1. User's Guide
  2. Smart View and Narrative Reporting
  3. Authoring Doclets
  4. Working with Linked Regular Doclets
  5. About Linked Regular Doclets

About Linked Regular Doclets

Linked regular doclets enable you to easily share common library documents across multiple report packages.

Documents stored in folders in the Narrative Reporting library can be added to report packages as linked regular doclets. A linked regular doclet maintains a persistent link to the library document. When the library document is updated, Narrative Reporting automatically updates all doclets linked to the library document. Narrative Reporting continues to update the doclet file until the doclet link is deactivated.

Linked regular doclets are an easy way to ensure the consistency of common content across report packages.

Note:

  • Linked doclets are applicable to regular doclets only.

  • Linked regular doclets are not supported for reference doclets and supplemental doclets.

  • Embedded content and variables are not supported in linked doclets.

  • Workflow activities, such as Submit, Approve, Reject, and Recall, apply to linked regular doclets. These tasks can be completed in Oracle Smart View for Office.

  • The link is deactivated when the doclet is marked complete.

The type of document you can specify as a linked regular doclet depends on the report package type,as shown in Table 23-1.

Table 23-1 Linked Doclet Support by Report Package Type

Report Package Type Document Type Supported for Linking

Word

Word

PowerPoint

PowerPoint

PDF

PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Reports

In Smart View, you can:

  • View the content of a linked regular doclet in a report package by selecting the doclet and clicking Open.

  • View the properties of a linked regular doclet by selecting the doclet in the Report Center either selecting Properties in the Action Panel or by clicking the Inspect button in the Narrative Reporting ribbon.

  • Perform these author phase workflow tasks on a linked regular doclet: Submit, Approve, Recall, Reject.

  • Replace the linked regular doclet, and thus remove the link, by checking out the linked regular doclet and clicking the Replace File button in the Narrative Reporting ribbon. Narrative Reporting warns you that the replacing the file will break the link. After confirming the Replace File operation, and checking in the unlinked doclet, the doclet becomes like any other regular doclet in the report package, and can be further authored, uploaded, checked in, submitted, approved, recalled, and rejected.

    Any changes made to the unlinked doclet are reflected only in the doclet in the current report package, and not in the library document that was linked to previously.

    Note that in Narrative Reporting web, the doclet link can also be removed or deactivated when the doclet is marked complete, the author phase is complete, or the report package is marked final.

To remove the link in a linked regular doclet, see Removing the Link in a Linked Regular Doclet.

Note:

After removing a doclet link or due to a broken link, if you need to reestablish the link to the library document (relink), you must perform the linking procedure in Narrative Reporting web. This procedure is not supported in Smart View. See Working with Linked Regular Doclets in Authoring and Approving Doclets for Narrative Reporting for more information.