Workspaces

Workspaces are used to store and re-use the layout, formatting and content of the currently open windows. Not all window types are supported, and not all layout and formatting parameters are saved. However, the vast majority of the desktop can be restored to a specific configuration by simply dragging a Workspace object from the database tree onto the InfoAsset Manager main window.

Creating a Workspace

The vast majority of windows are supported by the workspace object. However, if unsupported types of window are open when creating a workspace, InfoAsset Manager will display a warning that these windows will not be saved.

To create a workspace

1. Right-click the Asset Group and choose NewWorkspace from the popup menu. A workspace object containing the currently open windows will be created. A warning will be given if there are unsupported windows open.
2. Give the new workspace a suitable name.

Opening a Workspace

A workspace can be opened in the same way as any other database object, by using drag and drop onto the main window, or by using the popup menu.

When opening a workspace:

• By default, windows that are currently open will be closed before opening the workspace.
• Hold the CTRL key when dropping the workspace into the main window, to open the workspace without closing currently open windows.
• A warning will be displayed if some of the windows in the workspace use data objects (networks etc.) that cannot be found. If you continue opening the workspace, some windows may fail to open or may open containing incomplete data.

Also, when you start InfoAsset Manager, you can automatically re-open the set of windows that were open when you last closed the software. See Reload Last Workspace at Startup for more information.

Reload last Workspace at Startup

Windows that were open when InfoAsset Manager was closed can be reopened when InfoAsset Manager is next started. This is achieved by saving a Workspace when the application is closed which is then loaded when the software is restarted, and then discarded. This workspace object cannot be accessed in the database in the normal way, but it stores exactly the same data as a normal workspace object.

• To switch workspace reloading on: select Options from the Tools menu, go to the General Page, and select the Reopen Previous option from the Windows at Startup section.
• If workspace reloading is switched on, but on a particular occasion you do not want the saved workspace to reload, simply hold down the Shift key while starting InfoAsset Manager
• For this feature to work, you must have a current asset group. If there is no current asset group, for instance when you have just changed database, then the current configuration will not be saved or reopened
• The normal rules for workspaces are:
  • Only windows of types that can be saved in a workspace will be reopened.
  • Windows that refer to data objects that are no longer present will not be opened.

Copying a Workspace

Workspaces can be copied within the database in the same way as any other object. See Working with Database Items for instructions. When copying workspaces in the same database, they are treated independently of any data that might be displayed within the windows whose parameters are saved.

Copying Between Databases

A much more powerful feature of InfoAsset Manager allows workspaces to be copied between different databases along with the underlying data, so that the workspace can be fully recreated in a different database. See Transportable Databases for full details.

Deleting a Workspace

Delete a workspace object from the database in the normal way, by right-clicking it and choosing Delete from the popup menu. Workspaces exist completely independently of the data that appears in the workspace windows. Therefore:

• When a workspace is deleted it does not affect the data displayed in the workspace windows.
• Deleting data does not affect the workspace. However, if the data that would have been displayed in a workspace window is no longer available, that window may not open.