Assigning Files and Folders
File-type and folder-type global resources are assigned differently. In any one of the usage scenarios below, clicking the Global Resources button displays the Open Global Resource dialog (screenshot below).
![ChooseGlobalResource](./images/chooseglobalresource.png)
![]() | Manage Global Resources: Displays the Manage Global Resources dialog. |
Selecting a file-type global resource assigns the file. Selecting a folder-type global resource causes an Open dialog to open, in which you can browse for the required file. The path to the selected file is entered relative to the folder resource. So if a folder-type global resource were to have two configurations, each pointing to different folders, files having the same name but in different folders could be targeted via the two configurations. This could be useful for testing purposes.
You can switch to the file dialog or the URL dialog by clicking the respective button at the bottom of the dialog. The Manage Global Resources icon in the top right-hand corner pops up the Manage Global Resources dialog.
Usage scenarios
File-type and folder-type global resources can be used in the following scenarios:
Opening global resources
A global resource can be opened in Authentic Desktop with the File | Open (Switch to Global Resource) command and can be edited. In the case of a file-type global resource, the file is opened directly. In the case of a folder-type global resource, an Open dialog pops up with the associated folder selected. You can then browse for the required file in descendant folders. One advantage of addressing files for editing via global resources is that related files can be saved under different configurations of a single global resource and accessed merely by changing configurations. Any editing changes would have to be saved before changing the configuration.
Saving as global resource
A newly created file can be saved as a global resource. Also, an already existing file can be opened and then saved as a global resource. When you click the File | Save or File | Save As commands, the Save dialog appears. Click the Global Resource button to access the available global resources (screenshot below), which are the aliases defined in the current Global Resources XML File.
![SaveAsGlobalResource](./images/saveasglobalresource.png)
Select an alias and then click Save. If the alias is a file alias, the file will be saved directly. If the alias is a folder alias, a dialog will appear that prompts for the name of the file under which the file is to be saved. In either case the file will be saved to the location that was defined for the currently active configuration.
Note: | Each configuration points to a specific file location, which is specified in the definition of that configuration. If the file you are saving as a global resource does not have the same filetype extension as the file at the current file location of the configuration, then there might be editing and validation errors when this global resource is opened in Authentic Desktop. This is because Authentic Desktop will open the file assuming the filetype specified in the definition of the configuration. |
XSLT transformations
Clicking the command XSL/XQuery | XSL Transformation or XSL/XQuery | XSL:FO Transformation pops up a dialog in which you can browse for the required XSLT or XML file. Click the Browse button and then the Global Resource button to pop up the Open Global Resource dialog (screenshot at top of section). The file that is associated with the currently active configuration of the selected global resource is used for the transformation.