Putting Subpages in table and add aditional rows

[ryder]

Hi all,

I have a set of page (about 120) that will be updated externally every halft year. The structure of the pages is like this:

To every page, I have to docutment a owner, status and a comment. My first idea was to edit every page and add a small table with this information. But this is horrible when the pages get an update. I have to edit every page. Normally, after an update only the content of the pages changes, but not my values mentioned above.

So my Idea was to use page propertie report and add additional rows. But this seems to be not possible. In know, this is possible, if I add every page manually in the table and use a standard tabel, but this really time consuming, especially when every 6 month the subpages changes. So I want a kind of automatism.

Here is a manual created example what I like to have at the end:

Do you have any idea how to solve this. We use Confluence cloud and I would prefer a solution without additional macros. But solutions which need a new plugin or macro are welcomed,

Thanks, in advanced.

ciao

Thorsten 

[Andrey Khaneev _StiltSoft_ · Accepted solution]

Hi @ryder,

Maybe you could use Excerpt and Excerpt Include macros to display the table on each page. Then wrap the Excerpt Include macro with the Table Filter macro on each page to display only relevant for this page data.

[ryder]

@Andrey Khaneev _StiltSoft_ 

sounds interesting, do you have an example or more details how to solve this with Table Filter?

[Andrey Khaneev _StiltSoft_]

Here are some screenshots:

Table Filter macro filters column Page by Subpage 1 value.

[ryder]

@Andrey Khaneev _StiltSoft_ 

thanks for this hint. That resolved not my issue. But I found another way to solve it.

My way is now like this:

1. I import a the updated space

2. After that I use Bob Swift CLI to give all pages one label

3. Then I replace a version number, which is on each with a small table for using PagePropertyReport. In this table I use insert a Index-Number to have a kind of identical serial number for each page

4. Then I use a Table Transform macro (on a new page) which joins to tables together, one table is the PagePropertyReport, the other table contains one row for every serial number and the additional tables. The join of table Transform makes the a kind of overview table which includes all the necessary data. 

See below some screenshots.

Thanks for giving me the right hint.

Regards,

Thorsten

result of the overview:

overview page in edit mode

example of one subpage

[Andrey Khaneev _StiltSoft_]

Looks great!

[Dominic Lagger]

Hi @ryder 

How the pages get an update externally, via REST? And what update they get, the whole page or just some sections? 

Let's play this with an example:

When "subpage_a" gets an update, does the Owner, the status or the comment change? Means: You have to manually change these 3 attributes on the overview page every half year?

Are these 3 informations (owner, status, comment) on the "subpage_a" itself? 

Wouldn't it be possible, that you use "page properties report" in the overview and the "page properties" on every page. Just make sure that the "page properties" macro is not updated on the subpages on the externally update. 

I know, many questions, but I'm not sure I get the idea of your project.

Regards, Dominic

[ryder]

@Dominic Lagger 

I get an update of the pages via an space import. The pages are in an extra page. Everythink can be changed the title, adding or removing pages and the content.

Most changes are in the content.

Owner, status and comment stay unchanged if the content of a subpage gets changed.

If a page is added or removed, it's necessary that the owner, status and comment must be added or removed.

Owner, status and comment are NOT on the subpages, this is the reason for this post. So I'm looking for smart way to add this content in a fast manner without editing every page, every 6 month.

Page properties was also my first idea, but when the page get's update the label is removed.

So, I hope, I did not missed answering any question and my problem is now more clear.

Thanks, in advanced.

Best wishes

Thorsten

[Dominic Lagger]

Thanks for sharing the answers.

Would it be possible, that the source space (from where it will imported) add these informations, so the space import imports the pages with these 3 informations (owner, status and comment), and of course the label. This means, you wouldn't have to add these informations every 6 month.

Because everything is change with the space import, I'm not sure if there is a good solution for you. 

I really would try to add the import with these informations. otherwise you will always have manual work.

Regards, Dominic

[ryder]

@Dominic Lagger ,

thanks for the clarification. Now it the importeted space from an external company and have no option to add these information.

This was my reason for the initial idea to collect the subpages in a table and add extra rows with my information. So adopting everything after an update would also be necessary, but it would be only page where I have to put in all the information.

But it seems to be no easy way for that.

Regards,

Thorsten

[Dominic Lagger]

I'm afraid it doesn't get much easier... 

Because you overwrite always everything, so there is no other persistance to use.

[ryder]

@Dominic Lagger 

no, I desagree with your opinion. We must separate what could be changed during an update and what will be changed in the most update cases.

In the most update cases only some changes (about 5 to 10) inside the text of the page and perhaps 1 to 3 changes to page title oder new pages.

So, the page title and the hole structure keeps identically (in the most cases).

Back to my idea, when I have a kind of table linking to every page and adding my date (owner, status etc.) into my table. No changes would be necessary.

Also if only one or two page have changes in the title or are totally new, I would have only few changes. 

In contrast, when I add the data to every page, I have to change everytime every page.

It is unbelievable for me, that there is now way for realising that.

[Dominic Lagger]

Okay, thanks for correcting me, because otherwise I would have understand you incorrectly. 

But to be sure (sorry for being so dumb):

You have this structure:

• Overview
  • subpage_a (Page ID: 123)
  • subpage_b (Page ID: 124)
  • subpage_c (Page ID: 125)
  • subpage_d (Page ID: 126)

In the Overview you want your table as mentiond with owner, status, etc.?

Can you explain what you mean by "I get an update of the pages via an space import."?Because for me, a space import means you create a new space. That would mean, that although there are almost no changes at all, the new structure would be (notice the new page id's):  

• Overview
  • subpage_a (Page ID: 127)
  • subpage_b (Page ID: 128)
  • subpage_c (Page ID: 129)
  • subpage_d (Page ID: 130)
  • subpage_e (Page ID: 131)

If this is an incorrect interpretation, then why isn't it possible to use page properties? 

Let's say you have this page:

-----

• Title from subpage_a
  • Page Properties
  • Content A
  • Content B
  • Content C

-----

If only Content C is updated, the Page Properties macro is still there and can be used?

I'm sorry I didn't get it correct.

[ryder]

@Dominic Lagger ,

please no excuses, I'm so happy, that you try to help me.

Normally I get the update via a zipped Export from our partner. The partner ensures that the space key did not change and that structure and title did not change (except for those pages that must be change because of changes inside of the content or title).

Until now, I have deleted the old space an imported the new space for the update.

If we have any links from our spaces to this space (the one, which contains the subpages), nothing was broken (if page title did not change). So, yes this is a correct interpretation, the Page ID changes with an update).

Page properties is not possible because with deletation and new import of the space the labels get lost.

I try here to give a better example for the imported space:

• Space with subpages
• 4.1 subpage title a
• 4.1.1 subpage title aa
• 4.2 subpage title b
• 5. subpage title c
• 5.1 subpage title ca
• 5.1.1 subpage title caa
• 5.1.2 subpage title cab
• and so on

after an update, some changes are only in the content of a subpage. Normally additional sentencte or exchange of some words. The structure might change like this (changes are marked with bold for better visibility):

• Space with subpages
• 4.1 subpage title a
• 4.1.1 subpage title xx
• 4.2 subpage title b
• 5. subpage title c
• 5.1 subpage title ca
• 5.1.1 subpage title caa
• 5.1.2 subpage title cab
• 5.1.3 subpage title cac
• and so on

Your not right concerning the overview. The table should be in one of our internal spaces (where no update will happen), so the table did not get touched with an update.

I hope, I explained much better now.

[Dominic Lagger]

Okay, now I think I understand.

But then, as I said earlier, it's like you delete the space and import a new one. The page properties would be lost (as you mentioned) 

Unfortunately you work with confluence cloud. User macros aren't possible there. With an user macro, it would be almost very easy :) 

I was thinking about this use case a lot, and I'm not aware of any possible solution.

Perhaps with CLI from Bob Swift it would be easy, but I don't know this plugin.

[ryder]

@Dominic Lagger ,

thanks for your answer, this is also welcomed and it's helpful for clarification.

Do you know any other solution using a macro that would definitivly work?

[Dominic Lagger]

No, I don't know any other thing, that would definitely work