WesFiles Info

Creating a dropbox (via the Web Interface)

1. Create a new folder whose name ends with “dropbox” (e.g., homeworkdropbox). We recommend all lowercase letters in the word “dropbox”.
2. In the permissions area for the folder add the group that will be making submissions to the dropbox. (The group can be a personal group you create for yourself or one of our automatically maintained groups, such as a course group or “authenticated users.”)
3. Add any individuals (including yourself) who need to see the submissions.
4. Click on the “Advanced” tab in the permissions area.
5. Give the submitters read/write permissions on the folder, but do not grant any inheritance permissions: x x 0 0 0 0 0 0
6. Give reviewers at least read access on the folder and for inheritance: x o o o x o o o
7. Administrators should have full permissions: x x x x x x x x

Submitters can now upload files and folders into this dropbox. Each submitter will see only his or her own items. Reviewers will see everything, regardless of who has uploaded it.

Notes

• Files and folders put into a dropbox are readable, writable, and deletable by the users who upload them.
• Submitters can add materials to a dropbox by virtue of their membership in the submitters group, but they can read and write the materials they upload because WesFiles adds their individual permissions to those items

!! Cautions !!

1. The system will not allow a user to upload a file if there is already a file with the same name in the dropbox. This can be confusing because they may not see the pre-existing file there.
   

   Workaround: Have students either add their name to the filename, or have them first create a self-named folder in the dropbox, then have them deposit their materials in that folder.

2. The system will not allow you to MOVE a file from another directory into the dropbox.
   

   Workaround: You must COPY or UPLOAD the file instead. This is because a MOVED file normally retains its original permissions in the new location, while a COPIED file inherits the permissions of the new parent directory.

3. When the contents of a folder have different permissions than the folder itself (as will always be the case with a dropbox as soon as someone submits something), certain folder actions are limited. You will not be able to delete a dropbox in the normal way, for example.
   

   Workaround: In order to delete a dropbox that contains submitted content, open the dropbox, select all the contents (by selecting the checkbox above the file listing), and choose “Delete.” When the dropbox is empty, you will be able to delete it in the usual way.