System and method for content sharing in enterprise content management

1. A computer-implemented method for re-using content in a content management system, wherein the content management system comprises a first repository and a second repository, the method comprising:

storing a source document in the first repository;

determining if a request for generating a link document in the second repository is received;

displaying a user interface (“UI”) for selecting a source document when the request for generating the link document is received;

displaying a UI for generating the link document which comprises a first area for receiving data indicating a type of synchronization between the link document and the source document;

receiving link document metadata on the UI for generating the link document, wherein the link document metadata comprises a first field for indicating the type of synchronization between the link document and the source document; and

generating the link document in the second repository, wherein the link document is a copy of the source document and is synchronized to the source document, wherein the link document is configured to be synchronized with the source document in one of at least two types of synchronization, and wherein the at least two types of synchronization synchronizing the link document to different versions of the source document.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first repository is associated with a process of a first front-end application, and the second repository is associated with a process of a second front-end application.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining if the source document is selected.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the link document is synchronized to a viewable rendition of the source document.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining if there is a trigger event for updating the link document.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first field indicates that the link document is in a first type of the at least two types of synchronization, and is dynamically synchronized to a latest version of the source document.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the trigger event is a change in the source document which comprises: checking-in a new version, uploading a new version and creating a new version.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising: when there is a trigger event, sending a first message to the second repository from the first repository, notifying the second repository of the change in the source document.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first field indicates that the link document is in a second type of the at least two types of synchronization, and is dynamically synchronized to a latest steady version of the source document.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the trigger event comprises a state change to a steady state.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: when there is a trigger event, sending a second message the second repository from the source repository, notifying the second repository of the change in the source document.

12. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first field indicates that the link document is in a third type of the at least two types synchronization, and is statically synchronized to a specific version of the source document.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata comprises a second field indicating if an overlay or signature needs to be added to the link document.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: importing data in at least one field in the source document metadata to the link document metadata.

15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: adding the first message to an outbound queue of the first repository, wherein the first message comprises an ID of the first repository, a source document ID, an ID of the second repository, a target link document ID, the trigger event, and the nature of the change.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

adding the first message to an inbound queue of the second repository; and

determining if the trigger event should trigger updates to the link document according to the link document metadata.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising: sending a pull request from the second repository to the first repository for the change.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising: generating an updated link document at the first repository in response to the pull request from the second repository.

19. A system for re-using content in a content management system, comprising:

a first repository for storing a source document; a second repository; and a content sharing controller for:

determining if a request for generating a link document in the second repository is received;

displaying a UI for selecting a source document when the request for generating the link document is received;

displaying a UI for generating the link document;

receiving link document metadata on the UI for generating the link document, wherein the link document metadata comprises a first field for indicating a type of synchronization between the link document and the source document; and

generating the link document in the second repository, wherein the link document is a copy of the source document and is synchronized with the source document, wherein the link document is configured to be synchronized with the source document in one of at least two types of synchronization, and wherein the at least two types of synchronization synchronizing the link document to different versions of the source document;

wherein the second repository uses an inbound queue to receive a message about a source document update.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for re-using content in a content management system, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

store a source document in the first repository;

determine if a request for generating a link document in the second repository is received;

display a UI for selecting a source document when the request for generating the link document is received;

display a UI for generating the link document;

receive link document metadata on the UI for generating the link document, wherein the link document metadata comprises a first field for indicating a type of synchronization between the link document and the source document;

generate the link document in the second repository, wherein the link document is a copy of the source document and is synchronized to the source document; and

generate an updated link document in response to a pull request from the second repository, wherein the link document is configured to be synchronized with the source document in one of at least two types of synchronization, and wherein the at least two types of synchronization synchronizing the link document to different versions of the source document.