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Information Technology Services, UIS 1

Introduction to eDocs

This document provides instructions for using the basic features of eDocs, UIS’ document

management system. eDocs comes with an extensive built-in help feature, which provides

more detailed support information.

Overview of eDocs ..................................................................................................................................... 2

The eDocs Interface .................................................................................................................................... 2

Creating Folders and Uploading Files .................................................................................................... 7

Downloading Files ..................................................................................................................................... 9

Assigning Permissions ............................................................................................................................ 10

Creating Groups ....................................................................................................................................... 13

Assigning Tickets ..................................................................................................................................... 14

Bookmarking ............................................................................................................................................ 18

Blackboard Integration ............................................................................................................................ 22

Logging ...................................................................................................................................................... 27

Comments ................................................................................................................................................. 28

Versioning ................................................................................................................................................. 30

Searching for Files .................................................................................................................................... 32

Tagging ...................................................................................................................................................... 34

Subscriptions............................................................................................................................................. 36

RSS Feeds .................................................................................................................................................. 38

Using Wikis ............................................................................................................................................... 40



Overview of eDocs

At its simplest, eDocs is a place for you to store files and documents. However, eDocs provides

more advanced functionality, including managing who has access to your files and for how

long, linking to your files from Blackboard, publishing a web site, and much more. One of the

many benefits of eDocs is that it is self-managed, which means you have complete control over

what is uploaded and who can access it.

Each user has 1 GB of space allocated for their use. Please keep in mind that deleted files are

stored in the trash, which counts towards the 1 GB limit. Be sure to periodically empty your

trash to free up space.

By default, each user’s account has two folders – www and private. These folders can be

deleted or renamed and additional folders can be created.

The eDocs Interface

eDocs can be accessed from any computer with Internet access three different ways.

1. The first way is to go to the ITS home page at www.uis.edu. Click on the eDocs link on

the right side of the page below the blue banner. A login area will open where you can

enter your UIS NetID and password.

2. The second way is to login to the UIS portal also from the UIS homepage or at

https://my.uis.edu/. Once you login to the UIS portal using either method, you will

see a portlet named My eDocs on the Main page where your eDocs account can be

accessed. You may type a path to a specific folder or file, browse your Home Directory

and Bookmarks, or open a full eDocs session.

Enter your NetID and

password. Then click Login.

http://www.uis.edu/

https://my.uis.edu/



3. The third way is directly from the eDocs interface at https://edocs.uis.edu. Enter your

UIS NetID and password as shown.

Enter your NetID and password.

Then click OK.

https://edocs.uis.edu/



Once logged in, the view can be divided into 6 sections:

The right-click menu is quite helpful in working in the eDocs environment. Each file and folder

has a right-click menu featuring the following actions (depending on your access):

Right-click Menu for a File Right-click Menu for a Folder

1

2

3

4

5

6

Contains links to the Document Manager space,

saved bookmarks and searches and the Setup

space, Help, the ability to see who you are logged

in as, and log out.

Contains all of the tabs applicable to the

screen you are on, and any links

appropriate to those tabs.

Contains your navigation

and search options.

Contains all of your buttons. This section combines both

your optionally added buttons on the left, and the

standard buttons on the right. The standard buttons on

the right will change slightly to accommodate the screen

you are currently using.

Contains information about the file or folders on

which you are currently working. For example, you

can see listing information, such as the name, date

last modified, lock status, etc.

Contains information about your account size.



The eDocs view can be customized. The default view is List View. To customize your view,

click on the View button. Note that there is a check mark next to the default List View.

Click on Thumbnail View to view the files as thumbnail images. This view is useful for folders

that contain picture or graphic files. A preview of the file can be seen which will eliminate the

need to open the file to reveal the picture. Move the Slide Bar left or right to adjust the size of

the images.

You can also customize the listing information that is displayed in the list view such as Name,

Shared To, or Data Last Modified.

To change the listing information, click on View button.



1. Click on Customize View.

2. Select from the list of Available Columns and click on the right arrow button to add the

column to the current column side.

3. Click on OK when finished.



Creating Folders and Uploading Files

To create a folder,

1. Click the New Folder button.

2. Type a name for the folder.

3. Click Next to continue with the wizard (to set sharing permissions for other users) or

Finish.

To upload files,

1. Open the folder in which you want to upload the file, and click the Upload button.



2. Click the Browse button and locate the desired file.

a. Click the Add File button to browse for additional files.

b. Click Start Upload when finished.

3. Or click Advanced Upload, which allows you to upload entire folders and their

contents. However, the Advanced Upload feature requires Java 1.5 or higher.

The Launch Web Folders feature can be a very handy tool for uploading multiple files/folders.

It allows you to view your eDocs environment in a typical Windows Explorer view, where you

can drag and drop files. You can also open, edit, and save files from this environment. This

feature is only available in Internet Explorer, although an add-on can be installed to make this

option available in Mozilla Firefox (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419).

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419



Downloading Files

A group of files can be downloaded from eDocs to a zip file.

1. Check the files you want to download.

2. Right-click and choose Save to Zip File.

3. Choose Save.

4. Browse to the location where you would like to save the file. Change the file name, if

desired.

In this Web Folders view, you can drag

and drop files/folders just as you

normally would in Windows Explorer.



5. The selected files can be found in a compressed zip folder.

Assigning Permissions

eDocs allows you to determine who, if anyone, has access to your files as well as the level of

access.

To share files with others,

1. Right-click the file or folder, choose Manage, then choose Permissions.



2. Click Add User/Group.

3. Enter the name of the users with whom you would like to share the resource, then click

Next.

4. Assign the users the desired permissions, then click Finish.

a. Read permission allows the user to view the file or folder only.

b. Write permission allows the user to write to the file or folder only. Write access

includes the following: viewing, editing, renaming both the contents and options

of the file or folder.

c. Delete permission allows the user to move the file or folder to the trash.



d. Administer permission allows the user full access to a file or folder's

Manage/Summary screen and the permission to make modifications to all

‘Manage’ items.

5. Click the Advanced Permissions tab for additional options (for example, to assign read

and delete rights, but not write).

Use the Email feature to let people know when a file or folder has been shared with them.

1. Right-click the file or folder that has been shared with others, and choose Email.



2. An e-mail message will be generated for you, addressed to whomever the file or folder

has been shared. The message will include a direct link to the file or folder. Additional

recipients as well as message text can be added. Click Send, when finished.

Creating Groups

When assigning permissions to files, you may find it easier to create groups of users who will

have the same permissions. For example, you might want to create a group for the people on

your team or for the students in your course.

To create a group,

1. Click Setup.

2. Click on the My Contacts tab, click on the Groups tab and then click on New Group



3. Enter a name for the group and click on Next.

4. Enter the name of the first user that you wish to add to your group.

Click Add Members.

5. Repeat step 4 to add the remaining members of your group.

6. Click on Save when finished.

Assigning Tickets

Tickets allow both non-eDocs and eDocs users access to your files and folders. By using the

ticket functionality, you may allow specific access to your folders, their sub-folders, and the files

within. A folder ticket can be thought of as a direct online link to a folder. The person with

whom you'd like to grant access to the file or folder will receive an e-mail with the online link.

When the link is clicked, the user is taken to the eDocs interface and the folder's file and sub-

folder listing displays just as you would see it in its regular folder listing screen.



When creating a ticket, you have the option of selecting password protection. You can also

assign an expiration date to a ticket. Once that date passes, all users who have been accessing

the file or folder through the issued ticket will no longer be allowed access to that file or folder.

To assign a ticket,

1. Right-click the file or folder, choose Manage, then choose Tickets.

2. Click New Ticket.

3. Set the desired permissions, lifetime, name, and password. Click OK when finished.



4. To e-mail the ticket, select the ticket, then click Email.

5. An e-mail message will automatically generate for you. Enter the recipients’ addresses

and add your message, as desired. Click Send.

6. The recipients will receive an e-mail message with the link.

As the recipient of a ticket for a folder,

1. Click the link in the e-mail message.

2. Enter a password, if prompted, and click OK.



3. The folder will open up in the eDocs environment.

As the recipient of a ticket for a file,

1. Click the link in the e-mail message.

2. Enter a password, if prompted, and click OK.

3. You are given three actions.

a. View the file – You are then prompted to open or save the file. Please note that

merely saving edits made to the file will NOT post the updated file to eDocs.

b. Edit the file – You are provided with an instructional screen. Please note that

you can click ‘Save’ in step 1 to save the file, thus allowing you to open and edit

it. When finished with the editing, you can click ‘Upload’ in step 3 to upload the



revised file back to eDocs.

c. View information about the file – provides general information about the file as

well as access to the eDocs interface where, based on the permissions granted,

actions on the file can take place (including overwriting the original file with

your revisions.

Bookmarking

Bookmarks are shortcuts to folders and files within your eDocs account. Using bookmarks, you

can conveniently create shortcuts to your most frequently accessed folders and files. You can

also create shortcuts to other users' folders and files you have been allowed to access.

You may navigate to your bookmarks at any time by opening the Bookmarks menu located in

the upper left corner of the eDocs screen.



In order to bookmark a file or folder, you must have read access to that file or folder. Once you

bookmark a file or folder, it will be available each time you login to your account and open the

Bookmarks menu.

To create a bookmark,

1. Right-click the selected file or folder, and select Bookmark.

2. Enter the desired name of the bookmark, and click OK.

3. Another way to create a bookmark is to open the Bookmarks menu and choose

Bookmark This Folder. A bookmark of the folder you are currently viewing will be

created. You will be given the option to choose a Bookmark Folder.



4. To use a bookmark, open the Bookmarks menu located in the upper left corner of the

eDocs screen and choose from the list.

The Manage Bookmarks option allows you to organize your bookmarks into Bookmark

Folders. You can also Delete, Edit, Move and create new Bookmarks from the Manage

Bookmarks screen.

To Manage Bookmarks,

1. Open the Bookmarks menu and choose Manage Bookmarks from the list.

2. To create a new bookmark folder, click on the New Bookmark Folder button.

3. Give the new folder a name and select a location from the list. Click on OK. New

folders will be added under Bookmarks Menu as you create them.



NOTE: Once a new folder is added, a down-arrow will appear next to the Bookmarks

Menu. Click on the down-arrow to expand the menu and reveal the folders underneath.

4. To move existing bookmarks to your newly created folder, place a check mark next to

the file(s) or folder(s) you wish to move and click on the Move button.

5. There are three steps to move your selections:

a. Click on the drop-down arrow next to the Bookmark Location field.



b. Click on the drop-down arrow next to Bookmarks Menu to expand the menu

and reveal your Bookmark Folder(s).

c. Click on your new folder to add it to the Bookmark Location field and click on

OK to complete the move.

Once these steps are complete, your Bookmark Folders will appear in the

Bookmarks menu.

Blackboard Integration

eDocs comes with a connector for Blackboard, which allows instructors to add links to eDocs

files directly in their Blackboard course. Because students are already logged into Blackboard,

they will not need to log in to eDocs separately to view the files. Be sure to set the appropriate

permissions to the files in eDocs.



eDocs also comes with a bridge for Blackboard. The bridge allows you to access eDocs directly

from Blackboard, automatically logging you in and without having to navigate to eDocs

yourself.

The Blackboard connector is turned on, by default, for all new Blackboard courses that are

created. However, if you are copying an existing Blackboard course, you may need to turn on

the connector. To do so,

1. Log into Blackboard and select the desired course.

2. Click Control Panel.

3. Click Customization.



4. Click Tool Availability.

5. Scroll to the eDocs Bridge Links tool and place a checkmark in the box under the

Available in Content Area column.

6. Next, the Bridge needs turned on as well. Scroll to the Xythos Bridge tool and place a

checkmark in the box under the Available column.

7. Click on Submit.



To use the connector,


2. Click Course Documents. Make sure the Edit Mode in the upper right corner is turned

‘ON’. Click on the button, if necessary.

3. Click on the More button and select Add eDocs Bridge Links from the list.



4. Select the files you would like to link to from Blackboard. Then click Add to Cart.

5. Click Make Links when finished. Confirm your selections.

6. Click OK to add the links.

7. Links to the selected files now show up in Course Documents.

To use the Bridge,




2. Click Tools.

3. Click eDocs Bridge to access eDocs, which will open up in a separate window.

Logging

The Logging option allows you to keep a record of who accesses your files and when they do

so. When an action is performed against a file, an entry is added to the log history including:

The user who performed the action

The type of action performed

The date and time the action occurred

The IP address of the machine from where the action occurred

Actions include but are not limited to users viewing or editing the file, permission changes, and

file comments that are added, edited, or deleted.



To turn logging on or to view the log:

1. Right-click the file, choose Manage, then Logging.

2. Click Enable Logging to turn logging on.

3. Once turned on, this screen will display a history of actions.

Comments

Comments offer the ability to create notes about a particular file or folder without altering the

contents of that file or folder.



To add a comment to a file or folder,

1. Right-click the selected file or folder, choose Manage, then Comments.

2. Choose public or private from the drop-down list and click on Apply.

3. Enter the desired comments. Click Save Comment when finished.



4. The comments are displayed with the author and date/time stamps.

Versioning

The Versioning function is an effective way to keep track of the changes made to any

file. Versioning allows you to see changes that were made each time a file was saved; this is

especially useful when there are multiple users making changes.

When you turn on the Versioning option for a file, the system automatically keeps a copy of

each file that is updated. If you or another user edits your file and saves the changes,

Versioning allows you to go "back" to the older copy before the changes were made. Versioning

provides an automatic backup for overwritten files.

Versioning also includes the ability to Checkin and Checkout a file. By checking a file in and

out (while versioning is enabled), you can make multiple edits to the file without saving

multiple versions of the file. Checkin and Checkout allows you to better leverage your

versioning system; you can control exactly which versions are saved in a file's history.

To turn versioning on or off,

1. Navigate to the file.



2. Right-click the file, choose Manage, then Versioning.

3. To turn on versioning, click Enable Versioning.

4. To turn off versioning, click Disable Versioning.

When you turn versioning on for a file, you are automatically given the option to Checkin and

Checkout that file. There are 3 types of actions involved in file checkin/checkout:



Checking out a file allows a user to edit the file and save it multiple times without

creating multiple versions of that file. Checking out a file also creates a lock (if the file is

not already locked) on a file which prevents other users with write permission on that

file from editing it. Checking out a file does not, however, prevent users with read

permission from seeing the changes made to the file while it is checked out. Users will

be able to see the very latest version of the file whether or not the file has been checked

in. Automatically, a temporary version of this checked out file is created. You may now

edit this file as you wish and no additional versions of it will be created.

Checking in a file creates a permanent version of the file that encompasses all changes

made while the file was checked out. Checking in a file also removes the lock on the file.

The checked in version overwrites the temporary version that was created when the file

was checked out.

Unchecking out a file not only removes the lock that was created when the file was

checked out, but it also removes the temporary version of the file that was created when

the file was checked out. Unchecking out a file essentially reverses the entire checkout

process. No changes made to the file while the file was checked out are kept after the

file is unchecked out. The temporary version that was created when the file was

checked out is automatically deleted.

Searching for Files

Searches allow you to search for files within your eDocs account. You may search for files you

own as well as files which are not owned by you but for which you have access permission.

To perform a Quick Search:

1. Type in a partial or full name into the search box.

2. Click the Search button (the magnifying glass), or press Enter.

To perform an advanced search,

1. Click the dropdown arrow next to the Search button.



2. Enter the criteria as desired. Multiple criteria can be added.

Within eDocs you may create, modify, and visit your searches at any time. Not only can the

search results be saved, but also the search itself.

To save a search or the search results,

1. Click the Save Search or Save Search Results button.

2. Enter a name for the search or results.



3. The saved search results will show up as a html file.

To open saved searches,

1. Open the Searches menu in the upper left corner of the eDocs screen.

2. Any currently saved searches will be listed by name.

3. Click on the saved search of your choice in order to initiate the search.

4. The search screen will open with the results of your saved search criteria.

Tagging

eDocs allows you to create searchable keywords for files, which are called tags. In order to tag a

file, you must have Read and Write permission for that file. If, however, you would like to

search for a Tag, you need only have Read to view them. Tags may be as long or as short as you

like; however, tags cannot contain spaces. There is no limit to the number of tags a file may

have.

To tag a file (or group of files),

1. Select the file(s).



2. Right-click and choose Tag.

3. Enter the tag. Multiple tags may be entered by separating each tag with a space. Click

Add.

4. Click OK when finished.

5. Tags are searchable through the Advanced Search feature.



Subscriptions

Subscriptions automatically notify you when a file or folder has been viewed, changed, or

commented. Subscriptions are available to users with read access.

Subscription notifications are sent via e-mail either when the viewing, changing, or commenting

occurs or at a certain time of day. Such notifications are known as subscription reports. The

type of report (view, change, or comment) and frequency of the report is determined when the

subscription is created.

To create a subscription,

1. Right-click the file or folder, choose Manage, then choose Subscriptions.

2. Click New Subscription.



3. Make the desired selections for what action will instigate a notice, as well as when the

notice is to be sent. Click OK when finished.

4. A subscription notification looks like this:

5. Subscriptions can be cancelled by checking the desired subscription and clicking

Unsubscribe.



RSS Feeds

eDocs allows you to create a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed to any folder, file, or search

results listing. RSS feeds are commonly used to publish frequently updated content. A 'reader'

or 'aggregator' must be used to access the feed once you subscribe to it. Readers retrieve and

present the most recent content to you.

You may share your feed URLs with other users; however sharing access still applies so be sure

to set the appropriate permissions.

Please note that when subscribing to a file, the feed shows any new versions created for that file.

Therefore, you should only subscribe to feeds for those files which are versioned. Otherwise,

the content of the feed will never change.

To subscribe to an RSS feed for a file or folder,

1. Navigate to the file or folder and select it.

2. Right-click the file or folder and choose Create RSS Feed.



3. Follow your browser’s instructions for creating the feed. For example, below is a

screenshot from IE 7.0:

4. There are numerous readers or aggregators that can be used for RSS feeds. For example,

RSS feeds are automatically delivered to Outlook 2007:



They can also be viewed through IE 7.0:

Using Wikis

eDocs allows you to create a wiki. Basically, a wiki is its own website that enables both you and

properly permissioned users to add, remove, edit, and change content. Wikis allow for linking

among any number of pages. When you create a wiki using eDocs, a folder which shares the

name of your wiki is automatically created in your Document Manager.

To create a wiki,

1. Click the New Wiki button.

2. Give the new wiki a name and click on OK.

3. Click on Launch to open and manage the wiki.



4. Next, select the Panel Type. You may choose from Text Editor, Saved Search Results

or Upload Files and then click on OK.

5. On the Name tab, the name of the wiki can be edited.

6. On the Content tab, the panel type that you selected will be displayed. In this case,

there is a text editor for adding content. To add another panel, click the Add Panel

button.

7. Select the panel type and click on OK.



8. Your added panel will display below the first panel. Any panel can be removed by

clicking on Remove Panel.

9. On the Permissions tab, determine which users will have access to the wiki as well as

their level of access.

10. On the Email tab, choose to send an email to users notifying them of the wiki.



11. Multiple pages can be created for the wiki using the Create Page button.

12. Click the Finish button.

13. A completed wiki will have a Wiki tab (showing the content you created in Step 6), a

Discussion tab for entering comments, and a History tab for displaying each version of

the wiki (as users made changes, added comments, etc.).

Pages are listed

here. Each page has

a Wiki, Discussion,

and History tab.