Question

Practicality of relationship links versus Link Groups?

Laserfiche Workflow How To Ideas

Updated August 18, 2022

asked on August 8, 2022

We are running an automated consumption of files from another source and there are files that have matching metadata field values that I would like to have linked together (Primary key would a field called "recordNumber").

What is the use case for Links by relationships versus link groups?

I have learned that workflow is unable to create link groups in a WF process, but it can do relationship links.

The end goal would be to have the links created systematically as new files are consumed that have the matching recordNumber value, so I am thinking that the relationship links is the better option for this reason, unless someone can point out where I miss-stepped in my thinking.

Thoughts anyone?

0 0

Replies

replied on August 8, 2022

Hi Rob,

Have you seen the Admin Guide documentation on the two Link types? It discusses when you might want to use one vs the other.

In short, Document Relationships are 1-to-1 links between two documents (e.g., one doc Supersedes and the other is Superseded) while Link Groups connect larger groups of related documents (e.g., all associated with a particular Case Number).

Your scenario sounds like it matches the Link Group use case because you want multiple documents with this shared attribute (recordNumber) to be linked together.

While you're correct that Workflow doesn't have a built-in Activity to add documents to Link Groups, you can still use an SDK Script activity to automate that action. The relevant Laserfiche Repository Access SDK class is called VersionGroup; it contains the methods to create Link Groups and add entries to them.

If you don't have access to the Laserfiche .NET SDK documentation, please reach out to your Solution Provider.

Hope that helped!

Cheers,
Sam

0 0

replied on August 18, 2022

HI Sam

So actually the Link group was not appropriate for our use here as one document is a parent (an application) and all other files associated with that are children documents (supporting documents, plans, drawings, certification of staff, etc....)

Luckily, the document relationship is available in workflow as an activity so that worked out very well.

I do not really agree that the admin guide describes the difference very well between the two options:

Document links allow users to connect more than one document to one another. There are two types of links: document relationships, which connect two documents, and link groups, which connect larger groups of documents.

You can use document relationships to connect two related documents, such as e-mails and attachments or meeting agendas and agenda packets. Link groups are used to collect any number of related documents, such as all yearly reports, or all documents relation to a particular case.

That did not answer my original question and that is why I started this question.

In my use case it makes a lot more sense to have distinct relationships to the parent, and while I would like to have the children file linked together intermixed as well that is not as important as attributing the children to the parent file with a distinct relationship, which I do not think the Link Group can do (If I misunderstand let me know but the admin guide does not cover more granular distinction).

Thanks!

0 0

You are not allowed to follow up in this post.

Question

Question

Practicality of relationship links versus Link Groups?

Replies

Sign in to reply to this post.