Change file order for uploaded files?

We're hoping to use Omeka for online exhibitions that will include items featuring multi-page PDF scans of manuscripts. I've figured out how to use the Dropbox to associate multiple files with items easily, but the files seem to be assigned identifiers randomly (rather than, say, in order according to filename) and they therefore display out of numerical order, too. We would really like to be able to display ms. pages in order, so they can be read easily. Is there a way to change the identifiers or sort by filename?

Thank you!

Hi Katharine,

The dropbox seems to place files in order of file size. We are rethinking how that works, but unfortunately that is the default for now.

The order you add files to an item is the order in which they are displayed. So, if you want page 1 to appear first you add it first, and so on.

Another option to ensure that the PDF's appear in order is to merge them into one file and then add the iPaper plugin. At the item level, it allows your visitors to flip through the pages of the PDF like a book. It has zoom capability and is generally handy for viewing documents. If you haven't already, check out the information we have posted in the "How To" section: http://omeka.org/codex/IPaper_plugin.

Sheila

I searched forums and the Trac to see if there has been any further development on sorting files...

Question... are there any plans on providing a sort capability for uploaded files? To allow altering of the sequence of files displayed?

You can sort Dropbox files according to file name by adding one line of code. In plugins/Dropbox/plugin.php, add sort($fileNames, SORT_STRING); a couple of lines before the end of the file, right before return $fileNames;. This will sort the file names as strings, according to PHP's sorting rules.

Thank you pbinkley! Saved the day!

Hi,

I have this problem of ordering the files of an item according to its sequential numbering, but it seems that there is no more plugin.php file in the Dropbox plugin folder.

Does this trick concern the files in the Dropbox files folder or does it work even after adding the files in the items ?

Thank you for your help.

Hi,

In my UniversalViewer and BookReader plugins, I add a batch command for that. See in admin > items browse > checkbox > main edit button > order files.

Sincerely,

Daniel Berthereau
Infodoc & Knowledge management