File preview on the file page only

[TaniaSchlatter]

Per discussion in the design meeting 3/30/17, users should preview a file on the file page, in the image window. Thumbnails should link to the file page.

Recommend that manipulating or exploring a mapped file should happen in the native application (World Map), and not in iframes or other intermediary windows.

Desired behavior by file type (per meeting with Mercè 4/11/17):

• Static files: .pdf & images load a larger image on the file page when clicked.
• Tabular data/data that can be processed: show variable info and summary stats, Explore button.
• Geospatial data: show preview image on the file page and Map Data button.

[TaniaSchlatter]

Mockups are in progress for testing.

Preview types we know of now:

• image (multiple sub types)
• .pdf
• video
• sound
• HTML
• Hypothesis annotations
• tabular
• shape
• Fits
• text
• .zip
• SBGrid molecular structures

Plan to provide previews of some types, and expand the idea of the external tools framework to generate previews that will be displayed on the file page.

[TaniaSchlatter]

Related issues:
#5746 - Host and preview HTML files in Dataverse
#5459 - Support for Hypothesis notations
#5456 - External tools for other mimetypes
#5738 - Add previewers as external tools in docs

[djbrooke]

• We should investigate contributing to the preview repos developed by QDR and having them provide a preview that can be displayed on the file page (@scolapasta is following up with @qqmyers )
• On the file page we need to add the infrastructure to display the preview provided by an external tool
• How should we handle guestbook/access restrictions (you can see the whole PDF through preview, so this could be a way to circumvent the usual flow)? Consider showing the on-page preview for files that aren't restricted.