4.13 Understanding and Configuring Document Conversions with Stellent

Novell Vibe uses Stellent to perform document conversions. Documents undergo two types of conversions:

You can enable additional file formats to be indexed or viewed as HTML.

If Stellent is crashing with certain file types during either of the conversion processes, you can exclude the problematic file types from being indexed to the Vibe site or viewed as HTML from the Vibe site.

4.13.1 Configuring Which File Formats Can Be Viewed as HTML

Many file formats in Novell Vibe can be viewed as HTML by default, as described in Viewing the File in HTML Format in Working with Folder Entries in the Novell Vibe 3.4 User Guide. Examples of file formats that can be viewed as HTML by default are .doc, .docx, .txt, and so forth. (A complete list is given in the ssf.properties file, as described later in this section.)

Some file formats, such as .pdf files, cannot be viewed as HTML by default. This is because the quality of these files is lessened when viewed as HTML. However, if you choose, you can enable non-default file formats, such as .pdf files, to be viewed as HTML.

Not all file formats can be enabled to be viewed as HTML in Vibe, but many can be. If you are unsure whether Vibe supports a particular file format to be viewed as HTML, try it and see.

  1. Change to the following directory:

    Linux:

    /opt/novell/teaming/apache-tomcat/
                               webapps/ssf/WEB-INF/classes/config
    

    Windows:

    c:\Program Files\Novell\Teaming\apache-tomcat\
                               webapps\ssf\WEB-INF\classes\config
    
  2. Make a backup copy of the ssf-ext.properties file, which is located in the same directory as the ssf.properties file.

  3. Open the ssf.properties file in a text editor.

  4. Search for the following line:

    view.as.html.file.stellent.extensions=
    
  5. Open the ssf-ext.properties file in a text editor.

  6. Copy the view.as.html.file.stellent.extensions= line from the ssf.properties file to the bottom of the ssf-ext.properties file.

    Ensure that you also copy all of the values of this line. For example, .123, .bmp, .db, and so forth. These are the file formats that can be viewed as HTML by default.

  7. Add the file extension that you want to enable to be viewed as HTML to the list of existing file extensions, or remove the file extension that you want to exclude from being viewed as HTML from the list of existing file extensions.

  8. Save and close the ssf-ext.properties file.

  9. Close the ssf.properties file without saving it.

  10. Stop and restart Vibe.

4.13.2 Excluding File Types from Being Indexed or Displaying as HTML

If Stellent is crashing with certain file types during either of the conversion processes, you can restrict the problematic file types from being converted.

In order to determine if Stellent is crashing during word conversion or HTML conversion, you need to carefully examine the server log file. After you determine where Stellent is crashing, continue with the appropriate section:

Excluding File Types from Being Indexed to the Vibe Site

If you are experiencing crashes during this HTML conversion process with certain files, you can exclude the problematic file types from being converted. These file types can then no longer be viewed in HTML.

IMPORTANT:Performing the following procedure causes the file types that you specify to be excluded from searches performed in Vibe.

  1. Change to the following directory:

    Linux:

    /opt/novell/teaming/apache-tomcat/
                               webapps/ssf/WEB-INF/classes/config
    

    Windows:

    c:\Program Files\Novell\Teaming\apache-tomcat\
                               webapps\ssf\WEB-INF\classes\config
    
  2. Open the ssf.properties file in a text editor.

  3. Search for the following line:

    exclude.from.stellent.indexing.extensions=
    
  4. Make a backup copy of the ssf-ext.properties file, which is located in the same directory as the ssf.properties file.

  5. Open the ssf-ext.properties file in a text editor.

  6. Copy the exclude.from.stellent.indexing.extensions= line from the ssf.properties file to the bottom of the ssf-ext.properties file.

  7. Add the file types that are causing OpenOffice to crash to be the value of this property. For example, exclude.from.stellent.indexing.extensions=.pptx,.odf

  8. Save and close the ssf-ext.properties file.

  9. Close the ssf.properties file without saving it.

  10. Stop and restart Vibe.

Excluding File Types from Being Displayed in HTML

You can display files in HTML view as described in Viewing the File in HTML Format in Working with Folder Entries in the Novell Vibe 3.4 User Guide. If OpenOffice crashes during this HTML conversion process with certain files, you can exclude the problematic file types from being converted. These file types can then no longer be viewed in HTML. For information on how to exclude file types from displaying in HTML, see Section 4.13.1, Configuring Which File Formats Can Be Viewed as HTML.