Manage a multi-content document

A multi-content document has one document ID assigned, but the document consists of more than one electronic file. For example, you might have a proposal that contains both a word processing document and a spreadsheet document. For tracking and retention purposes, you would like to use the same name, the same properties, and the same location for this document, even though it consists of two files. You can do so by using a multi-content document to group the files. When working with a multi-content document, you have access to all of the files (subject to your security access).

You can add and remove content elements as needed, and each version of a document can have different files as content elements. That is, the content element files are associated with a specific version of the document. You must check out a document to add or remove content elements. When you check out a multi-content document, a reservation object is created for the new version of the document. This reservation object does not carry the multi-content information. That is, the multiple content elements are not automatically carried forward from one version to the next. When you check in the new version of the document, you must manually add each content element to the new document version.

Your site administrator determines which users can view the contents of a multi-content document and which users can save or delete content elements from the document. If you do not have appropriate access, you can only view the first element contained in the document. In other words, you would not know that the document contained other elements.

To create a multi-content document

  1. Add the first document element using the Add wizard or an entry template.
  2. Check out the document.
  3. Use the Save Content action to save the first element of the document.
    1. Navigate to the document and do one of the following actions:
      • In Workplace, right-click the document name and click Save Content.
      • In Workplace XT, right-click the document name and click More Actions > Save Content.
    2. Click Browse to locate the file for the first element.
    3. After you accept this first file, it becomes the first content element.
  4. Use the Save Content action to add the next content element.
    1. Navigate to the document and do one of the following actions:
      • In Workplace, right-click the document name and click Save Content.
      • In Workplace XT, right-click the document name and click More Actions > Save Content. .
    2. Make sure that the Save as new secondary file option is selected.

      TIP You can also replace a specific content element with a different file if needed by selecting the file in the list.

    3. Click Browse to locate the file.
    4. After you accept this second file, it becomes the next content element.
  5. Repeat step 4 as needed to add additional files as additional elements.
  6. Check in the file.

    NOTE  If you cancel the checkout (instead of checking in the file), all of the saved content since the last checkin is discarded.

  7. On the Select File step, make sure the Saved Content radio button is selected and click Finish.

To delete an existing content element

  1. The document must already be checked out and contain at least two content elements. That is, you have used the Save Content action to add at least two content elements to the document, but you have not checked in the document yet.
  2. Navigate to the document that contains the multiple content elements, and do one of the following actions:
  3. Select each file name that you want to delete from the document.

To download a multi-content element document

NOTE  If you select two or more multi-content documents, only the first element of each multi-content document is downloaded.

  1. Navigate to the existing multi-content document and right-click to open the pop-up menu, or open the Information page for the document.
  2. Click Download. The Download Content page opens.
  3. Select each file name that you want to download. To select all objects, select the check box in the first (column header) row.
  4. Click Accept. If you selected more than one file, a compressed file named after the first file is downloaded to your local computer.

Viewing multi-content files

If all content elements are images, the multi-content files can be viewed in their entirety in Image Viewer. However, be aware of the following behavior when working with multi-content files that include a mixture of elements that are images and not images:

Save content

While you have a document checked out, you might want to save minor changes without checking the document back into the object store. When you save the document, your changes are stored, but the document remains checked out to you and its version state and properties do not change.

The Save Content action is also used to create and update a document with multiple content objects. That is, one document might be made up of several different electronic files.

NOTES 

To save a document

  1. Navigate to the (checked out) document you want to save and do one of the following actions:
  2. In the Save Content page, click Browse to locate the local file to save.

    When File Tracker is available, you can click Delete Local File if you want the local copy of the document you are saving to be deleted from your workstation once the save procedure is completed. Close the local copy before you complete the save procedure. Your site administrator determines whether or not you can override the default setting for this option.

    NOTE  You might come across some instances where a file is deleted while it is still open and after you specified you wanted the local file to be deleted.

  3. Select the file, then click Open.
  4. Accept the changes.

Delete content

The Delete Content action deletes one or more content elements from a multi-content document without deleting the entire document.

Document

Lists the name of the document you selected.

Primary File

Lists the file name of the first content element of the document. Select the check box next to this file name to delete its content. When you delete the primary file, the first secondary file in the list becomes the new primary file.

Secondary Files

Lists the file names of the additional content elements of the document. Select the check box next to the desired file names to delete one or more content elements.