Forum Discussion
Best practices for file management
Hi, all --
We have a repository of SL files on a shared folder. These finalized versions are moved to this shared folder, along with their corresponding SCORM files, only once they are published in the LMS.
About once a year, we need to make updates to these files to keep the information current, and we're establishing best practices for this process. We would want to duplicate the file somehow, so we don't lose the old version. Often, the person doing the updates is not the original designer.
Given that info, is it better to make a copy of the shared file and start working from there, on the server, to preserve any link paths? Should we download the SL file to our C drive, make the edits and move it back in? Does any of this affect links to resources, like PDFs, that were in the file?
Thank you very much!
Mandy,
I haven't looked at what Judy has done. She is a great resource and has a lot of good information. However, I have been told by Articulate that storing files on a shared database can corrupt the files. I have experienced this in the past. This was a few years ago, so maybe it is no longer a concern. What I do know is we do the same thing. I always download a copy. Make a copy, then work from the copy. Make my changes and version it. It adds to the storage issue, but we haven't had any issues yet. AS for PDF files associated with the files, normally I create and attach new with the new version. We also store PDF files in the same folder as the story file so it can be used, and we don't have to worry about losing it.
Good luck, I hope this helps.
Thanks, Eric! I appreciate you both!
I never had problems storing back-up files on a SharePoint site. But I never open a .story file unless it's on my hard drive. Also, I always close .story files before I put my PC to sleep. That's a tip I got years ago, from an early hero who said the sleep-wake process might corrupt an open file. I don't know if that'd still be the case, but it's an easy tip to follow, and it sure doesn't hurt.
- More re: best practices for storage. In addition to the .story file, the storage process should back up other source files needed for the project. For example, be sure to back up any special images or illustrations, videos, and the editable source files for any attachments. I also recommend backing up audio transcripts and/or other script materials.
- FYI: Articulate recently added a feature that saves a copy of the .story file when you publish to Review 360. Here's more info about that: https://community.articulate.com/discussions/articulate-storyline/new-in-storyline-360-cloud-backup-beta
When you attach a PDF or other file, it gets saved as part of the project. Thus, if you transfer the .story file to someone else, they could publish it, and the attachment would be there.
However, this also means that if you update the original file, the attachment in the .story file doesn't get updated. Instead, you have to replace it with the updated version. Thus, in addition to having a good version-control process for the .story file, you need a good version-control process for attachments.
- More FYI: Here's the User Guide info about attachments: https://community.articulate.com/series/articulate-storyline-360/articles/articulate-storyline-360-user-guide-how-to-attach-resources
Thank you so much, Judy!
If it helps, we are generally following a system like Judy describes here (though we don't have the same volume of material). https://community.articulate.com/discussions/articulate-storyline/source-files-version-control-best-practices
I do see here that downloading a copy is recommended -- are there any considerations around PDF links when doing that? https://community.articulate.com/articles/7-insider-secrets-for-working-with-large-teams-on-e-learning-projects
