Collections file types and folders
Contents
An Axiell Collections instance can be divided up in the installation of the Collections core software and the setup of the Collections application (the configuration files which make up the screens, the database table definitions, the data sources available to users, the output formats etc.). Some of the involved files and folders are of particular interest because you can edit those files via Axiell Designer or a text editor like Notepad++, and typically each file type is stored in its own sub folder. A selection:
Collections core software:
The Collections core software and any later updates are installed via the IIS procedure described in the installation manual for Collections. A local installation could end up in C:\inetpub\wwwroot\Collections\ for example, but it can be installed anywhere really. Only two sub folders underneath \Collections are relevant to know something about:
Content\Backgrounds\Login |
You may have noticed the large background images on the login screen of Collections, slowly changing to a different image every half minute. You can replace those images by one or more images of your own: images of your own institution for example, or images which indicate clearly that the particular instance of Collections is a test or production environment. Using Windows Explorer, those default image files can be found in the Content\Backgrounds\Login subfolder of your Collections core software folder. With administrator rights you can simply delete those image files and replace them by your own. Images do not need to have a particular size: if they are too small for the browser window, they will automatically be resized for display. Using images with a large resolution (say at least 1920x1080) gives a sharper result though. You won't need to recycle the Collections application pool after you're done, just pressing F5 in the Collections login screen or reopening Collections will show the new images. Note that every time the Collections core software is updated to a new version, the default images will be added to this folder again (next to your own), so you'll have to delete them manually after the update to have the image selection limited to your own again. |
App_Data |
This folder contains settings.example.xml which is overwritten with every update. You can use it to see which core software settings are available for the current core software version. |
App_Data\FileCache\chunks |
When very large files are linked to records in Collections, they will be chopped into small chunks during the upload. These chunks will temporarily be stored in this sub folder and removed when the record is saved. However, if the upload fails half way, it may be that the chunks uploaded so far remain behind in this folder and are not removed automatically. As this will reduce your available hard drive space, you should check this folder and remove its contents (when nobody is working in Collections) when your hard drive unexpectedly starts to run out of space. |
Collections application:
A Collections application can be installed anywhere and doesn't necessarily need to be in the same vicinity as the Collections core software. A Collections application folder typically contains a few standard sub folders:
Subfolder |
Contents |
adapls |
From application version 4.2, this folder contains all ADAPL source text files with the .ada or .inc extension, and all general, compiled adapls with the .bin extension. Adapls no longer appear in other folders. (Adapls are small, customizable programs which take care of certain secondary tasks, like printing in a particular format or the financial processing of an order.) The .ada and .inc files can be edited in a plain text editor. |
data |
Contains all database table definition files (.inf files). These files determine which datasets and fields there are (which types, length, and which tags), whether there are linked fields and to which databases and index they are linked, etc. The files can be edited in the database setup in the Designer Application browser. Note that the data itself is stored in a SQL database. The .inf files contain a reference to this SQL database. |
media or images |
Contains the media files (images, videos, documents, etc.) which you've linked to a media record in Collections. You never have to copy files to this folder yourself: when you link to an image file anywhere on your network from within Collections, Collections will copy the file for you to this folder (and may rename it to a GUID or leave the file name as is, depending on your application settings). |
Xplus, Library and/or Museum application folders |
Contains application definition files (.pbk files). A .pbk file specifies which databases tables must be accessible in a Collections application, and inside it which access points, which screens and which output formats can be used. These files can be edited in the Designer Application browser. |
screens |
All screen tab definition files (.fmt files) that are used in your Collections application, are located in this folder. Every screen is defined in its own .fmt file. Entry fields and other screen elements can be associated with database fields, in order to represent (part of) the content of a record from that database table. You can edit these files in the Designer Screen editor. |
texts |
Language-specific text files with translations of system messages and fixed texts for adapls, and possibly (.adh) contextual help files which are used by Collections. |
Worddoc |
Contains per sub folder any letters you generate with Word templates, from within records in Collections. |
Worddoc\templates |
Contains output format Word templates in different languages. You can edit edit these in MS Word. |
xslt |
Contains XSLT stylesheets for output formats and inline reports. These can be edited in an XML editor or plain text editor. |