Attach documents
You can add attachments to a record, e.g. Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files. Besides these, other records can also be added as record attachments. You can only add attachments to a record if you have either write access to documents or full write access. You can add attachments while the record is in read-only mode.
The figure below depicts a record with one attached Office documents and three record attachments (1).
Attachments are added via the “Attachment” menu group (2) in the record ribbon. This includes documents based on Microsoft Office templates, files on the local PC, and items in F2. The separate functions are presented in the following sections.
Managing and working with record documents are described in the article The record documents.
New document from template
The New document from template menu item opens the "Select document template" dialogue where a new Office document can be created based on personal and shared document templates.
The left side of the dialogue shows a list of all available templates. Use the search field above the list of templates to search for specific templates. In the right side of the dialogue, you can preview the selected template. You can also use the ribbon’s menu items Properties to see the template’s properties or Export to save a copy of the template somewhere outside F2.
Choose a document template in the dialogue and click OK. Name the document and click OK again.
F2 opens the document in an associated programme. If you selected a text document, Word or another text editor will open. The programme that opens depends on the file associations on your computer.
You can then work on the document as if you had opened the programme directly from Windows. Since the document is attached to the record, you only need to work in the programme and save your work there. F2 will automatically update the record with the document’s changes.
| Even if the associated programme crashes, you will not lose your work since F2 regularly saves a version of the document. |
All users may create document templates. Shared templates and unit templates are created by users with the “Template administrator” privilege.
Attachment
Clicking Attachment opens the Windows File Explorer where a file can be selected and attached to the open record. The function is identical to the Attach file function described below.
The “Attachment” drop-down menu contains the following options:
These options are described below.
Attach file
This function lets the user search for and attach documents from various external sources, such as the user’s PC, memory sticks, DVDs, etc.
Click Attach file to open the File Explorer from which a file can be selected and imported into F2. You can also drag and drop a file into the record’s document area to attach it.
| Only files - not folders - may be transferred to F2. |
Importing a file through the import folder
A file can be imported to F2 through the import folder in File Explorer. The import folder can be found here: %AppData%\cBrain\F2\F2 Archive folder.
Add files to this folder to import them into F2. A record will be created for each file, with the record title being the file name. The user will be set as responsible for the record.
The image below shows an example of an import folder in Windows containing the PDF file “Overview plans for the harbour renewal 2017”. When the F2 window becomes active, a record will be created to which this file is attached.
Attach records from F2
The Attach records from F2 menu item lets the user add a record as an attachment to a record.
Click Attach records from F2 to open the “Choose records” dialogue which contains the same search options as F2’s main window. These are used for adding one or more records to the open record.
The search window and the attachment process are identical to those described above in the section Attaching a document from F2. The one difference is that the user must also select the record format in the "Format" menu group, i.e. whether it is attached as a “Record attachment” or a “PDF”.
A “Record attachment” contains the record document, a PDF of its metadata, and its attached documents (if any) in their original format. A record attachment is shown in the document area as a folder that can be expanded to show a list of documents.
The “PDF” option will add a PDF file containing the record metadata, the record document and its attachments.
The section Record attachments in the document area describes this in further detail.
It is possible to select multiple records in the main window and drag them to a record to add them as copies. The copied records are attached as record attachments.
The procedure is the same as when copying documents from the main window.
Record attachments in the document area
A record attached as a record attachment is displayed with a folder icon which can be expanded to show a PDF with metadata and the record’s attachments in their original format.
The attached record is a copy of the original.
It is possible to edit the documents of an attached record. To apply these changes to the original document as well, right-click the document in the document area and select Overwrite original.
Before the content is overwritten, F2 asks you to confirm.
It is not possible to attach a record as a record attachment if that record has a record attachment itself. If you attempt to attach such a record, F2 will offer to attach the record without its record attachments.
It is possible, however, to add the record including its record attachments by selecting the “PDF” option.
An email record may contain other email records as attachments which in turn may contain attached email records or documents. When such an email is imported into F2, all its attachments are created as documents on the record, i.e. the structure from the email will not be reflected in F2.
Attach a document from F2
The Attach document from F2 menu item lets the user search and copy attachments from other records to the open record.
Click Attach document from F2 to open the “Choose documents” window which has the same search options as the main window. Use these to attach one or more documents.
Select Show documents above the result list. When a document is selected, a preview appears in the right side of the window.
Double-click a document to attach it and close the dialogue. The document is then copied and attached to the open record.
To attach multiple documents to the record, click Add document(s) in the search window’s ribbon. Find the wanted documents and add them to the “Chosen documents” field. Click OK to copy and attach the documents to the record.
The “Search window” tab offers the following options:
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
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When one or more documents have been added to the “Selected documents” field in the dialogue ribbon, click OK to attach them to the record. |
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Exit the window without attaching any documents. |
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Click Choose multiple documents to display the “Selected documents” field. When this field is visible, the function is inactive regardless of the number of documents shown in “Selected documents”. F2 automatically switches when the user selects one or more documents and clicks Add document(s). If all documents are removed from the “Selected cases” field, F2 automatically switches back to Choose one document. This makes it easier to see if one or several documents are being added to the record. |
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Adds the document(s) selected in the result list. The selected document(s) can be seen in the “Selected documents” field in the dialogue ribbon. |
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The “Selected documents” field shows the documents selected by the user. To remove a document from the field, click the |
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Removes all documents in the “Selected documents” field in the dialogue ribbon. |
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Perform an advanced search using metadata fields. |
| Record documents from other records can also be attached, but these attachments cannot be edited. |
Select and copy multiple documents to a record
It is possible to copy multiple documents to a record by selecting them in the main window and dragging them to the record window.
Arrange F2’s main window next to the record window to which the documents must be copied as shown below.
Select a list, e.g. “My inbox”, and click Show documents to view the documents of the selected list.
Select the documents to copy to the record and drag them from the main window to the record window as shown below.
Drop the documents in the document area to attach copies of them to the record.
Attach document from same case
The Attach document from same case menu item is similar to the Attach documents from F2 menu item. The difference is that the former function narrows down the documents that may be attached to those of the case to which the current record belongs.
Click Attach document from same case to open the “Choose documents” window. The window automatically shows the documents from the case to which the record is attached. Select one or more documents to attach to the record.
The “Choose documents” dialogue is described in the Attaching a document from F2 section.
