[Solved] How to use relative subdocuments in a master doc

[Richardh]

I have created a master document with sub documents. The master and sub documents are all from the same template, so the styles match. I am using Windows XP with OOo 2.4.1.
My master and the sub documents are to be stored in CVS, this means that the documents can be used from any folder on a disk (even linux). However I have tried to reference relative paths for the sub documents in the navigator with Edit link on the sub document. The referenced sub documents are on sub folders from the master document. What ever syntax I try the navigator keeps complaining that he can not find the file.
The Master document is:
C:\Develop\esrc\sw\man_configuration.odm
Normally the sub document link looks like this:
file:///C:/Develop/esrc/sw/egl/api/gsi/psb/man_config_api_gsi_psb.odt
I have changed it to:
file:///egl/api/gsi/psb/man_config_api_gsi_psb.odt
Resulting in a file not found, and the file name turns red. When I try te edit through the navigator I do not get an error as opposed to when a non existing file is entered you get a error trying to edit through the navigator
Or to :
egl/api/gsi/psb/man_config_api_gsi_psb.odt
When I try to edit the sub document trough the navigator the result is "host name egl not found".
Hope to have supplied enough info, thanks for any suggestions to try.

[Villeroy]

Most paths in OOo are relative even if shown as absolute paths. Try to copy all files to another place and see how it works. At least it works with linked picture files.

[Richardh]

Most paths in OOo are relative even if shown as absolute paths

I have tested it by moving the complete folder tree with all documents to a different drive and folder, but the master document cannot find the sub documents. The original full path part "C:/Develop/esrc" is still included in the sub documents path.
Villeroy, thanks for your answer, it would have been nice if it had worked.

[sybille]

It works fine for me if I move a folder containing a master document with its subdocuments to another drive. All that is needed is to agree to update all links the first time that the master document is opened after the move. This works with no manual changes to the paths of the subdocuments.

However, if I first change the links to some of the subdocuments manually and then move the whole folder, any of the links I changed do not update automatically. In fact, the subdocuments do not show up in the moved master document, even if the files are still where the manually-edited links say they should be.

So it looks like the manual editing itself breaks the relation that enables the automatic update of the links. I think that's a bug.

Can you revert to an earlier copy of the master document, one in which the paths have never been edited manually, and see if it works then?

[Richardh]

I have rebuild the master document, moved it again to another location with its sub documents AND IT WORKS !
So it seems that I have been to active in trying to edit the links to relative.

Also to me this looks like a bug, after the "edit link" the relative path is lost.
It could be a designed feature however .....

Thanks for your time and the answer, I consider this topic closed.

Richard.