Links to files

With lexiCan you can easily insert links to files in an article. Such references can be used to link articles and information in file form and to open files quickly and directly from the article.

Set links to files

Select the article in question and take it into editing. Place the cursor where you want the reference to appear or select existing text for the link. Then click on "File" in the "Insert" menu bar. Via the pull-down menu you then have the choice between "Existing file" and "New file".

Alternatively, you can use the context menu via the right mouse button.

Files can be assigned to any number of articles and references to avoid duplication.

When selecting "New file", navigate to the file to be inserted with the help of the file manager. After selecting one or, by holding down the CTRL key, several files and confirming, lexiCan asks in a dialogue window how they are to be inserted into the project.

The decision at this point depends on the respective situation. If a file is subject to frequent changes, it is advisable to use a reference (network link), as changes can be saved without any problems after being called up from lexiCan. If, on the other hand, you want to carry your project with you, e.g. on an external data carrier, only a copy of the file comes into question. In the following table you will find more information on the question "Copy or reference?".

Copy

Reference

In these cases

File is used only in the lexiCan project
Project should be portable

>> Access to file is always guaranteed

File is opened and used via lexiCan AND via normal file explorer
File must often be modified

>> No more access after changing storage paths or file names

Make the right selection for you. Then lexiCan inserts the desired link at the predefined position in the article and uses the "Link" style sheet for formatting, e.g.

Display of files in the context area

Regardless of whether it is a new file or one that is already in the project, it will be listed as an "Attachment" in the context pane after insertion, e.g.

This entry remains even if the link in the article itself is deleted. To completely remove the link to the article file, use the context menu (right mouse button) in the entry. This menu provides you with further functions for handling the file.

Whether a file has been inserted as a copy or a reference is made clear in the entries (only in table view) by different file symbols. The small arrow in the symbol indicates that it is a network reference.

Alternative procedure

You can also go the other way round, i.e. you can assign one or more files to an article via the context pane and then set the links in the article by drag'n drop, e.g.

You can even skip the first step by dragging the external file to the right place in the article. The link is set and the respective file is listed in the context pane as "attachment". The exception at this point is e-mails, see Special Case: E-mails form Outlook or Thunderbird.

Edit and delete links to files

It is not possible to edit existing links to files, i.e. links can only be deleted and reset. To do this, take the article in question into editing and click on "Remove link" in the pull-down menu or just use the delete key.

Deleting the link in the article does not completely remove the connection between article and file. To do this, you must also remove the file from the list of attachments, e.g.