Adding a comment to any file anywhere in Studio

Working on a publication is team work. In a typical workflow therefore, a file will go through many changes before it can be published.

To discuss or communicate these changes, comments can be added to any file in Studio, including those that are part of a Dossier or Task. The file can be an article, a layout, a Dossier, or any file of any type that is stored in Studio.

How to add and manage comments to any file in Studio is explained in this article. This includes the following topics:

• Adding a comment and replying to a comment
• Editing and deleting comments
• Resolving comments

Note: Adding a comment to any file anywhere in Studio is one of the ways of adding a comment or note in Studio. Other methods include adding a comment in a Digital article, adding an inline note in a Print article, and adding a note to a Dossier. For more information, see Adding comments in Studio.

Requirements

Using this feature requires the following:

• Studio running in WoodWing Cloud.
• Studio 11.163 or higher together with the Studio Server plug-in version 11.163 or higher.
• Studio 11.172 or higher for showing the Comments icon or the total number of comments for a file in the Column view
• Studio 11.185 or higher for tagging other users in a comment or for managing comments using the Activity hub.

Managing comments

Managing comments by adding, editing, deleting, resolving them, or replying to them, is done in either the Comments panel or in the Comments feed of the Activity hub.

Note: The Comments feed is a central place in which you can see all comments in which you have been tagged. For details on managing comments in the Comments feed, see Managing your comments in Studio.

The Comments panel can be accessed by clicking its icon in the toolbar on the right side.

Figure: Comments for a file can be added and viewed in the Comments panel.

The panel contains two tabs: the Active tab shows comments that are currently active and that need attention, and a Resolved tab that contains comments which have been completed.

At the top of the panel, the name of the file or object to which the comments belong is shown.

Behavior and limitations

Take note of the following behavior and limitations:

• A comment can have a maximum of 10,000 characters.
• To each comment, a maximum of 50 replies can be added.
• A Dossier can contain a maximum of 100 comments.
• Comments are sorted by newest first.
• The color of the avatar is controlled by the user color as set in the user profile in Studio Server.

Adding a comment

Adding a comment is done by selecting any file anywhere in Studio and then adding the comment in the Comments panel.

Step 1. Select any file anywhere in Studio. This includes a file in a Dossier or Task.

Step 2. In the toolbar on the right side, click the Comments icon to open the Comments panel.

Step 3. Click Create a new comment.

Step 4. In the field that appears, add your comment.

Note: Add other users by tagging them. See the next section below.

Tip: Press Shift+Enter to add a line break, pressing Enter saves the comment..

Step 5. Save the comment by clicking Create or by pressing Enter.

Tip: To cancel adding the comment, click Cancel or press Escape.

Tagging other users

Info: This feature requires Studio 11.185 or higher, running in WoodWing Cloud.

Users whose assistance is needed or who need to be made aware of what is being discussed can be tagged in a comment. These users are then notified that they have been mentioned in the comment so that they can assist with resolving the comment.

Tip: Comments in which you have been tagged yourself can be seen and managed in the Comments feed of the Activity hub.

Step 1. Type the @-symbol within any comment or reply.

A list of users appears.

Notes: The list is sorted alphabetically. The list only displays users who have access to the Brand to which the file on which is commented belongs. This way you can be sure that the person you are tagging has access to the file. Example: When commenting on an article that is part of the 'WW News' Brand, only users with access to that Brand are displayed. The color on a named user’s avatar is based on the color configured in the User settings in Studio Server. This can be changed or updated by a system administrator. Users who have been deactivated or deleted appear as 'Unknown user', with a question mark avatar to indicate that they are no longer active in the system.

Step 2. Type additional letters after @ to filter the list on the closest matches, with first names taking priority over last names.

Step 3. Select a user by clicking it. Add additional users when needed.

Note: Tags with your name have an orange background; tags for other users have a light-gray background.

Replying to a comment

To reply to a comment, do one of the following:

• In the Comments panel, click Reply on an existing comment. The steps are then identical to creating a new comment.

• Use the Comments feed in the Activity hub to Reply to comments in which you have been tagged. For details, see Managing your comments in Studio.

Viewing existing replies in the Comments panel

When replies are added to a comment, the number of replies and the time when the last reply was added is shown.

To view all replies that have been added to a comment, click the Reply label.

Editing and deleting comments

Any comment or reply that has been added by yourself can be edited or deleted.

Note: The following comments or replies cannot be edited or deleted: Comments or replies from other users. Comments that are resolved. To edit or delete a resolved comment, make the comment active first (see Resolving comments).

To edit or delete one of your comments or replies, locate your comment in either the Comments panel or in the Comments feed tab of the Activity hub, click the Edit or Delete icon and follow the steps.

Resolving comments

When a comment needs no further action, it can be set to the Resolved status. Comments that are resolved are moved to the Resolved tab in the Comments panel to keep them accessible but make them less visible.

Comments that have been resolved can also be removed from the Resolved status to make them active again. They then appear in the Active tab of the Comments panel.

To resolve an active comment, or to make a resolved comment active again, click its Resolve icon in either the Comments panel or in the Comments feed tab of the Activity hub.

When a comment is resolved, its Resolve icon is green.

Figure: A resolved comment in the Resolved tab of the Comments panel.

Comments in Dossiers and Tasks

When opening a Dossier or Task, the Comments panel can show either the comments for the Dossier or Task, or the comments for a file in the Dossier or Task.

It works as follows: when first opening a Dossier, the Comments panel shows any comments for that Dossier. This is indicated by the Dossier icon and the Dossier name at the top of the panel.

When then selecting a file in the Dossier, any comments for that file are shown. The file icon and name is now shown next to the Dossier icon at the top of the panel.

To show the comments for the Dossier again, click the Dossier icon at the top of the panel.

Viewing the total number of comments

Info: This feature requires Studio 11.172 or higher, running in WoodWing Cloud.

The total number of comments that have been added to a file can be seen in the following places:

• The Comments icon in the toolbar on the right side when the file is selected.
• The Number of comments column when viewing the search results in List view mode.

Note: The count is automatically updated when you yourself make changes such as adding, resolving or deleting a comment. When other users make changes, the count is not automatically updated for you. To update the count when other users make changes, deselect the selected file by selecting another file and then select the file again. Alternatively, refresh the search results or the page.

Downloading, archiving, or deleting a file

When downloading a file or archiving a file to Assets Server, any added comments are not available with the downloaded or archived file.

When deleting a file, the comments are deleted from the system as well.

Revisions

• 22 January 2025: Added section 'Tagging other users'.