Previewing content across other branches

I have a requirement where I need to share content across branches. There will be a teamsite branch workarea hosting the global english content (global images) and I want to use it across other language branches. I want to understand how to enable the browse selection and preview functionality. I am thinking of following structure -

/default/main/A/B => Hosting the master templates
/default/main/A/C => Hosting the slave templates and english content
/default/main/A/D => Hosting the slave templates and spanish content

I want to share the content stored under branch "C" in branch "D".

Can anyone share some best architecture design practises for this.

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Comments

nipper

This is an issue that does not lend itself to a devnet sound bite very well. As an architect I can spend a week on an issue like this without a lot of trouble. The hard part is that you really need to implement projects this way so it is critical that you do it and do it correctly.

What you will find is that, yes, I can use the proxy to redirect to other branches. Fine, that will cover part of the issue. Another part of the issue is using a cross branch browser within a template to browse to other workareas (assuming images, navigation menus, etc are on other branches and you need to select them). Finally you hit workflow and deployment. workflows are workarea specific so you cannot (easily) have files from other branches in the same workflow. There are different ways to resolve this issue. There area some very bad ways to do it. I have seen a WF run an external task that copied files to various workareas and ran iwsubmit and opendeploy. I would fire someone on the spot if they implemented that **** on one of my systems.

Anyway, my point is that you need to consider a lot more than just previewing over multiple branches when you do this.

HTH

Andy

Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking on similar lines. I already have a clean structure for my english branch and I want to port it over to a language branch with minimal custom implementation. I think I have to consider following things -

1. Modifying the file paths to append the corresponding locale folder structure at the start.
2. Writing a custom browse CGI to browse and select files from other branch workarea (Looking for some sample code to start with). I don't need to handle the deployment of these files because from the content perspective any global content first get released on english branch before it can be used on any language branch
3. Setting up the proxy redirects. I need to figure out depending upon my branch structure

nipper

you do not need a custom CGI, you can use formapi to do it. Instead of a browse button I have a text area set up, with a callout button to browse. This runs a script on callout that kicks off /iw-cc/command/iw.formspub.browse_for_link and then runs a window.open with the appropriate URL set.

You can set initial dir & ceiling dir as a different workarea/branch with that command.

Once you have that code working, keep it in a library as you should use it often.

Firenze

Curious to know if anyone has tried using something like creating or simulating soft links to address in lieu of iwproxy changes.

Also, looking at doing something similar as access to DAM solution will not be available initially but am considering making images and other media reusable by storing in a separate branch.

In this case, the thinking was to allow users to copy over content that was needed in their content branch.

Interested in hearing some feedback on the gotchas of such an approach.