The Related Documents feature can be used to "link" document IDs together. Any given document can have related documents and those related documents can have related documents. Examples of the benefits are:

• You can store Scribe's Notes, paper notes, examples, etc. with a document and they have their own attributes, versions, document type, etc.
• You can store a mix of various document formats with a document (word, excel, roff) .
• Related document -(related document); related document provides document hyperlinks.
• A Master Document concept can be used to link project procedures, book chapters, etc.
• Versions or release of the same document can be linked.
• Requirements traceability - Reqts can be linked to design, design to testplans, etc.

The user can easily link documents to any other document. Those documents in turn may also have links. Hyperlinks can be inserted easily regardless of document format.

To INSERT A RELATED DOCUMENT, go to the Document Detail window for a given document. Select Edit - Add related doc and enter the ID of the related document.

To BROWSE (follow the links) of RELATED DOCUMENTS, go to the Document Detail window for a given document. Select Browse - Related docs. You will get a list of all related documents. Select one and choose the "Links" button to follow the related document hyperlinks.

Give it a try, it should revolutionize the use of COMPAS.

The Related Documents window contains a list of documents that are related only by your query. You can use this window to simply view the list, or you can operate on the list.

The menu bar items have the following use:

File - Open:

For selected document item, show related documents if they exist.

File - Close:

Close the Related Documents window.

Options - Status Report:

Generate a columnar report from the list of entries.

Options - Select from:

Search the list of retrieved document entries (to produce a smaller list).

Options - Append to:

Search the database again and append the result to the current list of documents (to create a larger list).

Options - Save As Folder:

To save the list of IDs retrieved by the query into a permanent folder displayed on the Main window workspace. A folder containing the IDs will be saved and it will be placed on your personal workspace in the COMPAS Main Window. Just double click (or select) that folder icon and a shortcut to those documents will be available.

The tool bar buttons have the following use:

Back:

Go back to the previous list of related documents if you are following related document links.

Home:

Go back to the original list from where you first started following related document links.

Links:

Show the related documents for a document in the list that is selected. There may not be such a list but you will be notified in that case

Detail:

Show the Document Detail window for a document in the list that is selected. From the detail window, you can see much more detailed information about the document and perform detailed operations against the document.

Browse:

Browse the text of the currently selected document entry.

Print:

Print the currently selected document entry.

Double click an entry in the list or select it and press "return" to follow the related document links.