What's new in the Help

This version of the Axiell Collections Help was published on 30 September 2024. This documentation has been prepared for an Axiell Collections system based on Model Application version 5.0 (details here). The most obvious difference between version 5.0 and earlier versions is found in the Select data source box; in most other ways, the functionality described in this documentation is relevant for all recent Model Application versions.

Tip: It may be necessary to perform a hard refresh in your browser (overriding the cache) to update the site with the latest changes: in most browsers this is achieved with the keyboard shortcut, CTRL+F5 (Command+Option+R on a Mac).

Updates include:

Date

Page

Details

30 Aug 2024

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.19.2 added with details about New Features and Issues Resolved.

28 Aug 2024

Standard search / Advanced search

Note added about a limitation when using the equals operator with the * wildcard to truncate a search value in a long text field (e.g. BE = *the*): the search value will only be located if it is in the first 100 characters of the field.

Instead, use the contains all search operator as this limitation does not apply.

26 Jun 2024

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.19.1 patch release added with details about Issues Resolved.

10 May 2024

Perform a basic search in the current data source

Updated description of how to perform a basic search (appearing in Result set View, Gallery View and Run a search in the current data source).

07 May 2024

Uploaded templates data source

Description of the Uploaded templates data source available with Model Application 5.2 (and in earlier Model Applications with some configuration). Information in How to print your record data updated.

06 May 2024

The Collections Model Application

Details about the latest Model Application, version 5.2. The Model Application is the collections management heart of Axiell Collections and it is available in a range of configurations for different types of organization (Archive, Library, Museum).

02 May 2024

Advanced search

Details about how to sort records returned using the random operator.

16 Apr 2024

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.19 added with details about Issues Resolved.

15 Mar 2024

Advanced & Standard search

Details about searching specifically for a special character.

26 Feb 2024

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.18.1 added with details about Issues Resolved.

15 Feb 2024

Error messages

Details about the Invalid object name 'CTE_X' error and a workaround.

24 Jan 2024

Occurrences and Inheritance

Details about what happens when an inherited field occurrence in a child record is edited.

17 Jan 2024

How to create a Word or Excel template

Explanation and solution for tables displaying on top of each other when your record data is printed using a Word template.

11 Jan 2024

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.18 added with details about New Features and Issues Resolved.

08 Dec 2023

Error messages

New section added to the Help to hold details of error messages. A work in progress.

23 Nov 2023

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.17.3 updated.

08 Nov 2023

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.17.3 added with details about Issues Resolved.
25 Sep 2023 Release notes Release notes for Collections 1.17.2 added with details about Issues Resolved.
11 Aug 2023

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.17.1 added with details about a changed feature and Issues Resolved.

21 Jul 2023

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.17 added with details about New Features and Issues Resolved.

21 Jul 2023 Checkboxes Added details about how to search for a ticked checkbox; how to search for and replace a tick in a checkbox; and how to include a tick in a checkbox when importing data. FAQs added for each of these situations.

16 Jun 2023

Merged-in fields

More detail about Merged-in fields added, including an explanation for the error message received when attempting to import data into a Merged-in field:

Field [field name] is a merge field that cannot process data

FAQ added, along with enhanced search results.

29 May 2023

Update

The documentation about Record details View previously noted that two shortcuts were not working, ALT+N (add new record) and CTRL+S (save the record). Both shortcuts now work.

22 May 2023

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.16.3 added with details about a New Feature and Issues Resolved.

04 May 2023

The Collections Model Application

More detail provided about the difference between the Axiell Collections software and the Collections Model Application. Links provided to release notes for the current and prior versions of the Model Application.

03 Apr 2023

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.16.2 added.

30 Mar 2023

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.16.1 added with details about Issues Resolved.

March 2023

Search results

Ongoing project to improve search results in the Online Help by providing an answer to a search query / question (what is an occurrence? or what is an index? or why can't I edit this record? for instance) directly in the search results.

10 Mar 2023

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.16 added and the user documentation updated to reflect new and changed functionality.

21 Dec 2022

How do I...?

New topic stepping through the cataloguing of Library material.

01 Dec 2022

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.15.1 added with details about Issues Resolved.

31 Oct 2022

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.15 added and the user documentation updated to reflect new and changed functionality.

09 Sep 2022

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.14.1 added with details about Issues Resolved.

24 Aug 2022

Standard and Advanced search

The equals / is search operator also performs an equivalent search.

In the Thesaurus a term can have at least one Equivalent Term (Equivalent (equivalent_term (et)) defined; in Persons and institutions a name can have at least one Equivalent Name (Equivalent (equivalent_name (et)) defined. When using the equals / is operator to search for a term / name, a search is performed for the term / name AND all of its equivalents. In effect, equals performs the same search as the equivalent operator.

15 Jul 2022

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.14 added and the user documentation updated to reflect new and changed functionality.

28 Jun 2022

Axiell Collections Technical Specifications and Architecture

Updated.

27 Jun 2022

5. Installing the Axiell Collections software

Details about various Domain settings specified in settings.xml updated.

01 Jun 2022

Release notes

Important details added about upgrading to Collections 1.13.1.

18 May 2022

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.13.1 added with details about Issues Resolved.

11 May 2022

Advanced search

Clarification about use of the count function when searching Linked fieldsClosed A type of field used to link one record to another. A Linked field is a drop list of values (records that the field can link to). When a link is made, the field stores a reference to the linked record (a linkref)..

13 Apr 2022

Standard search

Advanced search

Details about how and when to use the Expand search operator revised.

11 Apr 2022

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.13 added and the user documentation updated to reflect new and changed functionality.

31 Mar 2022

Saved searches (aka groups, Write sets) & Group records: Write set & Manage saved searches

The behaviour of the Re-run button on the Saved searches tab of the Search box has changed: it re-runs a search and retrieves all records that match the criteria of the saved search but does not update the Hits column.

The Re-run button on the Manage saved searches box has been renamed Update: when selected it updates the number of matching records in the Hits column.

02 Mar 2022

Installation and configuration of Axiell Collections

Updated. Changes include details of new security and logging options configured in settings.xml.

15 Feb 2022

Search and replace

Clarification about removal of an occurrenceClosed If a field in the current record can have more than one value, we add an occurrence of the field for each value (e.g. a book can have multiple authors so we add an occurrence of the author.name (au) field for each author). An occurrence can be a member of a group of fields, and adding an occurrence of the field adds all members of the group at once. using the Search and replace tool.

04 Feb 2022

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.12.1 added and the user documentation updated to reflect new and changed functionality.

28 Jan 2022

How do I...?

New topic stepping through the accession and cataloguing of archival material.

17 Jan 2022

Restoring deleted records

Following note added: In rare circumstances, the prirefClosed A record's unique identifier. Currently, the simplest way to view a record's unique identifier is to add the priref column to Result set View. The field tag for the priref field is %0. for a deleted record may have been assigned to a new record; in this case, the deleted record will not be listed in the Journal Maintenance box and it cannot be restored using this method.

11 Dec 2021

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.12 added and the user documentation updated to reflect new and changed functionality.

New features include:

08 Nov 2021

How do I...?

New topic stepping through the creation of a Moving image catalogue record.

21 Oct 2021

How do I...?

The first of several planned How do I... ? topics is now available, this one stepping through the creation of a Museum (object) record.

17 Oct 2021

Release notes

Details about an issue resolved with the latest Collections 1.11.2 build.

22 Sep 2021

Release notes

Details about Issues Resolved with the latest Collections 1.11.2 build.

23 Jul 2021

Working with media

New section describing how to add new media to a record or link to existing media; how to download media; and how to specify that a particular media file is preferred so that it is shown first in Media viewer when more than one media file is attached to a record.

21 Jul 2021

Media viewer

When more than one media file is linked to a record, it is possible to specify which media file displays first when the record is viewed in Media viewer by specifying that a media file is preferred. Details added to the Media viewer page.

15 Jul 2021 Export Details about why a field might not be listed in the Export box using its system name (and how to add it to the list of fields to be exported anyway).

13 Jul 2021

Release notes

Details about New Features and Issues Resolved with the latest Collections 1.11.1 build.

02 Jun 2021

Release notes

Details about Issues Resolved with the latest Collections 1.11 build.

07 May 2021

Release notes

Release notes for Collections 1.11 added and the user documentation updated to reflect new and changed functionality.

New features include:

19 Apr 2021

Import tool

Changes have been made to the management of import profiles. A currently active profile is now shown above the Fields column in the Import box:

Active profile

A Clear button has been added to the Import box to clear the active profile.

31 Mar 2021

Working in a multilingual system

Details about working in a multilingual system have been added:

09 Mar 2021

Reference a record group in your search

The pointer keyword allows us to reference record groups (aka Write set / Saved search) in an Advanced search. For example, a group in the Object catalogue contains objects where the creator name is Atkins, Nancy - the unique reference number for this group is 3. This search will return any objects in which the title contains the word captain and the creator is Nancy Atkins:

title _ captain AND pointer 3

03 Mar 2021

Searching linked data sources

Details about searching fields in a linked data source. With the Advanced search Indirection option we are able to search any field in a linked data sourceClosed The management of a collection can involve a vast amount of information about objects / items / books, people and organizations, events, administration and more. This information is stored as records in data sources. Each data source stores a specific type of information: details about collection items, people, events, loans, and so on..

For example, while it is possible to search the Object catalogue for creators by their name, we cannot search the Object catalogue itself for creators whose nationality is, say, Russian. But that information is stored in records in Persons and institutions. If we were searching Persons and institutions for people whose nationality is Russian, we would specify this search:

nationality = Russian

To search the Object catalogue for objects created by someone whose nationality is Russian we use the Indirection option:

creator -> nationality = Russian

02 Feb 2021

Release notes

Release Notes for Collections 1.10.2 added.

19 Jan 2021

Rewritten Collections Help released.

The Online Help for users of Axiell Collections has been redesigned and rewritten and is up to date with Collections release 1.10.1. It will be extended with several new sections in the near future (details here).

Administration of Collections is documented elsewhere and the Administration section in this Help is intended to supplement the user documentation with more advanced information rather than to provide full details for Administrators. It remains a work in progress: as content is finalized it will be pushed live to this site.

15 Jan 2021

Release notes

Release notes for Axiell Collections 1.10.1 added and the Help updated to reflect new functionality and other changes.

12 Jan 2021

Release notes

Release notes for Axiell Collections 1.10 added and the Help updated to reflect new functionality and other changes.