Method for Managing Files Referenced in In-Basket Items

Method for Managing Files Referenced in In-Basket Items

      This article describes a method for enforcing synchronization
of files referenced in mail note distributions with the points of
reference within said distributions.

      Currently, mail systems can be viewed as receiving two
categories of distributions, files and notes.  Often the notes and
files are stored to disk.  If a note and file are associated with
each other through a reference in the note to the file, then renaming
or deleting the file will cause the note to become out of synch.  A
problem occurs when the note is later viewed and references in it are
to one or more files which no longer exist.  A method is needed
whereby changes in file status are automatically reflected in notes
or other inbasket items which reference the file(s).  Files such as
spread-sheets, graphics, help text and the like must be supported.
This article describes a service which allows associating inbasket
item contents with actual referenced files such that deleting or
renaming the actual file(s) causes automatic update to the inbasket
item contents.  Upon receipt of an inbasket item, the user can place
a cursor under a string in the content where said string is a file
name of a file which may have been sent along with the textual item.
Upon activation of the association aspect of this article, a panel is
displayed asking the user what the fully qualified path is for the
file.  The path may be different than the path within the note
inbasket item contents (if path specified in contents).  Upon path
specification, a cross reference table entry is created containing
the referencing item file name, creation date/time stamp and source
address (may re...