M-Files Web Publication Settings

When documents are published online for customers or other interest groups, it is usually a good idea to hide some of the object properties. For example, if the user has read-only access, the functions for editing need not be displayed at all. With the publication settings, the users can be granted suitable and sufficient functions that facilitate and simplify accessing and processing the published information.

Note: You can use the Get Hyperlink function in the task area when you want to send a link to the document from the M-Files Web interface.

Site for definition of the publication settings (site and vault specific)

You can specify different publication settings specific to the site and vault by using a separate configuration site.

Log in to the configuration page by using your company's M-Files Web URL (for instance "http://www.publications.company.com") and by adding "/configuration.aspx" at the end of the address. For example, "http://www.publications.company.com/configuration.aspx". If you have already logged in to M-Files Web in the browser, M-Files does not ask you to log in again.

Note: You must have system administrator's rights in order to be able to edit the publication settings

Site-specific settings

From the site-specific settings, you can make selections that apply to the configuration site and all vaults of the site.

The publication settings configuration site.

Restrict access to configuration pages

You can specify the configuration site to be accessible for a certain IP address range only. Access to the configuration site is usually allowed only for connections from inside the company.

Display options

Page title: You can freely name the page of the web site you are offering. The default title is "M-Files Web".

Language: By default, M-Files uses Automatic as the language selection. This means that the M-Files Web language is determined by the language of the user's browser settings. If the language in the browser settings is not supported by M-Files, the language installed on the M-Files server will be used.

Alternatively, you can set a Specific language to be the M-Files Web language. For example, if your company's instructions refer to functions that are in English or the users work in different languages, you can specify English as the M-Files Web language. You can choose from all languages supported by M-Files.

Note: This applies to the user interface language only. For the full M-Files Web experience to be in the language defined by a specific user, four prerequisites need to be met:

The vault has been localized to the target language.
The vault language has been set for the vault user.
The language setting has been set to Automatic as described further above.
The language preference settings of the user's browser have been set to the desired language. For more information, see this W3C article.

Windows SSO

With Windows authentication enabled, M-Files Web can automatically use the user's Windows credentials for login. The administrator can configure the single sign-on (SSO) setting so that the login credentials are no longer required when users navigate to M-Files Web.

The automatic authentication is disabled by default, but can be enabled by setting the single sign-on value to Use automatically. Alternatively, the choice of using single sign-on can be displayed on the login page by selecting Show on login page.

Force M-Files User Login

Select this setting if you do not want to display the Windows login option to users. Then the user does not have to consider which login option is appropriate and M-Files suggests logging in as an M-Files user. For data security reasons, it may be advisable to disable Windows login in some cases.

Note: This does not prevent logging in to the configuration site with your Windows user account.

Automatic Login

Select Automatic Login and enter the authentication information if you do not wish to require the users to enter their user ID for M-Files Web. This means that any user can access the site's vaults if authorized by the user ID.

Authentication (username, password and domain): If automatic login is enabled, this is the authentication information that M-Files uses for the automatic login. If you want M-Files to offer a specific ID for the user by default, save the default ID in the authentication information and disable automatic login. The user is still able to use other IDs, possibly granting more extensive web-based access.

Vault: You can also specify the vault to which the user is to be connected to. If the vault is not specified, the users can see all the vaults accessible with the credentials.

Vault-specific settings

You can specify, for example:

Whether the vault is to be available for use via M-Files Web.
The vault-specific default view.
The configuration of the vault user interface.

Allow access to this vault

Select this if you want the vault to be accessible via M-Files Web.

Note: In order to use a vault, the user must always have permissions for that vault.

Default View

You can specify which view is to be opened by default. The home view is opened by default.

Layout

You can choose the layout elements to be displayed – or hidden – in the vault. You can, for instance, hide the task area or choose to display the listing area only.

Prevent navigation outside default view

You can prevent navigation beyond the default view by choosing Prevent navigation outside default view. In this case, navigation is not possible, even if the breadcrumb is used.

Default search criteria and settings

You can select whether the latest search criteria and settings selected by users are to be kept or if you would prefer to use a specific criterion and setting. The same options as in M-Files Desktop are available.

Navigation within the vault

You can display or hide the top menu (New, Operations, and Settings) and/or breadcrumb.

Note: When M-Files Web is displayed in the "Listing pane only" mode, object metadata and search functions are hidden from the users. This allows the users to only read and edit objects displayed in the listing pane, according to their permissions.

Vault controls

These settings allow you to control which functions are available for the users of the vault.

Save view settings. If several users have the same user ID (for example, during automatic login), it is recommended to prevent saving of the column settings.

Workflow shortcut in properties pane.
Checkout prompt. If the M-Files Web users are granted read-only access and no edit permission, displaying the Check Out dialog is not necessary.

Hidden properties. Some properties may be hidden from external users. In these cases, the information (hidden) is displayed in the properties pane or on the metadata card. It is recommended to hide this (hidden) information.
State transition prompt.

Save search terms.
Context menu.
Advanced Search.
Search in right pane. With this option enabled, the search functions can be placed into the right pane.

Task area operations

The options in the task area settings allow you to decide which links are to be displayed in the task pane.

Note: If you hide the New commands, users cannot create new objects. Additionally, if the View and Modify commands are hidden, they are not accessible via the context menu either.

Example: Modifying the Appearance of M-Files Web

Steps

Open the M-Files Web configuration page by entering the URL http://<Your M-Files Web domain>/configuration.aspx into your web browser and then enter your credentials if you are not already logged in.
If you are already logged in, you will be redirected directly to the configuration page. Otherwise the configuration page will be opened after the login screen.
From the left-side tree view, under Vault-specific settings, expand the additional settings of the vault that you want to modify by clicking the arrow before the vault icon.
By clicking the folder beneath the selected vault in the left-side tree view, select the category that you want to modify:
1. Select the Controls folder, if you want to show or hide various M-Files Web user interface controls.
  or
2. Select the Task area folder, if you want to show or hide various elements on the M-Files Web task area.
Select the Show or Allow radio button for the elements that you want to enable.
For example, if you want to show the Log Out button on the task area, go to the Task area settings, and select Show for the Log Out option.
Select the Hide or Disallow radio button for the elements that you want to disable.