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Take a tour of Uwazi

Log in and explore the library, entities, relationships, and documents.

What you'll learn​

We'll log in to Uwazi and explore content the way any reader does. Along the way, we'll meet the five ideas behind every collection: templates, entities, metadata, relationships, and filters. By the end of this tutorial, we'll have viewed an entity, read its metadata, followed its relationships, opened its document, and learned how to find content again.

Prerequisites​

  • A link to a live Uwazi instance that already holds some content
  • A username and password, if the instance is private

Part 1: Log in to Uwazi​

Let's start by opening the instance and signing in.

note

A private instance shows a login page first. A public one lets you browse without an account, so you can skip to Part 2.

  1. Open your instance link in a web browser.

    You'll see the Library page, or a login page on a private instance.

  2. Go to the login page if you aren't there yet.

    The Uwazi logo sits above a short form with two fields.

  3. Type your username in the User field.

  4. Type your password in the Password field.

  5. Select the Login button.

    The page reloads and opens the Library. You now see a grid of content.

Part 2: Explore the library and its three views​

The Library is your home base. It lists every record you can see. Uwazi calls each record an entity. Each entity has a type, called a template, shown as a small label on its card.

  1. Look at the cards in the Library.

    Each card is one entity. The title sits at the top, and the template label sits at the bottom.

  2. Select Zoom in or Zoom out in the header.

    The cards grow or shrink so you can fit more or fewer on screen.

  3. Select the Table view button, marked with a lines icon.

    The view switches to rows and columns. Each row is an entity, and each column is a metadata field.

  4. Open the Hide columns menu and turn a column off, then on.

    The table adds or removes that column right away.

  5. Select the Map view button, marked with a map-marker icon.

    A map opens with markers for entities that have a location. The button only appears when your content includes locations.

  6. Select one marker on the map.

    The preview panel slides in and shows that entity.

  7. Select the Cards view button, marked with a grid icon, to return.

Part 3: Open an entity and read its metadata​

Now let's open one record and read its details. Uwazi shows every entity in the same viewer, split into two panes. The fields on an entity are its metadata, and the template decides which fields appear.

  1. Select the View button on any card.

    The entity opens in two panes. A row of tabs sits above the left pane: Document, Metadata, Relationships, and Files. The Document tab shows up only when the entity carries a document.

  2. Look at the header above the left pane.

    You'll see a tag with the template name, an icon, and the title.

  3. Select the Metadata tab.

    The left pane lists each field as a label and a value, such as a date, a place, or a linked name. Empty fields don't appear, so the list stays short. An entity with nothing filled in reads No metadata for this entity yet.

  4. Scroll to the bottom of the Metadata tab.

    You'll see Created and Edited, each with a date.

  5. Select a linked name in the metadata.

    The connection panel slides in over the right pane and shows its fields.

  6. Select Open entity.

    The linked entity opens in the viewer, ready to explore. Use your browser's back button to return.

  7. Drag the divider between the two panes.

    The panes grow and shrink as you drag. The right pane carries its own tabs, so you can read a document on the left and its details on the right.

Part 4: Follow relationships between entities​

Entities can link to one another. Uwazi calls these links relationships. A link can point to a whole entity, or to an exact passage in a document.

  1. Select the Relationships tab above the left pane.

    A badge on the tab shows how many links the entity has. A line at the top counts the relationships, entities, and references the panel holds. An entity with no links reads No Relationships.

  2. Rest on the arrow at the start of a row.

    The arrow shows the way the link runs. It reads Incoming, Outgoing, or Bidirectional.

  3. Find the three view buttons in the search bar above the list, then select the Tree button, marked with a branching icon.

    The rows nest under the entity they belong to.

  4. Select the List button, marked with a squares-and-lines icon, to come back.

  5. Select Display options.

    A menu opens with Group by, Then by, Sort, and Density. Pick a value under Group by. The rows gather into groups of the same kind.

  6. Find a row that carries a page tag, then select the tag.

    The document scrolls to that page, and a marker lights up in the rail beside it.

Part 5: Read a document and its files​

Many entities carry a PDF, called a primary document. An entity can also hold other files, such as images or spreadsheets.

  1. Select the Document tab above the left pane.

    The PDF fills the left pane. The header above it shows the file name.

  2. Select Next in the footer, then select Previous.

    The viewer moves one page at a time. A counter shows the page you're on and the total.

  3. Select Plain text in the view selector, then select PDF.

    The first shows the raw text of the file. The second brings back the pages.

  4. Select the ToC tab in the right pane.

    The panel reads Table of contents and lists the document's sections. Select an entry to jump to its page. A document without one reads No Table of contents.

  5. Select the Search tab in the right pane.

  6. Type a word in the Search this document box.

    A moment after you stop typing, the matches appear. You don't need to press Enter. Each match shows the passage and the page it sits on. Select a match to jump there. A word with no match reads No matches for, then the word you typed, and offers a Clear search button.

  7. Select the Files tab above the left pane.

    Two tables appear: PRIMARY DOCUMENTS and SUPPORTING FILES.

  8. Select a row under PRIMARY DOCUMENTS.

    The right pane opens the File tab. It shows the Name, Type, Size, and Modified date, with a badge reading Active primary.

  9. Select Download.

    The file saves to your computer.

Part 6: Find content with search and filters​

A library can hold thousands of entities. Filters and search narrow the list so you find what you need.

These steps start from the Library. If you're still in a document or on an entity page, select Library in the top menu to return.

  1. Type a word in the Search box and press Enter.

    The library shrinks to matching entities, and short snippets show where your word appears.

  2. Select Search Tips.

    A window opens, titled Narrow down your searches. It explains wildcards, exact phrases, and word combinations. Select Accept to close it.

  3. In the filters panel, select a type under the templates filter.

    The list narrows to that type. Each filter shows a count of matching entities.

  4. Select a value in a property filter, such as a date range or a list option.

    The results narrow again. Filters stack together, so each one trims the list further.

  5. Select the Clear Filters button.

    Every filter resets and the full library returns.

What you've done​

  • Logged in to an Uwazi instance
  • Explored the library in cards, table, and map views
  • Opened an entity and read its metadata in the viewer
  • Followed a link to a connected entity
  • Sorted and grouped an entity's relationships
  • Read a document, its table of contents, and its files
  • Narrowed the library with search and filters
tip

Open a second entity and compare its template and metadata to the first. Spotting the pattern is the fastest way to learn how a collection fits together.

Next steps​