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Edit and delete compound objects in the Web Editor

Learn how to edit metadata, edit structure, and delete compound objects in the Web Editor.

Editing and deleting a compound object with the Web Editor begins the same way as creating a compound object—with searching for the object that you need to edit or delete. Your search results may contain the compound object and the files that make up that compound object. Files are included so that if you are searching for a term, you will be able to find that term in the specific page.

After the compound object has been identified in your search results, you can:

  • Edit, add, and delete metadata, the information about the compound object itself. Included in this is assigning item permissions if you have the appropriate administrative rights.
  • 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 sections of the structure of the compound object.

You cannot edit the structure or delete individual pages of PDF compound objects by using the Web Editor. To change the structure or delete individual pages of PDF compound objects, you must delete the compound object from the collection, update the structure or remove the pages in the original PDF file, and import the file again. However, you can edit PDF compound object page titles using the Project Client.

You must have permissions to edit metadata to use these functions.

Common steps in editing or deleting a compound object

  1. Select Edit from the Items tab.
  2. Enter the criteria for the items that you wish to search for and click Search. The Results page opens. Notice that for compound objects you have the option to edit metadata or structure or delete.
  3. Choose from one of the following: Metadata | Structure | Delete. (The Structure link will not display for PDF compound objects.)

Editing 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 to edit page-level metadata.
  3. In the Edit item page, view the compound object, if desired.
  4. Add, edit or delete metadata.
  5. Apply or edit permissions, if desired.
  6. Click Save Changes.

Using 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 or a shared controlled vocabulary, you can view the current controlled vocabulary by clicking the controlled vocabulary or shared controlled vocabulary link.

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 return 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.

Editing permissions

Permissions specify who can view items in a collection. Setting item-level permissions overrides collection-level permissions. 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 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.

When you set access permissions for PDF compound objects, the permissions apply to all pages of the compound object. You cannot set different access permissions for individual pages.

Edit item permissions

  1. In the edit item page, click Edit in the Permissions row.
  2. To restrict items based on user name:
    • Enter the user names of the persons for whom you what to grant access. Separate user names with semicolons. For example, Chris Jones; Jordan Lee.
  3. To restrict items based on IP addresses:
    • Enter the IP address from where you want to grant access. 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 range examples:
      • 192.168.210-219.1
      • 192.168.219.1-49
      • 192.168.210-213.*
  4. Select whether you want the permissions to apply to just the item, allowing the metadata to be viewable by clicking the check box next to Permissions are required for items only. Metadata is viewable by all users.
  5. Click Save Changes.

Editing 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.

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

 Note: You cannot edit the structure or delete individual pages of PDF compound objects by using the Web Editor. To change the structure or delete individual pages of PDF compound objects, you must delete the compound object from the collection, update the structure or remove the pages in the original PDF file, and import the file again. However, you can edit PDF compound object page titles using the Project Client.

Change page titles when editing structure

  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. (Names can consist of up to 255 characters.)
  3. Click Change.
  4. After you have made all changes that you wish to the compound object structure, click Save Changes.

Delete pages and nodes when editing structure

  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. If you are deleting a node of a monograph, all of its subpages and nodes will also be deleted. You will be asked to confirm that you wish to delete the node and all of its subpages. Click OK.
  4. 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. 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 option in is 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.

Deleting compound objects

Before you delete 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. The delete mode is set at the top of the results page.

 Note: 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.

Delete a compound object

  1. In the Results page, select the delete mode. Choose Delete compound object only if you wish to delete only the XML wrapper that creates a compound object (and leave its subpages). Choose Delete compound object and its subpages if you wish to delete the XML wrapper that creates the compound object and the subpages that make up the compound object.
  2. Click Delete in the compound object row.

Delete a PDF compound object

  1. In the Results page, select the PDF compound object.
  2. Click Delete. A confirmation dialog box displays.
  3. Click OK to confirm.

Remember to index the collection to update changes.