3.3 How to – Login / Connect

You need to login whenever you wish to use any of the Office Integration functions and the Publish dialogue is not currently open.

Clicking the Publish to KnowledgeWorker button will launch the login dialogue shown below.

IMPORTANT

If this is the first time you have used Office Integration you will find that the fields shown above are blank.  You MUST click the Settings button to setup the relevant connection information.  This information is normally provided by your system administrator and in most cases will be set up for you.

These settings will have to be changed if, for any reason, the repository access information has changed, e.g. the website has been moved, a new / different repository is to be accessed etc. See the section How to – Change the repository connection

Once your settings have been established then accessing the repository should simply be a matter of entering your password and clicking the Login button.

3.4 How to – Publish a document in the repository

Once you have successfully logged in, the Publish dialogue, as previously described, will be displayed.  Follow the steps below to publish your document.

• Login to the repository (if required i.e. the Publish dialogue is not currently open)

See How to – Login / Connect

• Locate the area within the repository

Use the left‑hand pane to navigate to your folder, either in the library or inside the Projects folder or if required, identify the required task in the Task Inbox.

Below shows the library expanded to display My Folder and the current contents.

• Identify the document

To add a new document, enter the name in the Document Title box.

To add a new version of an existing document, highlight the document in the repository.

NOTE – The document will only be checked-in if the Check In box is selected, else the document will simply be versioned.

• Save the document in the repository

Your document has now been added or versioned in the selected location in the repository.

You will then see one of the following acknowledgements.

 

When a new document has been added:

When an existing document has been versioned / Checked-in:

OPTIONAL

• Changing the category information associated with the document

When adding a new document, you may supply Meta data to be stored against that document.

IMPORTANT NOTES: You may change the Meta data associated with the document when you add a new version OR check in a document to the repository.

When the folder has been defined with a category adding a document to it will automatically enable the apply category checkbox.

Before saving the document tick the Apply Category option box at the bottom of the dialogue.

Having selected Apply Category, when you click on Save, the category update dialogue will be displayed as shown below.

3.5 How to – attach a document to a workflow.

You can attach documents to workflows via tasks currently in your Task Inbox (see below).

3.6 How to – View / Check-out a document from the repository

As part of extending the general management of your documents from the Publish dialogue you may now Check-out and Check-in your documents from the Office Integration dialogue.

Step 1 - If necessary, login to the repository

Step 2 - Navigate to the location where the document is stored as show below

Step 3 - Double-click the file name.  If you are only permitted to view the document it will immediately be launched in the appropriate application or viewer.  If you have the permissions to modify the document, then you will be provided with the dialogue shown below.  From this dialogue you can confirm that you wish to “Check-Out” the document or simply open it for viewing.

All your currently checked out documents will be shown under a separate folder entry in the left pane as show below. 

Note - When you are ready to save a document that you have previously checked out it is advisable to use the Checked-out documents list rather than navigating to the location in the folder structure.  This will ensure that you are checking in your own documents and not one another user is editing.

Checked out documents are shown as being checked out when viewed in their folder.

Double-clicking a checked-out document checked out by another user will cause the document to be opened for viewing only.

NOTE - If you attempt to Check-Out the same document twice, the following message will appear.

Click Yes if you wish to close the currently opened version of the document and download the file from the repository again.

Click No to cancel the Check-out operation and continue working in the previously opened version of the document.

3.7 How to – Check-in a document previously checked out

To complete the management functionality, you may now Check-In documents previously checked out either using the Publish dialogue as described above or, indeed, via the main the document management functions accessed via your browser.

If the Publish dialogue is still open from when the document was checked out, as shown below, and the correct document name is still highlighted you can simply click the Save button to check the document back into the repository.

It is however recommended practice that you select Checked Out Documents from the left panel and locate you checked-out document from here.  Navigating the Library for Checked Out documents may result in you attempting to update a document currently being edited by another user for which you receive an error message.

Step 1 - Login to the repository

Step 2 - Location the document and highlight the document and the name will appear in the Document Title

Step 3 - Click the Save button to Check-In the document

OPTION

You may, if required, create or amend the Meta data associated with this document by checking the Apply Category box.

1.1 How to – Use fast checkout

The fast checkout feature needs to be switched ON by your repository administrator.  If this is enabled, the process of checking out and checking in documents is made simpler but its use is intended for situations where the amendments can be completed in a relatively short space of time, hours rather than days.  There is an associated time limit from a document being checked out for the associated fast check in functionality; this parameter is also be managed by your repository administrator.

Fast checkout operates as follows: -

• Check out the require document, either via the Office Integration dialogue or from the browser

If you have checked out the document using Office Integration you may now close the publish dialogue.

• Make your required amendments to the document.
• Click on the Publish to KnowledgeWorker button and if you have completed the operation within the time limit set for the fast check out facility, the document will be checked in without the need to complete the login process. If the fast check in time limit has elapsed you will need to login, navigate to the checked-out items, and save the document in the normal way.

3.9 How to - Save a letter created by the KnowledgeWorker™ Generate Letter feature

NOTE – This feature only applies to documents that have been opened in Word automatically by the Letter Generation process and are to be attached to a workflow task. 

To save the document simply click the Save button. A dialogue will be displayed requesting you to confirm your repository password and then the document will be saved as an attachment to the workflow from where the letter was generated.

3.10 How to - Version a letter created by the KnowledgeWorker™ Generate Letter feature

NOTE – This feature only applies to documents attached to workflow tasks that have been opened using the Amend Document link.

To save the document simply click the Save button and after confirming the repository password, the document will be saved as a new version of the attachment.

4. Searching the repository

Office Integration now supports the ability to search the repository for you documents.  This functionality is similar to the content search functionality provided from the browser interface.  Only documents that you have permission to and would normally find in the content search are listed.

• If necessary, login to the repository
• Click the Search tab to display the Office Integration search pane

• Enter your search information into the Query box. This will be content that appears within the documents.
• Select your required options

Options:

Files - Will cause only current versions of documents held in the repository to be search and returned.

File Versions - Will cause all previous versions of any documents held in the repository to be included in the search and returned.

Free text - Controls the way in which the query is interpreted.

                        ON - The entire entered string will be used.  Additionally, the inclusion of the wildcard (*) can be used.

                        OFF - The search will look for any of the words being present in a document and Boolean logic (AND, NEAR or OR) to be utilised to help restrict the search results.

Note:  Users are recommended to review the section in the User Guide for Content Search functionality for a more detailed explanation.

4.1.1 Search Examples

To illustrate the functionality, the searches below are based on the following documents in the repository being available to the user.

• My Word Document 01 – contains the word Knowledge
• My Word Document 02 – contains the word Worker
• My Word Document 03 – contains the words Knowledge Worker                                                     T

There are a number of documents containing the text KnowledgeWorker™.

1. Search for all documents containing the word Knowledge.

2. Search for all documents containing the word Worker.

3. Search for all documents containing the words Knowledge OR Worker.

4. Search for all documents containing the phrase Knowledge Worker (note the Free Text option is ON).

5. An option to the previous search is to look for all documents that contain the words Knowledge AND worker (note the Free Text option must be OFF).

With the Free Text OFF, you may use other logical connections such OR, NEAR etc.

From the results Window you can open, check out and subsequently check in or add a new version of a document in the repository in exactly the same way as that described in the earlier sections.

5. Changing the repository connection

Your connection should be set up and managed by the repository administrator. The following is provided for completeness.

The connection information held by the Office Integration interface consists of:

Web URL - The location (URL) of the Office Integration server software, which will normally be provided by your repository administrator

User Name - Your user login name / identity for the repository

Server Name - The repository name

Max Results - The maximum number of items fetched per round trip to the server for display within a folder

Temp Path - The folder location on your PC where Office Integration can store its temporary files

Note:  Where the Office Integration is being run on the same machine as the server then it is important that this location is NOT the same as temporary path used for the repository.

Default Area - This allows you to identify the area of the repository used most when you are publishing

Your repository administrator should manage or advise on the need to change the Web URL.

You will need to change the User ID if you have been given a different the repository login ID.

You will need to change the Server Name if you require access to a different repository.