This type of action will create a link to an Active Display or Cross-Connect item selected by the user and save that link in a list that you identify in the action definition. Links can be created to any item in any list, so the resulting list of links can lead to items in any number and type of lists. The item in the link list can also include either static data defined in the action (e.g., text to be placed in the Notes column that should be the same for all of the links), or value(s) copied from the selected Active Display or Cross-Connect item (e.g., the person to whom the item is assigned).
NOTE: Several prompts on the Actions Wizard user interface were reworded in the Spring 2007 release for improved clarity and usability. In these cases, the reworded prompt is stated first, followed by a slash and the original prompt (e.g., Create a New Action Definition/Create a New Action).
1. When a Create Item Link action is executed, it writes to a list that is identified in the action definition. Therefore, you need to create that destination list before you create the action definition.
2. Select the Create a New Action Definition/Create a New Action button at the top of the Actions Wizard.
3. In the Site URL for Document Libraries/Site URL field, type the URL of the action library that will hold the new action definition, or a Global Link, and click Add. If the action library is located in the current site, this field can be left blank.
4. All of the libraries that have a type of Document Library and can therefore be used to store an action definition are displayed in the Document Library for Action Definition/Document Libraries area. Highlight the action library you want to use.
Actions cannot be written to an action library located in a sub-area.
5. Type the name of the new action definition in the Action Name field.
This is the name that will be displayed to users, so make sure the name makes the purpose of the action as clear as possible.
At the same time, keep in mind that the drop-down that displays the action titles will automatically resize to fit the longest title. As a result, CorasWorks recommends that you limit your action names to approximately 30 characters in length.
6. Use the Action Type drop-down to select Create Item Link. When you make this selection, the page is refreshed and the Configure Action Type section of the display is expanded with the appropriate entry fields for that action type.
7. In the Message Displayed for Successful Action field, type the message to be displayed to users when an action is completed successfully.
The default success and error messages for an instance of the Actions Wizard can be changed via the Localization tab on the administration interface.
As of Spring 2007, a default message of Success is placed in this field. The message can be changed if you wish.
8. In the Error Message Displayed for Failed Action field, type the message to be displayed to users when an action fails for any reason.
As of Spring 2007, a default message of Error is placed in this field. The message can be changed if you wish.
9. If you also want to include any SharePoint error details when an action fails, select the Include SharePoint Error Details checkbox. When this option is enabled, SharePoint details will be appended to the error message you define in the step above.
As of Spring 2007, this checkbox is selected by default
10. If you are working with Spring 2007 or a later release, and the user will be prompted for additional information when the action is executed, you have three options for the background color of the entry form displayed to the user when the action is executed:
To use the standard gray background for the entry form, leave the Background Color for Entry Form properties blank.
To specify a particular color for the entry form, click the Choose Color link and select the desired color from the Color Picker. You can also enter the hexadecimal value for the color if you wish.
To inherit the background color from the css file, select the Inherit from CSS checkbox. When you select this option, the entry field and the Color Picker to the left are disabled.
11. The Lists drop-down field is automatically populated with all of the lists available on the current site. If you want the item links created as a result of this action to be saved in a different site, type the URL for that site, or a Global Link, in the Add Site field.
12. In the Lists field, select the name of the list where you want the item link to be saved (the destination list). The page is refreshed.
13. If you are working with Spring 2007 or a later release, two buttons are displayed below the Lists drop-down. Choose one of these options:
Use List Specified Above Select this option if the action should be executed against the list in the URL identified above.
Use List Relative to Site Where Action is Run Select this option if the action should be executed against the list in whatever site the action is executed from. The action will look for a list with the same name in that site.
o You cannot use this option and identify a Global Link in Step 11 above. The Global Link will override this option.
14. The Column to Store URL in Destination List/Link Target Field area is populated with the names of all of the columns that can be used to store the link URL. Select the column you want to use.
NOTE: You should be aware of the maximum length of this column and the potential length of the URLs that may be stored, due to a SharePoint limitation. For example, if your sites are deeply nested and you use this action to create a link to an item in a document library, the URL for the link that is written may be longer than the 255 character limit for a single line text field. If you encounter this issue, you can change the URL column in the destination list to a multi-line text field. This will correct the issue and allow the action to write the item link to the destination list.
15. If you want the link item to include a copy of any attachments associated with the source item, select the Include Attachments checkbox. This feature was introduced in the Winter 2006 Update.
The size of the attachments allowed is dependent upon the virtual servers general settings.
16. A set of columns is displayed below the Link Target Field. These columns can be populated in the destination list item. You must select at least one column. You have several options for each column:
If you want the column to be populated with the same data as the selected item in the Active Display or Cross-Connect, place a mark in the left-most checkbox.
If you want the column to be populated with the same content every time a link item is created as a result of this action, type that static data in the entry field.
o Several functions are available for use in single and multi-line columns. For a listing and definitions, see the Additional Functions topic.
If you want the user to populate the column when the action is executed, choose the Select at Runtime checkbox.
o If the column must be populated, select the Required Field checkbox.
o If you want the column to be displayed in a different order on the entry form than it is on the Actions Wizard interface, type the desired order in the Entry Order field. If you leave this field blank, the column will be displayed in the same order as it is shown in the Actions Wizard.
If you want the column in the link item to be blank, leave it blank in the definition.
NOTE: You can use any combination of static data, data copied from the selected item, and data entered by the user at runtime for the columns displayed on the Actions Wizard interface. However, you should not try to select more than one for a single column. The Actions Wizard will not allow you to select both the left-most checkbox and the Select at Runtime checkbox. And if you select a checkbox and also enter a static value for a single column, the checkbox will take precedence when the action is executed.
17. If you are working with the Winter 2006 Update or a later release and the selected list includes date columns, a Date Picker with multiple drop-downs and checkboxes is available. You can:
Use the left-most checkbox to copy the date and time from the selected Active Display or Cross-Connect item when the action is executed.
Use the first drop-down to select a static date from a calendar. Navigate to the desired month and year and then click on the date you want to select.
Select the hour and minutes from a pair of drop-downs.
Select one of the CorasWorks date functions from a drop-down, so you do not need to identify a literal date. For a complete listing with definitions, please refer to the Date Functions section of this help topic.
Add or subtract the identified number of days from the existing value in the date column by entering a positive or negative number in the Day(s) entry field. If the date column is not currently populated, the days will be added or subtracted from todays date. If you want to subtract days, simply precede the number by a sign. If you want to add days, a symbol is not necessary.
Choose Select at Runtime to have the Action Runtime Interface (ARI) prompt the user the make a selection using any of the above options when the action is executed.
If you attempt to utilize multiple selection options, the Actions Framework will look for a date function first, then a Day(s) entry, and then a calendar date. There is no interaction between these methods, so, for example, it will not process a combination of a date function and a Day(s) value, such as adding five days to the first day of the first quarter.
18. When you are finished defining the new action, select Save. The action is now available for use in an Active Display or Cross-Connect.