A Frequently Asked Question


How do I implement Multi-User Tagging on a local network?
Valid from XYplorer v19.80 onwards

Multi-User-Tagging (MUT) means to share XYplorer’s file tagging (Labels, Tags, Comments, and 16 Extra Tags) within a network among different members of a team, on different client computers. If one user annotates a file in his place, the other users will see it in their places. And if configured, it happens in real time.

The following 4 steps are all you need to create a MUT network:

  • Step 1: Understand the Structure. Each team member will need a copy of XYplorer installed on their local Windows or have access to a server-based installation. The tags database is a single file that is kept in a central location that is accessible to everyone on the network. This location would typically be a UNC path pointing to a shared folder, for example "\\North\Share\XY\SharedTags.dat". Nothing to do yet, just understand the structure.
  • Step 2: Connect to the Database. Now create the shared database with the command Tags | Load Tags Database.... Enter the full path, e.g. "\\North\Share\XY\SharedTags.dat" (use any name you like). If the database does not exist, this command will create it, otherwise it will open it. Now that the database exists, each member of the network can connect to it using the same command Tags | Load Tags Database... and the same full path in their XYplorer instance.
  • Step 3: Show the Columns. For each member: To actually see the tags in the file list, do the following: Go to the folder containing the tagged files or files to be tagged. Select Detail View in the file list. Then use the View | Columns | Show Columns... command to display the columns (tags) you are interested in. Note that you can drag the columns to new positions if you like.
  • Step 4: Automate Synchronization. The final step is to have any changes to the shared tags automatically appear in each member's XYplorer instance in real time. To enable this feature, the Tools | Configuration | Information | Tags | Auto-refresh tags checkbox must be ticked in the member's XYplorer instance.

If everything is set up correctly, each member of the team will see the same tags on the same files, and if one member changes any of them, the others will see the change in real time in their instance of XYplorer.

In a MUT network, all your team members will see up to 16 customizable Extra columns like these.

Remarks

Executable: Each team member needs a copy of XYplorer installed on their local Windows or access to a server-based installation.
License: Licensing can be done centrally on the server by entering the license details in the Admin.ini file: 
[Settings]
Name=(Your Registration Name)
Code=(Your Site License Key)
Redirect: You can redirect from each user's local Admin.ini to a shared one on the server, for example: 
[Redirect]
Path=\\ANDROMEDA_CORP\XYplorer\AdminCentral.ini
Shared Database: The tagged files are not modified at all. All information is and remains in the database on your server.
Friendly Data Format: The tags database is kept in an ultra-simple, human-readable, editable, future-proof, and optionally portable format. In fact, it is so simple that a caveman could do it (if you gave him a text editor).
User Rights: The administrator is responsible for a reasonable rights management. If you want a user to read the shared tags database but not write to it, you can specify this in his Admin.ini file (located where his XYplorer.exe resides). Add these lines to that file (adjusting the path, of course): 
[AccessControl]
ReadonlyTagsDB=\\North\Share\XY\SharedTags.dat
Remote-to-Local Mapping: Here is how you can handle universal vs. local mapping (UNC vs. local format of a mapped network path). For example, in a situation with two mappings, you would add this to Admin.ini:

[UniversalLocalMapping]
Count=2
ULM1=\\VEGA\Share1>X:
ULM2=\\VEGA\Share2>Y:\Docs
The second line means that if your mapped network path "Y:\Docs" points to "\\VEGA\Share2", then any tagging you do in "Y:\Docs" will be stored in the tags database under "\\VEGA\Share2".
Enterprise Edition: You need the Enterprise Edition to enable this feature, e.g. the Lifetime License Mini Site Enterprise.
More: Not all features related to multi-user tagging are covered in this article. See the Help file for details.