Linking Elements

Linking elements within Connected Dreams / Origin

A key feature of the links within Connected Dreams / Origin is that they are typically bidirectional. This is allows answering questions such as 'where is this content used?' and 'Have tests been defined for this requirement and have they all passed?'

Paste as reference

A paste as reference generates a 'hyperlink' within Connected Dreams / Origin This is typically used to reference Sections, Figures (possibly within other documents) or other to reference other Documents. It can be configured how a reference is shown (Selecting the representation). For example a reference may show as 'Section 1.1 (with blue letters) or it may have the title of the section or a combination.

When referencing content in other Documents, entries are also generated in the external references list which can be optionally included in a document.

To perform paste as reference proceed as follows:

1. Select the element that you want to reference by performing aMouse Clickin it, and then performing a Mouse Clickon the Document Select Handle Label shown as a blue label such as:  . In the example shown in this Figure we clicked in Section 1 and then on the Document Select Handle Label.
2. Perform a copy operation: Context Menu → Copy
3. Perform a paste-as operation: Context Menu → Paste As
4. Click on Referencein the local special menu as shown in this Figure (or press the Enter Key)

Selecting the representation

To select how a link is represented, click on it (without any modifier keys such as Control or ⌘), and then Mouse Double Click on the Document Select Handle Label:

This will give a dialog with toggle switches as shown in this Figure

Paste as Linked content

It is also possible to make a 'Linked content' copy.

Linked content lets you reuse existing content without creating a separate copy.

When you insert linked content, it looks like normal content in your document, but it remains connected to the original source. If the original is edited later, every place where it is linked will automatically show the updated version (when it is linked to HEAD).

Use linked content when you want the same information to appear in multiple places (for example: a definition, a safety note, or a standard procedure), and you want to maintain it in one place.

Note that if you want to freeze the content 'copy' so that it does automatically change when the original changes, you make linked content copy that is linked to a released original.

To make a linked content copy (that is linked to HEAD), take the same steps as for Paste as reference, except in the last step you select Linked Content.

Linked content is rendered in the document with a light gray background.

Explicit linking

Elements such as requirements are linked by clicking on the 'pills' that are shown in the left margin.

Advanced topic: Implicit trace at every copy/paste operation

Note that when a regular copy/paste operation is performed within Connected Dreams / Origin, also the source document id and version number are stored as ('invisible') properties of new element that is created (The __copy_* properties such as__copy_sourceand __copy_version).

This allows following the entire life-cycle of all content. Currently this information is not yet expose in a dashboard, but the information can be queried using the SQL Data Browser feature in Connected Dreams / Origin.

This lets you use ClickHouse® queries.

ClickHouse is a registered trademark of ClickHouse, Inc. https://clickhouse.com/

Linking to external content (including URLs)

To link to an external URL proceed as follows:

1. Context Menu → Insert URL. An input form will appear as shown in this Figure.
2. Enter the URL and optionally a Title. Switches on the form determine what will be shown. By default the URL be shown and the title will not.