6.5 Uploading and downloading several documents

6.5.1 Uploading multiple documents - extract

6.5.2 Downloading multiple documents - archive

6.5.1 Uploading multiple documents - extract

If you wish to upload several files at once to your Business Collaborator server, it is recommended that you use the ActiveX drag and drop uploader (see section 3.1.2) However, some users will not be able to benefit from this technology, e.g. users of Netscape Navigator and Macs. If you do not have permission to install or use ActiveX technology, you will also be unable to use the "Drag and drop" uploader. Instead, they may upload multiple files, or entire folders, using zip, or similar, technology.

Uploading a group of files individually could be quite time-consuming and so uploading a single file containing the same information is usually quicker. In addition, the single file (e.g. created by the Winzip application) is usually smaller than its constituent parts. The operation of separating the single file into its components is performed on the server and so is reasonably quick.

To use extract, you should:

• First, create a zip file on your local computer containing the files which you wish to upload. You will need to use the appropriate application. Alternatively, you may use any other application recognised by your Business Collaborator server - check the types of files which may be produced by  Selected  |  Archive  (see section 6.5.2) action on your server for a comprehensive list.
• Upload the zip file to your Business Collaborator server in the usual way (see section 3.1)
• Click  |  Extract  for the zip file which you have just uploaded. (Note that " Extract " appears automatically for any object whose contents are extractable.)
• Clicking on  |  Extract  will extract the object's contents into your bag (see section 3.6.2), as shown in Figure 6.5-1, allowing you to  |  Paste  the individual files separately, or as a group, into the required folder.
• To save space, the zip file should be deleted and destroyed after its contents have been extracted.

Figure 6.5-1: The contents of an archive file which have been successfully extracted.

Note 1

You cannot view the files while they are in your bag - the bag is simply a temporary storage location for these files. You must "Paste" them into a workspace or folder in order to read them.

Note 2

The structure of files uploaded in this way will be maintained. However, due to a limitation of the Winzip application, it is not possible to upload empty folders using this tool. However, if you have a structure of folders, including empty folders, in Business Collaborator which you wish to reuse, you may use workspace templates (see section 9.3) to reuse this structure.

6.5.2 Downloading multiple documents - archive

The reverse process to uploading several files as a single file and extracting the contents onto your Business Collaborator server is to create a composite file on the server using archive, download it and then separate out its constituent files on your local machine. Again, archive requires you to use third-party software such as Winzip.

The archive action can also be used to transform copies of a set of objects (folders, documents etc.) into one compact file -- an archive -- that saves storage space if stored on the server in the place of the original files. However, this function is especially useful for downloading numerous or big files as fast and cost-effectively as possible.

To create an archive:

• select all objects which you want to include by clicking their checkboxes. If you want to combine objects from different folders or workspaces in an archive, copy them to your bag. There, you should expand the 'current selection' so that all objects you want to archive are selected.
• then click  Selected   |  Archive  to bring up a form (as shown in Figure 6.5-2) that lets you select the archive format (tar or zip), compression (Gzip or Compress) and encoding (UUE) that you and/or the recipients of the archive can process on their local systems. (If in doubt, use the default settings.)
• click on "Create archive" to confirm your changes to the Business Collaborator server.
• It will be confirmed that the archive file has been created in your bag and you will be able to
  • download the file directly by right clicking on it - see section 6.1
  • go into your bag by clicking on the link provided
  • return to a folder view somewhere, e.g. to paste the zip file.
• once on your local computer, the contents of the zip file may be unarchived using an application such as Winzip
• to save space, the zip file should be deleted and destroyed after it has been downloaded

Figure 6.5-2: Creating an archive.

Note 1

Archiving does not affect the original objects in any way. To actually save storage space on the Business Collaborator server, you have to delete and destroy the original objects.

Note 2

The archive formats cannot incorporate the meta information (owner of a document, event history, description, access rights etc.) that Business Collaborator manages for each object. The meta-information is omitted in the archive. In particular, information about members of workspaces or shared folders and participants of meeting objects is lost in the archiving process.