> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.aligned.ch/aligned-elements-web-client-user-manual/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.aligned.ch/aligned-elements-web-client-user-manual/3.2.301.26526/settings/manage-catalogues.md). # Manage Catalogues ### Catalogue Items and Catalogue Projects Catalogue Items is a mechaism for reusing Design Control data in several projects. Catalogue items (stored and managed in Catalogue Projects) can be distributed and reused in concrete product projects. A Catalogue Project is indicated by having a green project name and the word "(Catalogue)" appended to the project name in the lower right corner of the application. A project that wishes to use Catalogue Items from a Catalogue Project can do so through any of the following three methods: * Importing them from a Catalogue Project * Importing them using a Catalogue Assistant * Importing them from an exported file When a Catalogue Item has been imported for re-use, the re-used item has knowledge of its origin/source Catalogue Object. Re-used item types can be configured to prevent editing of selected attributes whose information stems from the original Catalogue item. {% hint style="info" %} Note! A Catalogue Project and the project using the Catalogue items do not have to be linked. {% endhint %} ### Setting up Catalogue Projects and Catalogue items The declaration of a Project being of type "Catalogue" is done in the [Project Settings](/aligned-elements-web-client-user-manual/3.2.301.26526/settings/project-settings.md). Set the setting **Type** to **Catalogue** and click **Save**. #### Create Catalogue Items Create items in the Catalogue Project in the same way as you create items in any other project. These items become the master versions that can be imported into Product Projects for reuse. #### Configure synchronized attributes When a Catalogue Item is imported into a Product Project, the imported item maintains a link to its source Catalogue Item. Synchronization is performed on individual attributes. Thus, it is possible to configure which attributes in an Document object type that shall have synchronizable behavior. For each attribute, decide whether its value is controlled by the Catalogue Project or by the Product Project. * Attributes configured with **ReadOnlyIfCatalogueObject="true"** are: * read-only in the Product Project, for items derived from Catalogue Items (but not read only if the item was added/created in the Product Project) * updated when changes in the Catalogue Project are propagated to the Product Project The item title is configured separately using **TitleIsReadOnlyIfCatalogueObject="true"**. > **Example** > > A Compliance Plan rvt template contains the following attributes: > > * Title > * Applicable Standards > * Rationale > * Project Assessment > > The administrator configures **Title** and **Applicable Standards** as read only catalogue attributes. **Rationale** and **Project Assessment** remain editable. > > When the Catalogue Item is updated and the changes are propagated: > > * changes to **Title** and **Applicable Standards** are copied to all Product Projects > * **Rationale** and **Project Assessment** remain unchanged because they contain project specific information > > If such a Compliance Plan object was created directly in the Product Project (not derived from the Catalogue Object), **all** attributes are editable. This approach allows common information to be centrally maintained while preserving project specific data in each Product Project. {% hint style="info" %} Note! The catalogue link does not automatically synchronize objects. It only enables comparison and controlled propagation of selected attributes. {% endhint %} ### The Purpose of the Manage Catalogue View The view is available for Projects with the type 'Catalogue' see {% content-ref url="/pages/-LNpQDDnUJvq6HvBwG2i" %} [Project Settings](/aligned-elements-web-client-user-manual/3.2.301.26526/settings/project-settings.md) {% endcontent-ref %} The purpose of the Manage Catalogue View is twofold: 1\) It is used to determine in which target projects a Catalogue Item has been reused, and whether the Catalogue Item has changed since the re-used items were created. 2\) It is used to selectively propagate changes made in the Catalogue Items to the re-used items. ### Inspect the use of Catalogue Items The tree view lists Catalogue Items from the current catalogue project. To locate where these items have been re-used, select the full or a part of tree-view to load any re-used items from your re-use projects.
The re-used items will appear in one of three states: * Unchanged * The re-used Item has a lower revision than the Catalogue Item * The re-used Item has been disabled in re-use project If you have an item that is in a lower revision in the re-use items, you can inspect and compare the state of the Catalogue Item vis a vis the re-used item by clicking on the blue looking glass icon. ### Propagate changes in Catalogue Items to re-used Items To propagate the latest data from the Catalogue Items to the re-used items, click the Action Menu Item **Propagate changes to re-use items**.
In the displayed dialogue, use the filters to narrow down and fine-tune the final selection of items whose data you wish to propagate to re-use projects. Click **OK** to perform the propagation of the selected items. It is thus possible to select which target items that shall recieve the updated information. {% hint style="info" %} Note: Only attribute data which is configured to be 'Read Only if Catalogue Object' will get propagated. Any attributes which a user may change in the documentation projects will remain unaffected. {% endhint %} ### Propagation and disabled Document Objects If a Document Object in a Catalogue project has been disabled, that disabled state cannot be propagated to the re-used items in other projects. If a re-used item has been disabled, that item will not be subject to propgataion i.e. the propagation mechanism will not detected as a target object for propagation. ### Detach a Catalogue Item from its Catalogue Project A Catalogue Item that has been imported into a Product Project remains linked to its source Catalogue Item. This link allows you to inspect the Catalogue Item, determine whether it has changed, and propagate updates from the Catalogue Project. If you no longer want the re-used item to receive updates from the Catalogue Project, you can detach it. Open the items form in the Product Project. Click **Edit**. In the Action item select **Detach**. The Catalogue link is thereby removed and the item in the product project works as a result Document object. All existing data in the detached item is retained.