Module Spotlight: FileField Sources

This morning our HR manager was training her new assistant and she called me in to ask why they have to re-upload the position description every time they post a job. Why couldn't they just select the file that already exists on the server?

I thought it was a great question and one I couldn't answer. I was not the web developer when the site was set up. By now, times and staff have changed which often means that workflows will change too. Time to improve the workflow for our new staff. There's nothing wrong with the original design given the original workflow, but with the new process a new workflow is required.

Since we have a Drupal site, I went hunting through the contributed modules. After browsing the modules for just a minute, I found what I was looking for, FileField Sources.

Before installing FileField Sources the control for the Position Description file looks like this:

After installing and enabling FileField Sources the control for the Position Description gains a "File Attach" option.

Clicking on "File Attach" changes the control to a drop down list of files already in place on the server.

Now it doesn't matter whether the HR Assistant wants to upload a new Position Description or use an existing one, it's all wrapped up on one tidy dialogue.