Linking an Asset
Last Updated: 17 Dec 2015
Linking an asset duplicates the asset and its dependent assets in another location in your system. This is useful if you want an asset to appear in many different locations in your Site. For example, if you want the Contact Us page to appear under both the Squiz page and the About Us page, you can link the Contact Us page to both locations. You will only be able to link assets that you have Write Permission on.
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When you link an asset, both assets will have the same asset ID. This is because both assets are the same except just in different locations. When you edit one of these assets it will update the other asset and vice-versa. The only thing that is independent is the link type. One linked asset can be a TYPE_1 link and the other a TYPE_2 link. For example, the Contact Us page under the Squiz page could be a TYPE_1 linked asset and the Contact Us page under the About Us page could be a TYPE_2 linked asset. Deleting one of these linked assets will not delete the other asset. To delete all linked assets, use the Delete Link fields on the Linking screen of an asset.
New Link Here menu
For more information on TYPE_1, TYPE_2 and the Linking screen, refer to the Linking Screen chapter in the Asset Screens manual.
To link an asset, drag and drop the asset into the location that you want to link it, and select Link Here.
Dropping an asset directly onto a parent asset and selecting Link Here will link the asset under this parent asset as a child, for example, linking an asset under a Site.
If you are using the old Java-based Asset Map, left click on the icon of the asset.
Line selector
When you move your mouse in the Asset Map, a black line will follow the mouse cursor. To link the asset in between two assets in the Asset Map, place the line in between them. For example, to link the asset in between the Squiz and About Us pages, place the line in between the two assets, as shown in the figure to the right.
Box selector
To link the asset as a child of another asset, place the box around the parent asset. For example, to link the asset under the About Us page, place the box around the About Us asset, as shown in the figure to the left. You will only be able to link assets as a child of another asset if you have Write Permission to the parent. For example, this user needs to have Write Permission to the About Us page to be able to link the Copyright page under it.
Once you have placed the line where you would like to link the asset, left click and select New Link Here. To cancel the link, you can select Cancel instead. If you try to link an asset in the wrong location, you will receive an error message. For example, if you try to link a Standard Page into the Media Folder, you will receive an error message, as you can only add files and documents to the Media Folder.
Once you have clicked New Link Here, a HIPO job will appear in a new window asking you to confirm that you would like to link the asset, as shown in the figure below.
A HIPO Job
If you wish to continue with the link, click the Next>> button; the HIPO job will be processed and the asset will be linked. If you want to cancel the link, click the Cancel button.
When an asset is linked, various settings including the Permissions, Metadata Schemas, Workflow Schemas and Roles are inherited from its new parent. Backend Users cannot apply some of these settings to assets and these users may receive a number of warning messages once the HIPO Jobhas been completed. The asset, however, will still be linked with its parent settings applied.
New Link menu option
Linking Multiple Assets
If you want to link multiple assets in the Asset Map, highlight the assets and drag and drop these assets into the location you want to link them, and select New Link Here.
Dropping a group of assets directly onto a parent asset and selecting New Link Here will link these assets under this parent asset as children, for example, linking assets under a Site.
If you are using the old Java-based Asset Map, hold down the Shift key or the Ctrl key on the keyboard and select the assets you want to link in the Asset Map. For example, if you wanted to link the Copyright, Privacy Policy and Contact Us pages in the Asset Map, hold down the Shift key and select the Copyright, Privacy Policy and Contact Us pages, as shown in the figure to the right.
Once you have selected the assets you want to link, right click on one of the selected assets; a menu will appear, as shown in the figure to the right. Select New Link from the menu.
Line selector
When you move your mouse in the Asset Map, a black line will follow the mouse cursor. To link the assets in between two assets in the Asset Map, place the line in between them. For example, to link the assets in between the Squiz and About Us pages, place the line in between the two assets, as shown in the figure to the left.
Box selector
To link the assets as a child of another asset, place the box around the parent asset. For example, to link the assets under the Site, place the box around the Site asset, as shown in the figure to the right. You will only be able to link assets as a child of another asset if you have Write Permission to the parent. For example, this user needs to have Write Permission to the Site to be able to link these assets under it.
Once you have clicked New Link Here, a HIPO job will appear in a new window asking you to confirm that you would like to link the assets, as shown in the figure on the below.
A HIPO Job
If you wish to continue with the link, click the Next>> button; the HIPO job will be processed and the assets will linked. If you want to cancel the link, click the Cancel button.
Link Type Values
The Link Types available within Squiz Matrix are allocated numeric values for use in system configurations (e.g. web services). These Link Type values are outlined in the table below.
| Link Type | Value |
|---|---|
| TYPE_1 | 1 |
| TYPE_2 | 2 |
| TYPE_3 | 4 |
| NOTICE | 8 |
For more information on the Link Types available within Squiz Matrix, refer to the Linking Screen chapter in the Asset Screens manual.