To install labDossier, unzip and upload the labDossier module folder to your site modules directory. Then go to the Modules admin page and regenerate the list. If labCategories is not yet installed, please do this first. Also make sure that the labDossier category set is added to labCategories. When ready, initialize and activate the labDossier module entry.

labDossier includes a menu item for My Accounts. To utilize this, copy the labDossier/pnimages/labDossier.gif file to ./images/menu. The option to display the menu must then be turned on in the labDossier settings.

Proceed to labCategories and make any additions or deletions to both the Contact Info and Relationship Types category lists utilize the items desired. New category groups can be created as well by making a child category to Contact Info or Relationship Type and populating it with the new fields.

The labDossier config page works like a switchboard that must be connected correctly in order for other aspects of the module to function. First, select the top level category for the master labDossier category ID and submit the page.

Now the Relationship Type and Contact Information category sets must be selected. These will be direct child categories of the master labDossier category selected previously.

The resulting page of the switchboard will include fields for the categories associated with contact emails, site URLs, job titles, company names, department names, and the Location field set. Again, select the associated categories for each and submit the switchboard. (note: Department does not have an associated category at this time)

The next phase allows selection of a list of Job Titles (and Departments, if a category was selected). This is for a default list of items to use in each of the specified fields during contact information updates.

Also select associated fields for street address, city, state, zip, and country. Update the switchboard.

The final phase of the switchboard allows selection of a default list of values for city, state, and/or country. The labCategories module includes a loadable file for US States that can be used for the state field list.

Additional categories can be added by specifying the parent category they are to be placed under in the bottom switchboard field and entering a name for the new category. Afterwards, the new category will be available both to the switchboard as well as within the module itself, whether as a new contact info field/set or as a contact relationship type/set.

III. Populating Contacts

From the labDossier menu, click the Add Contact link. Enter the contact name and click Create. A contact is typically a person, associated with for business, with information on how to get ahold of them. However, a contact can also be a business, or a location, or a community. All of them have a name, and that is all that is needed to create the contact. More information can be added later.

While viewing an existing contact, there is a rapid contact creation form that automatically associates the new contact with the current one in the specified manner (available via dropdown).

Existing contacts may also be selected from an adjacent dropdown to establish a relationship with the current contact.