How to create a relationship between records

[alberzan]

Hi all.

I'd like to learn more about relationships in RM module, but have not found documentation about this issue.
Into the the Management Console I've found how to define relationships (just a label + type, not enough).
The on-line help seems to contain a mistake ("relationships" section is missing and the "search" one exists 2 times…)

My goal is:
- create a binding between 2 or more existing records.
- better (if possible), define metadata-based relationships (e.g. all the records having the same value of "originator" will be in relationship)

Could anyone help me in this topic?
Thank you in advance!!!

[jayagopalan]

Hi
check references section in RM feature list

http://wiki.alfresco.com/wiki/Alfresco_Community_Edition_3.2r_RM_Feature_List#References

References helps to create relationships between records.

While viewing the record with in share check for "Manage references" menu which allows you to relate records.

- Jay

[alberzan]

Thank you very much Jay!

Ididn't see the references section at the bottom-right corner (my fault)

Thus, currently it's not possible to define references based on metadata values? for example all the records having the same value of "originator" will be in relationship?
Someone knows if this feature will be realised in future?

Bye.
Alb.

[carlos_miguens]

Hi Alb

There was no requirement to do what you ask for DoD and indeed I've not seen this requirement before in RM. The references (relationships ) are used to link together two records only.

Can you tell us more about what your requirement is? I'd like to know what use you would put this to and how you would see this requirement working.

Thanks
Carlos

[alberzan]

Hi Carlos
In my document repository, two or more record will be logically "related" because all of them have the same field value.
An example could be a legal document and their attachments, or an e-mail message and replies, etc… In every case they could be bound through a common metadata value.
I'd like to see all these records automatically related when declared, without an explicit and manual relation to link.
Obviously, the RM-admin should define the involved metadata and their relationship rules.
Thanks!
Bye, Alb.

[carlos_miguens]

Hi Alb,

I understand now. I'm not sure whether we are getting requirements confused with implementation here though.

For example when an email record is filed and before it is declared, you have the option to split email attachments (try it). When this happens the system will create a relationship automatically between the email message and its attachments.

Similarly you could programmatically create relationships between records which you know should be related, e.g. your legal document with attachments.

The notion of using a metadata value to automatically relate documents would be problematic on several fronts, for example you could not guarantee that the value had not been used in the system already, so that you end up with relationships which you did not intend to have. It would also mean that the metadata chosen could not be updated indvidually on each record.

If you know that a relationship exists between one of more records it needs to be created as an explicit relationship - this can of course be done programmatically.
Carlos