With the future update “file as object”, we can link to these objects (and muche more good things of course).
But it add differents options for something basically similar.
So, taking the example of a PDF :
Basically :
- adding a PDF doesn’t propose to add an existing PDF
- but a link to an existing PDF doesn’t allow usto choose a embed display
WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND
Anytype can be complex, but you don’t want to make it even more so: any option should be generalized whenever possible.
And there shouldn’t be different elements that are similar (in this case, both in appearance and technically, since it’s still a linked object file in a page).
I propose :
-
for all “upload a file”, add an option to use an element already in Anytype.
In fact, there are several requests for the images already available.
For inline linked object, it can be useless if “Link to” has all options similar of “Upload a PDF”. -
Offer the same options for linked file object no matter if uploaded or linked
Combine these two menus :
– For appearence : options must be Link, Embed or Card (with options linked to each type of display, of course)
– Keep “Open as Object” in this new unique menu
– and to make things right, why not treat other FR? Add a “Delete file” (in addition to the current Delete which just deletes the block/link) and add card preview option to show relation too (like this FR)
ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
Another advantage of pooling and keeping just one “path” with all the options is also in terms of development (only one to develop) and maintenance (because tickets for “my link to the file doesn’t work” are going to be complicated, given that there are different “types” of links that are virtually identical visually).