Account Files vs Course Files - hyperlink issue

[AntoniosAPERGI1]

This is an issue one of our teachers is facing. Below is the description of the issue - a bit complicated so I will do my best to be clear.

The teacher saves a file in Course Files. The file then is hyperlinked in the relevant part of the course. The file opens fine. However, sometimes the teacher replaces the ORIGINAL course file with an UPDATED version. The old file is DELETED and REPLACED with the new file using the SAME filename. Replacing the file with an updated one does not break any existing hyperlinks to that course file.

However, when the same action as described above is performed for Account Files (delete original, save updated with same filename), this breaks the hyperlinks. This means that the teacher has to go into the course and replace the links to that Account File manually. 

Would anyone know why this is the case or how to fix this? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Chris_Hofer]

Hi @AntoniosAPERGI1 ...

I tried to re-create the scenario like you described...well, it's almost similar to what you described.  If the instructor uploaded a file to the course "Files" and then linked to the file in some way on a course content page (either linking to the file or embedding the file on the page), that link has a specific file ID number.  For example, when I embedded a JPG image onto a new page in my sandbox course, part of my HTML code pointed to a file similar to:

<p><img id="234933526" src="https://SchoolName.instructure.com/courses/1234567/files/234933526/preview" alt="Web capture_24-3-2023_203826_boardlandia.com.jpeg" data-api-endpoint="https://SchoolName.instructure.com/api/v1/courses/1234567/files/234933526" data-api-returntype="File" /></p>

The part I want to point out here is the number 234933526.  This is the ID number for the file that my JPG image was assigned when I uploaded the file to the course.  Now after I embedded the file in a page of my course, similar to what you describe, I deleted my file I had uploaded to my course "Files".  Then, I refreshed my "Files" screen, and then I re-uploaded the same file back to my course "Files".  When I hovered my mouse over the file name in my course files, I saw something similar to:

https://SchoolName.instructure.com/files/234933606/download?download_frd=1

If I were to re-embed this file to the content page in my course, it should reference the file ID number of 234933606 instead of 234933526.  I could be wrong, but I suspect something similar is going on when utilizing your user "Files" instead of your course "Files".

I guess I am a little confused as to why the instructor is wanting to delete the file in order to replace it with the same file name.  Per this Guide:

How do I upload a file to a course?

...Canvas should prompt the instructor if the file name already exists.  If it does, the instructor can either re-name the file or replace the file.  This is covered in the section "Replace Duplicate File" of the Guide I've linked above.

Hope this helps to clarify things for you a bit.  Sing out if you have any other questions about this...thanks!

[AntoniosAPERGI1]

@Chris_Hofer thanks for trying this out! The issue is that instead of maintaining the initial file ID number (234933526 in your example above), Canvas assigns a new ID number (234933606) to the file even though the filename has not changed. I guess this is what breaks any existing hyperlinks. It seems to me that the solution then would be to find out if there is a way to overwrite the old file without generating a new file ID number. I tried the Replace File option as per the link you shared above but unfortunately that still changed the file ID number. 

What is peculiar is that when I do the exact same thing in course files, any exisiting hyperlinks open the new file just fine (it looks like Canvas updates the ID for course file hyperlinks but not user file ones). 

Again, thank you so much for looking into this!

[KristenLuke]

Hello @AntoniosAPERGI1 , 

Thank you for contacting the Instructure Community to discuss complications adding file links into course items. I understand some teachers are experiencing issues when replacing files in their user files, and then experiencing broken links in their course items. As a best practice, it is recommended to directly upload the new file, with the same title, from the user's device into the course item. Also, if adding the file into the user's account files first, and then adding it into a course file, I might recommend deleting the old user file, adding the new user file and then navigating to any relevant sections in the teacher's courses. Once there, please delete the old user file hyperlink and then you may link the new user file. 

I do understand that, when an edited file with the same name replaces an old file, in the course files, the links are maintained. But, I might recommend the above listed steps as best practice for adding user and course file hyperlinks to course items. 

I hope this helps ! Again, thank you for reaching out to the Instructure Community.