How to import by reference?

[Pat Thomas]

I want to be able to keep my illustrations in a directory and reference them in a Confluence page. FrameMaker has an import-by-reference feature with this capability. For example, if I take a screen shot today and import-by-reference the saved .png file into several documents, when that screen shot gets updated, I can simply save the revised file and the update automatically gets picked up by all documents that reference it.

I know I can use an inclusion library for Confluence chunks/pages, but I'd like to be able to skip the step of updating a Confluence page with an updated screen shot. I'd like updates to occur directly from the saved file in a directory.

Thanks, in advance, for any tips you can provide.

[Davin Studer · Accepted solution]

If the folder is web accessible you can use "Images from the web".

[Nic Brough [Adaptavist]]

>I know I can use an inclusion library for Confluence chunks/pages

I would still do that - it means you only have to save one file in one place.  Davin's trick then solves the other part of your problem.

Although, if you can't do that, I'd be looking for a script that can monitor a remote or shared folder and either drag it into Confluence (assuming it's something in Confluence), or a script that can monitor a shard folder and knows to use REST to poke a new attachment into Confluence into the right "inclusion" page.

I know it's not much help, but I've done both of those, but it was a long time ago (version 2), one as a plugin, and the other used SOAP rather than REST.  I'm showing my age...

[Pat Thomas · Accepted solution]

Thanks. I'll investigate both suggestions. I think they are both reasonable options.