Keywords

Each item in a catalog has certain information associated with it, such as filename, file type, volume, and so on. Each item can also have one or more keywords associated with it. A keyword is a word or phrase that you associate with a particular item, and a good keyword list can be a valuable tool for finding the material you need in a catalog.

Tip: For information about searching using keywords, see Searching the Catalog using Keywords.

Keywords can be extracted from the item’s source file and/or added to item records manually. An unlimited number of keywords can be assigned to each item. In a network environment, using catalog access level permissions a catalog Administrator can control who is allowed to edit item keywords.

A catalog can also include a preset list of keywords called the Master Keywords List. Master Keywords can only be created with Administrator access. Users select keywords from the Master Keyword list, which helps maintain consistent keywording among items in a catalog or across multiple catalogs. See Catalog Administration, for information on creating and maintaining a Master Keywords list.

Adding Keywords by Extracting Them from Source Files

If you have selected the “Extract Keywords” option (Catalog > Cataloging Options: Rules) for Adding and/or Updating, Portfolio examines all source files for keywords created in their native applications when you add and/or update items in a catalog. As items are cataloged or updated, extracted keywords are added to the item’s keyword list according to the settings in the Rules tab.

Note: You must have Editor level access or higher to modify keywords.

 

Viewing Item Keywords

You can view the keywords associated with a selected item in the following locations:

Tip: If you double-click a keyword in the Gallery window List view (or in Record view, if keywords are displayed), all the items with that keyword are located and displayed in the Gallery (replacing the items previously displayed in that Gallery).

When keywords are shown, the number beside each keyword indicates how many items in the catalog have that keyword assigned.

To display the keywords for an item:

  1. Select the item, then choose Item Properties... from the Item menu, or press Command+I (Mac OS) or Alt+Enter (Windows).

  2. In the Item Properties dialog, click the Keywords tab.

    The item's keywords appear in a list box on the left. Master Keywords appear on the right.

  3. Click “OK” when you are finished viewing the keywords.

To find all items to which a keyword is assigned:

  1. Open the Master Keywords Palette [View > Master Keywords Palette, or press Command+K (Mac OS) or Ctrl+K (Windows)].

  2. Select the keyword that you want to change, then click “Find,” or double-click the word.

  3. In the Gallery window, all the items with that keyword will be displayed.

Tip: Keep the Master Keywords Palette open while you are working with multiple catalogs. As you click in different Catalog Gallery windows, the Master Keywords Palette is immediately updated with the keywords for that catalog.

To display the keywords for an entire catalog:

  1. Choose Catalog Properties... from the Catalog menu, or press Command+Option+J (Macintosh) or Ctrl+Shift+J (Windows).

    The “Catalog Properties” dialog is displayed.

  2. Click the Statistics tab to select it.

  1. Click “Calculate...”

    The keywords for all items in the catalog, and the number of occurrences of each keyword, are displayed in the list box on the left. The more items in the catalog, the longer this process will take.

Tip: You can export a catalog’s keywords to a text file by clicking “Export Keywords....” on the Statistics tab of the Catalog Properties dialog (Catalog > Catalog Properties: Statistics). This is useful if you want to import those keywords into a catalog's Master Keywords list.

 

Adding, Assigning, and Deleting Keywords

You can manually enter and assign keywords to the items in the catalog, and you can edit an item’s keyword list whether keywords were added manually or extracted from the item’s source file. With the exception of the Master Keywords List, you cannot add keywords to the catalog without assigning them to at least one item.

To add and assign keywords to items you must first select the items in the Gallery window. Once the items are selected you can assign keywords in the following ways:

To Add keywords to a single item:

  1. Select the item that you want to add keywords to, then choose Item Properties... from the Item menu (or press Command+I (Mac OS) or Alt+Enter (Windows).

    The “Item Properties" dialog is displayed.

  2. Click the Keywords tab to select it.

  1. Type a keyword in the text box, then click “Add.”

    Note: If the catalog administrator has restricted keyword additions to only those in the Master Keyword list, Portfolio checks your additions against the list and notifies you of any “illegal" keywords.

— or —

  1. If you have a Master Keywords list, select a keyword from the Master Keywords list, then click “Assign,” or double-click the Master Keyword.

  2. When you are finished adding keywords, click “OK” to close the dialog and assign the keywords to the item.

To Remove a keyword from an item:

  1. Select the item that you want to add keywords to, then choose Item > Item Properties [or press Command+I Mac OS or Alt+Enter (Windows).

    The “Item Properties" dialog is displayed.

  2. Click the Keywords tab to select it.

  3. From the item’s keyword list, select the keyword that you want to remove.

  4. Click “Remove.”

  1. When you have finished selecting all the keywords that you want to remove from the selected item, click “OK.” This closes the dialog and removes the keyword(s).

    The keywords are not actually removed from the item until you click “OK.” If you accidentally remove the wrong keywords, you can click “Cancel” to close the dialog without applying the changes.

    When you delete a keyword it appears in the text entry box. This is handy if you decide you want to add it back—you can do so easily by clicking the “Add” button.

To Add a keyword and assign it to multiple items:

  1. In the Gallery window, select the items that you want to add keywords to.

  2. Choose Item > Edit Keywords... [or press Command-Y (Macintosh) or Ctrl+Y (Windows)].

    The Edit Keywords dialog opens.

    All the keywords assigned to at least one of the selected items will be displayed in the keywords list.

  3. Type a keyword in the text box, then click “Add.”

    The “State” of the keyword is changed to “Add,” indicating that it will be added to the catalog and assigned to the selected items.

    Note: You do not need to click “Assign” after you add a keyword—“Add” implies “Assign” (that is, all keywords with either Add or Assign in the State field will be assigned to all selected items in the active Gallery when the dialog is closed. “Add” just tells you it’s a new keyword).

  1. When you have finished adding keywords, click “OK” to close the dialog and assign the keyword to the selected items.

    If you close the dialog by clicking “Cancel,” all changes are discarded.

To take a keyword that is already assigned to one item and assign it to other items:

  1. In the Gallery window, select both the item that has the keyword you want to assign, and the items that you want to assign the keyword to.

  2. Choose Item > Edit Keywords... [or press Command+Y (Mac OS) or Ctrl+Y (Windows)].

    The Edit Keywords dialog opens.

    All the keywords assigned to the selected items will be displayed in the keywords list.

  1. Locate the keyword that you want to assign to the selected items.

  2. Click “Assign.”

    The “state” of the keyword is changed to “Assign.”

  3. When you have finished assigning keywords, click “OK” to close the dialog and assign the keyword(s) to the selected items.

To assign keywords to items using the Master Keyword list:

  1. In the Gallery window, select the items that you want to assign Master Keywords to.

  2. Choose Master Keywords Palette from the View menu, (or press Command+K (Macintosh) or Ctrl+K (Windows).

    The Master Keywords Palette will be displayed, showing all the Master Keywords in the catalog.

Tip: To jump to a particular part of the list, start typing the keyword in the edit box. The list will jump to the first word beginning with the text that you entered.

  1. On the Master Keywords List, locate and select the keyword(s) that you want to assign to all the selected items. [Press Command-click (Mac OS) or Ctrl-click (Windows) to select keywords non-contiguously.]

  2. Click “Assign.”

    The keywords are assigned to all the selected items immediately.

Tip: You can drag multiple keywords from the Master Keywords list and drop them on the thumbnail of any one of the selected items to assign them to all the selected items at once.