This topic describes the following document-related actions and their effect on the version status of a document:
Users can perform these actions only if they have the required permissions. See Document access rights for more information.
Checking out the current version of a document:
In other words, only the current version can be checked out, and while it is checked out no one else can check it out again.
There are two types of checkout: exclusive and collaborative. One of these two is the default for the object store; if the client application does not allow the user to specify the checkout type, the default applies. The checkout type is not a property of the document, but is one of two ways that you can perform a checkout.
When you checkout a document, Content Engine makes a copy of the content of the current version with the reservation version status and increments the minor number. You can download the document to edit it. When you have finished editing, you can check in the document. Content Engine saves the document as the current version, with its own new content, and either keeps the reservation minor number or changes the version to the next major version number in the version series.
Whenever you check out a document, Content Engine ensures that you are always working with the latest version of the document. The version history of your document is protected. When you check out a document to work on it, Content Engine delivers a copy of the content and not the original document content. This copy of the earlier version becomes the content file of the new version, if you decide to check it in. You could also choose to cancel the checkout or check in a different file. The object store retains the original content along with its descriptive document object as a protected version in the version series of that document.
See Check out document for how to use Enterprise Manager to check out a document.
Checking in the reservation object:
Enterprise Manager, Workplace XT, and Workplace let you check in documents as major or minor versions.
This sequence table shows examples of the checkout and checkin cycle. Bold text denotes the change from the row preceding:
Versioning actions | Versions created | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
First version | Second version | Third version | ||
1 | Check in the first document as a minor version. | Version: 0.1 Status: In Process Current version |
||
2 | Check out. | Version: 0.1 Status: In Process Current version |
Version:
0.2 Status: Reservation |
|
3 | Check in as a minor version. | Version: 0.1 Status: Superseded |
Version: 0.2 Status: In Process Current version |
|
4 | Check out. | Version: 0.1 Status: Superseded |
Version: 0.2 Status: In Process Current version |
Version: 0.3 Status: Reservation |
5 | Check in as a major version. | Version: 0.1 Status: Superseded |
Version: 0.2 Status: Superseded |
Version: 1.0 Status: Released Current version |
Canceling a checkout:
Administrators can cancel the checkouts of other users. You might find this feature useful if a user has left the company and has not checked in all his or her documents.
This sequence table shows examples of canceling a checkout. Bold text denotes change from the preceding row:
Versioning actions | Versions created | ||
---|---|---|---|
First version | Second version | ||
1 | Create the document. | Version:
0.1 Status: In Process Current version |
|
2 | Check it out. | Version: 0.1 Status: In Process Current version |
Version:
0.2 Status: Reservation |
3 | Cancel the checkout. This deletes the reservation. | Version: 0.1 Status: In Process Current version |
Promoting a minor version converts it into the released major version.
You can promote only the current in process version. You cannot promote a document that is already a major version, that is, a reservation object, or that is superseded. Promote is allowed on frozen versions and on documents based on a class in which versioning is disabled.
If a document is successfully promoted, its version status is set to released, its major version number is incremented by 1, and its minor version number is set to zero. The version status of the previous major version becomes superseded.
If the document has a security policy applied, and if that security policy has templates for released or superseded versions, those templates are automatically applied to those versions.
The following portion of the full sequencing table shows what happens when you promote a document; bold text denotes change from the preceding row:
Versioning actions | Versions created | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First version | Second version | Third version | Fourth version | ||
8 | Check in: Dave checks in his document as a minor version. | Version: 0.1 Status: Superseded |
Version: 1.0 Status: Released |
Version: 1.1 Status: Superseded |
Version: 1.2 Status: In Process Current version |
9 | Promote: The group reviews the document and decides that it is ready to be released. Alice promotes the current version. | Version: 0.1 Status: Superseded |
Version: 1.0 Status: Superseded |
Version: 1.1 Status: Superseded |
Version: 2.0 Status: Released Current version |
Demoting the major released version of a document converts it into the current in process minor version, and sets the most recent superseded major version, if one exists, as the released major version. For example, suppose you discover a mistake in your current released document, version 2.0 You can demote that document so that the superseded version 1.0 becomes the released document. The demoted version is now the current minor version and you can check it out again to correct the mistake. Demoting a version does not delete any versions or content out of the version series. It just updates properties so that the previous major version is now the current major version.
Demoting a version is allowed on frozen versions and on documents based on a class in which versioning is disabled.
The following portion of the full sequencing table shows you what happens when you demote a document; bold text denotes change from the preceding row:
Versioning actions | Versions created | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First version | Second version | Third version | Fourth version | ||
9 | Promote: The group reviews the document and decides that it is ready to be released. Alice promotes the current version to released. | Version: 0.1 Status: Superseded |
Version: 1.0 Status: Superseded |
Version: 1.1 Status: Superseded |
Version: 2.0 Status: Released Current version |
10 | Demote: Later, the company decides to revert to an earlier policy. Alice demotes the released document, which makes the earlier major version the released version. | Version: 0.1 Status: Superseded |
Version: 1.0 Status: Released |
Version: 1.1 Status: Superseded |
Version:
1.2 Status: In Process Current Version |
Users with the correct permissions can delete a version from the middle of the version series. Content Engine deletes the specified version and keeps the remaining original version numbers intact, thus leaving the version series with gaps in its numbering sequence. This applies to both single-level and two-level versioning scenarios.
Users or processes can delete a major version or minor version out of the middle of the version series. If the version being deleted is a released major version, Content Engine updates the status of the previous major version, if one exists, to released.
You can delete versions on major versions and minor versions, regardless of which version state they are in.
The following sequence table shows the effects of deleting a version from the middle of a version series. Bold text denotes change from the preceding row:
Versioning actions | Versions created | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First version | Second version | Third version | Fourth version | ||
1 | Check in fourth version as minor. | Version: 0.1 Status: Superseded |
Version: 1.0 Status: Superseded |
Version: 2.0 Status: Released |
Version: 2.1 Status: In Process Current version |
2 | Delete the third version. The version series consists of 0.1, 1.0, and 2.1. | Version: 0.1 Status: Superseded |
Version: 1.0 Status: Released |
Version: 2.1 Status: In Process Current version |
Freezing a version prevents changes to its otherwise modifiable custom properties. The custom properties of a specific version are frozen. The system-maintained properties of a frozen document version can continue to be updated by the system as necessary.
After a version is frozen, you cannot unfreeze it. However, you can check out a frozen document to create new unfrozen versions. Frozen documents can also be promoted or demoted.