Adding an entry

Add an entry to an activity when you want to share information with members of your activity. For example, use an entry to ask a question. Activity members can post answers by clicking Add comment within the entry. You might also use the entry subject as a way to make an announcement.

Procedure

  1. Click Add Entry.
  2. Click Add > Entry.

    If more options are displayed, those options are custom entry types that were created with the web version of Activities. Custom entries are entries that contain a set of fields with predefined labels that you can reuse. Select one of these entry types if you want to create an entry of that type.

  3. Enter the relevant details. These details can be changed later by editing the entry.
    To edit an entry, click More to expand the entry and then click Edit.
  4. Add content to the entry.
    • Click Add File > Attach File to add a file to the entry.
      Files that you attach are uploaded to the activity and stored within the activity. The files cannot be shared outside the membership of the activity. The contents of files that are uploaded to activities cannot be searched. If you want to upload a file that you can share with a wider audience later, add the file to the Files app. You can add a link to a file or folder in the Files app from the activity entry to share it with the activity members. Files that you attach to an activity entry are stored within the activity.
      Note: The Attachment dialog box shows the maximum file size that you can upload. The maximum file size is set by your organization. Attaching large files to an activity can affect activity performance. An activity that contains large files can take longer to load. Instead of attaching a file to an entry, you can upload the file to the Files app and add a link in your activity to that file.
      Note: If you are trying to attach a large file to an entry while offline and cannot, try again when you are next online. Your administrator can change the default file size limitations, but such changes apply only when you are online; they do not apply when offline.
    • Click Add Bookmark to add a web address to the entry.
    • Click Add File > Link to File to add a link to a file.
      Select the file to link to. The files available depend on what is deployed in your environment. For example, if the Files app is deployed in your environment, then you can create a link to a file stored in the Files app. If a Linked Library is available for your deployment, then you can create a link to a file stored in the library. If you select to create a link from My computer, the file that is selected is uploaded to the activity and a link is created.
      Note: If the Files app is deployed or Linked Libraries are enabled, My computer is unavailable.
    • Click Add File > Link to Folder to add a link to a folder.

      The folders available depend on what is deployed in your environment. For example, if the Files app is deployed in your environment, then you can create a link to a folder created in the Files app. If a Linked Library is available for your deployment, then you can create a link to a folder stored in the library.

    • Click Add Custom Fields > Date Field to add a Date field to the entry. When you click the empty field, a calendar control is displayed. You can either type the date into the field or pick a date from the calendar control.
    • Add Custom Fields > Person Field to add a Person field to the entry. As you type a name into the field, a list of names from the directory is displayed. You can choose a name from the list or continue typing the person's full name or email address.
      Note: If you type the name of a person from within Activities, you must pick from the type-ahead to add the person properly instead of clicking the Add Members. Select from the type-ahead entry that displays the correct business card.
    • Click Add Custom Fields > Name Field to add a Name field to the entry. As you type a name into the field, a list of names from the directory is displayed. You can choose a name from the list or continue typing the person's full name or email address.
    • Click Add Custom Fields > Text Field to add a plain text field to the entry.

    You can add as many types of fields as you want and you can add fields of the same type multiple times. Rename a custom field by clicking the field label. Remove a field by clicking the delete field icon for that field.

    You can change the label of file, bookmark, or custom field to a name that better describes the purpose of the field. For example, if you are using the entry to provide review comments, you might want to add two name fields, an Author field and a Reviewer field. You can also add a date field that is labeled Review By Date, and then add a file attachment with a field label of Document To Review.

  5. Use the Description field to describe the entry or add entry content. You can use the toolbar options to format the added text. You can also use @mentions to share your entry directly with other people.
  6. In the body of the entry, describe the entry or add entry content. You can use the toolbar options to format the added text.
  7. Select a specific section of the activity to add this entry to.
  8. Select Mark this entry private to hide the entry from other members.
  9. Select Notify people of this entry If you want to notify activity members about this entry.

    If you are using a stand-alone activity, you can notify all activity members by selecting All individual members of this activity. If you do not want to notify everyone, select specific members from the list. If the activity is shared with a community, then you can notify a subset of the community members by selecting Community: community_name. You can then select the boxes next to the names of the members that you want to notify.

    If you are using a community activity, select specific members from the list.

    Note: The filter searches the names on the current page only. If there are multiple pages, click Next until you get to a page with names in the same alphabetic range as the name you are looking for, and then type the name into the filter box.

What to do next

You can change the properties of entries by clicking More Actions. For example, you can make an entry private by editing it. You can also move the entry, edit it, delete it, or make a copy of it.

You can convert entries into to-do items by clicking More Actions > Convert to To Do Item. To-do items are useful when there is an entry in your activity that you want to assign or if the due date of the entry is before the due date of the activity.

By clicking More Actions > Notify Other People you can bring an entry to the attention of members in the activity. Members whom you notify receive an email message or a notification in the Updates tab in the Home Page app that contains the description of the entry and a link to it. Any member of an activity can notify other members about any entry in the activity. The server can send notifications to current members of the activity and to anyone who adds a current entry to the activity even if the person is no longer a member.