It is possible to create a module with just textual information. In this case, the content is all included in the CNXML file of the module. But in some cases you may want to include associated files with your module content, like an image, video, PDF, PPT, or other file.
You can upload associated files on the "Files" tab at the top of the module edit page. In this case, the module is really more like a "box", which can contain any number of files associated with the module in addition to the CNXML file itself. When you upload files, you create an instance of the file in Connexions that you can then link to from your module for readers to download, or even embed directly into your module.
This module will explain how to:
Before you add an associated file to a module, please note the
following guidelines for files and filenames:
- The size of a file must be smaller than 50 MB.
- The first character in a filename cannot be a digit. For
example, a file named "1965mustangphoto.gif" would result in an
error. Renaming
the file to "photo1965mustang.gif" prevents the error.
- A filename cannot contain an embedded blank space. For
example, the file named "eiffel tower.png" would cause an error.
Renaming the
file to "eiffel_tower.png" or "eiffeltower.png" prevents the error.
- Use only alphanumeric, "." (dot), "-" (hyphen), and "_"
(underscore) characters in a filename.
- Multimedia files must have a
recognized MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension) type.
To add a file to a module, use the following steps:
- Click on the "Files" tab. This page shows a list of all included files in the module. The
index.cnxml file exists in every module -- this is the CNXML file that creates the module contents which you edit on the Edit tab.
- Click the
Add new image/included file button to add a file.
- Click
Browse to navigate to the file in your system that you want to upload. - Click the blue
Upload button to upload the file into
Connexions. A confirmation message will display, along with a preview if
the file is an image.
- Click the
<<Return to file listing for module link at the top of the page to return to a list of all files uploaded to this module. Here you can click the Add new image/included file button and start the process over to upload another file.
If you have a lot of files that you want to include in a module, uploading them one by one can take a while. You can use the ZIP importer to import multiple files at once.
Readers can download a file that you added in two ways.
- By adding the file to the module's Featured Links. This is probably the easiest way, but although the links appear online, they will not be included in the PDFs that are automatically generated.
- You can add a link to the file within the module text. If the file you added was called "myfile.doc", you would add the following snippet to your module. "Download this
<link resource="myfile.doc">file.</link>" More instructions on adding links in modules can be found on the <link> eip-help page.
You can also
embed the file into the CNXML document using the CNXML
<media> tags.
Do not remove or rename the index.cnxml file. This file holds the text and CNXML-markup of your module.
To remove a file from a module, select the checkbox next to the title
of the file you want to remove and click Remove. You can select
multiple files in the module and remove them in one operation.
To rename a file in a module, use the following steps:
- Select the checkbox next to the title of the file you want to rename
and click
Rename. The "Rename items" screen displays. - Enter the new name for the file in the "New File Name" field.
- Click
Rename All. You can rename multiple files at one
time by selecting more than one item by clicking on the work area contents
screen. - Update any existing links in your module to point to the new file name.
The files displayed on the "Files" tab are updated to reflect the
changes.
To copy and paste files in one module to a different module, use the following steps:
- Select the checkbox next to the title of the files you want to
cut or copy and click
Cut or Copy.
Cut removes the original item at the end of this process.
Copy leaves the original item in its present location. - Display the location where you wish to paste the file, such as
another module or work area, and click
Paste.
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