How to best implement Metadata for Alfresco

[tyler_lovejoy]

I am a developer who is trying to implement an alfresco community edition.  I am very new to alfresco, but am trying to figure out how to implement a complicated metadata structure for a document library.  I want to be able to assign values to documents which can then be used for the search.  I have taken a look at categories, tags and some other options, but none seem to me to be able to fit my need exactly. 

This is what I want

- want to easily assign values to documents (sometimes using rules if possible)

- I want these values to be pulled from lists, that admin users (non-technical but higher permissions) are able to edit and change

- these values are hierarchical

- I want to be able to filter the document library by these values (and if you filter by a top hierarchy, all inner valued files are shown)

- I want to be able to search the entire system for these values

- When I perform a search, I want faceted results for these fields

- there are 5-8 distinctly different fields that have this same type of information

Please let me know if you need anything explained or have any questions, any tips would be helpful

[tyler_lovejoy]

I was able to get the amps installed, but now I am trying to set up the addon for my document library.  I see the readme on the git site has some stuff about putting into the share-config-custom but when I do that, it doesn't work, I do not see the field available on the site.  Do you have anymore information on how to set up the document library with these field?

Also, Is it easy to make these fields searchable?

[douglascrp]

Do you have a custom content model with a custom attribute you want to provide the list of options?

You should have something like a custom document type for Contract, and a custom attribute like, Status.

With that sample, you would have to configure the attribute Status to show the values from the datalist you created, like, Contract Situations.

[tyler_lovejoy]

I am starting with a fresh alfresco to test if this will work for my data.  I am using a list of States and Cities.  I created the Lists in the data Lists section with some data.  The States as Level 1 and the Cities as Level 2.  Now that I have that, how do I add that to the document library?  Preferably in the data properties. 

I created a Model, but I am unable to add these fields to that model, I am assuming there is no interface for this and I have to do via an xml file, but its not obvious how to do that

[douglascrp]

You need to create a custom type with the two new attributes, and then, for each for them, you have to include the configuration as described at the project's page.

All you have to do is to configure Share in order to show your custom type with the custom control for the new attributes.

I'm providing a link to a tutorial where you can see how Share forms are configured for custom types Working With Custom Content Types in Alfresco | ECMArchitect | Alfresco Developer Tutorials

I hope that helps you to understand the process.

[tyler_lovejoy]

I understand that process, but after I create the types, then I try to go into the xml and make them your types, thats where I am getting hung up.  Everytime I try to change the xml, it doesn't work.  It seems as though the information on the front page or in the readme is only part of the solution, so I was wondering if you could include a full example of the xml needed.

[douglascrp]

You have a full config file distributed inside the project as a sample.

Please, check this out alfresco-value-assistance/share-config-custom.xml at master · douglascrp/alfresco-value-assistance ·...

[tyler_lovejoy]

So after messing a round a bunch I was able to get this to work, quick question though, does this allow multiselect of any kind?  or just the drop down boxes?  I see a dynamic-selectmany file, but I cannot tell how to turn that on.  Let me know

Thanks!!!

[tyler_lovejoy]

So I am still trying to get this to work, when I install it with your amps, it creates some demo fields which I cannot get to work.  It also doesn't make any changes to the share custom config file.  Is this supposed to work? or are these just placeholders?  I do not see the models when I go to model manager, however the aspects are there.  But if I add those aspects to a file, it throws a big error.

Also, the share-config-custom.xml.sample that is included in your project does not have any alfresco-value-assistance related information in it as far as I can tell.  If I am wrong, can you point to which lines or set of lines?  I do not see anything.  There is a share-config-custom in the META-INF folder, but that xml file never makes it into my alfresco.  Should it be in there?  If so, where?  After searching thru the logs, this is the error I am getting:

Caused by: freemarker.core.InvalidReferenceException: The following has evaluated to null or missing:
==> field.control.params['level'] [in template "form-controls/dynamic-dropdown.ftl" at line 58, column 34]

Tip: If the failing expression is known to be legally null/missing, either specify a default value with myOptionalVar!myDefault, or use <#if myOptionalVar??>when-present<#else>when-missing</#if>. (These only cover the last step of the expression; to cover the whole expression, use parenthessis: (myOptionVar.foo)!myDefault, (myOptionVar.foo)??

The failing instruction (print stack trace for 14 more):
==> ${field.control.params["level"]} [in template "form-controls/dynamic-dropdown.ftl" at line 58, column 32]
at freemarker.core.InvalidReferenceException.getInstance(InvalidReferenceException.java:98)

Not sure if you have any ideas... Please let me know

[douglascrp]

I'm using this project without problems here.

Could you share your full project somewhere?

I cannot help you by looking at the error logs you are sharing. I need more information to make sure I understand the problems you are facing.

[tyler_lovejoy]

I solved that problem, with the first example (colors), you do not list what level you want to go down in the config, which throws that error.  I put level 1 and it worked.