[DONE] Backlinks between docs?

[Sarah_Arminta]

Is there a way to view backlinks between docs?

[Chr1sG]

You mean a way to see, for a given document, which entities or documents refer to it?
If so, then unfortunately not, currently.

[Oshyan]

No, which is why I just use Databases/Entities for “Docs”. A Rich Text is functionally equivalent to a Doc, can be made “full screen”, but you also get to add Fields, Relations, and see References (backlinks). And now that we can Hide Fields, use Pinned Fields, and Collapse most left-area Entity View Fields, I think you can get reasonably close to a “Document” experience while maintaining the benefits of Databases.

I do hope Documents get improved in the future to have things like “Backlinks”, but I also wonder if they shouldn’t just be a specialized form of “Database”. The main distinction I can think of that doesn’t necessarily work with the current Database model is N-level hierarchy. If Documents could just have Fields added to them, but in e.g. a slide-out sidebar, with the default view (and status) of Docs not having properties, that would be great IMO. But again Entities are pretty close to this already in many respects.

[ESGdataBoi]

I do the same thing with entity rich fields, except I wish there was the ability to have wide-view similar to docs.

[Sarah_Arminta]

Will rich text fields support blocks?

@Oshyan Do you use docs for anything? I’d be really curious to see your system! There aren’t too many people I’ve come across that probably have a system as complex and involved as what I do.

[mdubakov]

I’d say we screwed up with Docs initially and did not get it right with the right abstraction. In near future this concept will change and we will:

1. Rename Documents to Pages
2. Allow to nest Pages
3. Allow to see back-references in Pages
4. Make it possible to quickly create Pages from anywhere (search, text, …)
5. Convert Pages to Entities.

Essentially, Page is typeless entity, but we did not implemented it this way unfortunately. Now Document is a View, which is a wrong abstraction and wrong metaphor.

We are working on the concept, all this will be a part of major Fibery changes next year (semantic blocks, new comments/chat collaboration system, per-entity permissions).

[Sarah_Arminta]

Very happy to hear this and I’m looking forward to the improvements. Good to know the forward direction so I can plan my structure.

[rawkode]

This sounds awesome

[Oshyan]

@Sarah_Arminta

@Oshyan Do you use docs for anything?

In my personal workspace I use docs very lightly, and mostly attached to e.g. Projects. For most “doc” needs I have a “Docs” Database and create things ad-hoc quite frequently there. The Docs DB has a few basic fields, “Imported From”, “Source URL”, and a “Markdown Import” button (I can copy/paste markdown here to append it to the doc contents Rich Text Field; Fibery doesn’t yet support direct pasting interpretation of markdown, unfortunately). Other than that it’s the default Creation and Modification Date fields. I may add more later.

@Sarah_Arminta

There aren’t too many people I’ve come across that probably have a system as complex and involved as what I do.

This feels more relevant to your original topic Should I Invest in Fibery?, so I’ll reply there.

[mdubakov]

Implemented in latest release

April 6, 2023 / Relation filters, breadcrumbs in search, back-references in Documents

Relation filters [image (8)] Instead of sifting through an entire Database when linking one Entity to another, pre-filter the options: exclude done and archived work (ex. don’t suggest long-forgotten Projects for a Task) remove irrelevant stuff (ex. stop suggesting sales reps when assigning people to a Bug) ensure a proper process (ex. make it harder to add Stories to an already full Sprint) It takes one Fibery guru (yourself!) to configure the relation filters — and everyone…