Modify a document
Making changes to a document in an object store involves first checking out the document using the Check Out action. Once you complete your changes, you can check the document back into an object store. When you check in a document, the document version information is updated and the document is available for check out. Other users can always view and download a copy of a document, regardless of whether it is checked out.
If you have File Tracker installed, it tracks a document on your local workstation after you check it out from an object store. You can then easily locate the document should you want to cancel the checkout, save or check in the document. Another helpful feature is you can automatically delete the local copy of a document from your local workstation once you complete a check in procedure or cancel a checkout procedure. The delete capability is determined by your site administrator.
You modify a document in the following ways:
- Check out an existing document from an object store. You can also use the checkout list to view documents currently checked out to you from an integrated Office application.
- Check in a document and quick check in a document.
- Cancel a checkout.
- Check documents in and out from an integrated Microsoft® Office application.
Check out a document
Checking out a document opens it for editing and locks it in the object store until you check in a new version. Depending on the site preferences for the object store, the document is checked out in collaborative or exclusive mode. A collaborative checkout means that with the necessary permission, you can check in a document even if the document is currently checked out to someone. An exclusive checkout means the document is checked out by a specific user and only that user can check the document back in.
To check out a document
- Use Browse or Search to navigate to the document you want to check out.
- Right-click the document name, and click Check Out. If you want to select more than one document, select the check boxes to the left of the objects you want to check out. To select all items in the page, select the check box to the left of the title row for the list of objects. From the Actions Menu, click Check Out. Review the list of objects to ensure you selected the objects you want.
NOTE If Check Out does not appear on the menu, one or more of the documents you selected cannot be checked out. Re-select a different set of documents.
- Choose one of the following options:
- If File Tracker is available, the Check Out page displays the directory location on your workstation in which the document you are checking out will be downloaded. Click Save As to change the location or click Save if you accept the location. You can also select Open File if you want the document opened immediately after it is downloaded. In addition, the Check Out page also displays the document name and version that you have checked out.
NOTE If you click Close without selecting a location in which to save the document you are checking out, the document is checked out, but it is not downloaded and tracked by File Tracker.
- If File Tracker is not available, the Check Out page displays the document name and version that you have checked out. If needed, click Download to download a copy of the document to your local computer.
- If File Tracker is available, the Check Out page displays the directory location on your workstation in which the document you are checking out will be downloaded. Click Save As to change the location or click Save if you accept the location. You can also select Open File if you want the document opened immediately after it is downloaded. In addition, the Check Out page also displays the document name and version that you have checked out.
To check out a document from an Office application
You check out a document from an object store to modify that document's content. While the document is checked out, you can do one of the following actions:
- Perform a series of intermediate saves of the document's content.
- View a list of documents currently checked out to you using a checkout list.
- Update folder properties, such as Folder Name and Security, within a checked out document using the Get Info menu option.
- From the FileNet P8menu, click Open > Select Item to browse and search for a document.
- Locate the object store and folder in which the document is stored. Refer to Select Object for more information on selecting the appropriate tasks to use when checking out a document from an Office application.
NOTE If you click Cancel in the Save As dialog box to cancel the checkout, the document is no longer in a checked out state. You must cancel the checkout. The Save As dialog box only appears if your site administrator set the Show Save As preference option to Yes. See your site administrator for more information on this setting.
- Specify the object store in which the document is located.
Checkout list
Use a list of checkouts to view documents currently checked out to you. Only documents associated with the Office application you are currently using and those documents checked out by you appear in the list. For example, if you are using Word, only Word documents appear in the list.
The list is also used to establish file tracking when you perform a procedure that requires an association between your local document and its corresponding document in an object store, such as checking in or saving a document. If tracking has not been maintained, you are prompted to use the list to establish the file tracking. For example, you check out a document and are now checking it back in from an Office application. If you choose, the list provides a list of documents currently checked out to you, and you can associate your local document to one of those checked out documents.
To access a list of checkouts from an Office application
Choose one of the following options, depending on your application.
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Check in a document
When you check in a document, the document version information is updated, and the document is available for others to check out. Other users can always view and download a copy of a document, regardless of whether it's checked out. For more information on document versions, see Manage document versions.
You can use the Checkin wizard and Quick Check In to check in a document from Workplace or from an integrated application. The difference between the two procedures is Quick Check In provides a faster method to check in a document without changing the document class, properties, or security.
The Checkin wizard steps can vary depending upon how the document is checked in and how your site administrator has customized Workplace. If the document was created with an entry template, the template can specify that the document must be checked in using the latest version of the entry template. Since entry templates usually provide a simpler interface, you might see fewer steps than when checking in documents created without an entry template.
To start the Checkin wizard
- From the Author page, click Check In Document.
- Navigate to the object store and folder containing the desired document. Right-click the document name, and then select Check In from the menu.
- Navigate to the object store and folder containing the desired document. Click Get Info to open its information page. Click Check In.
- From an Office application, open the document you want to check in to an object store. From the application's File menu, select FileNet P8, click Check In Document > Use Check In Wizard or Check In Document > Quick Check In.
Click one of the following Check In document wizard steps for more information. You might not see all of these steps.
- Select Document (Author mode only)
- Set Properties
- Set Security
- Select File
Select a document (Author page)
- From the Author page, click Check In Document.
- Select the object store that contains the document you want to check in. This lists all documents in that object store that are currently checked out by you.
- Click Select below the document you want.
Set properties
The Set Properties page displays the default (base) object class and shows the properties assigned to that class. You can select a subclass created by your system administrator.
To change the object class
Click the Change Class link at the top of the page and select a class.
To set properties
- Review properties associated with the object being added or checked in. An icon identifies properties that require an entry to proceed.
- Enter or modify property values shown. Some properties can be edited directly in this page, while others require that you click the property name or a calendar control icon to edit the values. For help with any unknown properties, consult your system administrator.
- For compound documents, select Yes or No indicating the document you are adding will be a compound document. Click Add Child to add child documents that will be associated with the document you are currently adding. This document is referred to as the parent document. Click Show to view associated child documents with the parent document.
- Click Next to continue.
Set security
Security protects your documents in Workplace. It controls the permission given to both users and groups to view or work with objects. You can change the security when you check in a document.
To assign a security policy
- If no security policy is currently assigned, click Assign Policy.
- Click Get info to view the information on any security policy listed.
- Click Select beneath the name of the security policy you want to assign.
- To change or remove an assigned security policy, click Unassign Policy.
- For more information on security policies and their application, see Use a Security Policy.
To set or modify security
- Review the existing security settings.
- To add new users or groups, click Add New.
The page opens
for you to search for specific names.
- Select the domain to search. Click the down arrow for , and then select the desired domain name from the list.
- Select the Users option or the Groups option to refine the list of names available for adding.
- Type one or more characters for the beginning of the names to search for. For example, to locate users named aalberto and amoss, type a. All user names beginning with "a" are returned. You can narrow the search by entering more characters. For example, aal would return aalberto and aallen, but not alemon or amoss.
- Click Search. After a brief delay, the
matching names are displayed.
- If the number of matching names is greater than the default for displaying, not all matches are displayed. You will need to change the search criteria and click Search again to see more results.
- When you are satisfied with the results, select the desired names from the list. You can use Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select more than one name in the list.
- Click Accept to continue setting the security for the selected names. The page opens again, with the new user or group name in the list of authorized users.
- If needed, change the access rights for a specific user or group.
- Click the user or group name in the Title column. The Set Security - Settings page opens.
- Select or clear the check boxes to allow or deny each permission level as needed. For more information, see Manage Security.
- Click Accept.
- Click Next to continue.
Select a file
Complete the checkin of your document by selecting the file that is the source of your document content.
NOTE If you are checking in a document from an Office application, you do not need to select a file. You already have the document opened and selected and the location from which your document was checked out is tracked by the Check Out List.
To select the file for check in
- Choose one of the following options:
- Local File lets you browse for a file on your workstation or network drive.
If File Tracker is available, select the Delete Local File option if you want the local copy of the document you are checking in to be deleted from your workstation once your document is checked in. Your site administrator determines whether or not you can override the default setting for this option. Close the local copy before you complete the deletion.
- 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.
- If you saved content prior to checking in your document, the select Saved Content option is selected by default and specifies you want to check in the currently saved document. The External File and None options are not available.
- External File adds a reference to a URL path for a file that resides outside your Workplace environment, such as a web page.
- None denotes an external item that cannot be stored electronically but can be represented and tracked by a collection of properties. For example, a set of video training tapes.
- External Services adds a reference to a document stored in another system, such as FileNet Image Services (IS). Your site administrator must configure the external system connection and provide you with the library system information. For Image Services integration, you must specify the following required fields. For other external services, these fields can vary.
- Library Name Enter the IS library's symbolic (domain) name (not the two-part IS library name).
- Document ID Enter the IS document ID number
- Page Number To specify the default page the document opens to, enter the page number. Otherwise, enter 0.
If your Workplace logon information does not match an IS account, you are prompted to log on with your IS account information. This information is saved as long you are logged into Workplace with your current browser session for subsequent interactions with IS.
- Local File lets you browse for a file on your workstation or network drive.
- Finish the checkin. A confirmation page might be displayed at the end of the wizard. See Confirmation Prompt for more information.
Quick Checkin
The Quick Checkin action provides a fast method to check in a document without changing the document class, properties, or security. The only wizard page displayed is the Select File page for you to locate the new version of the document. Quick Checkin uses the default setting for "Check in as major version" (Properties page) as defined by your site administrator.
To check in a document using the same information as at check out
- Navigate to the document you want to check in, right-click the document name, and select Quick Checkin from the menu.
- Choose one of the following options:
- Local File lets you browse to a file on your workstation or network drive.
Delete Local File appears if File Tracker is available. Select this option if you want the local copy of the document you are checking in to be deleted from your workstation once your checkin procedure is completed. Close the local copy before you complete the deletion. 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.
- If you saved content prior to checking in your document, the select Saved Content option is selected by default and specifies you want to check in the currently saved document. The External File and None options will not be available.
- External File adds a reference to a URL path for a file that resides outside your Workplace environment, such as a web page.
- None denotes an external item that cannot be stored electronically but can be represented and tracked by a collection of properties. For example, a set of video training tapes.
- External Services adds a reference to a document stored in another system, such as FileNet Image Services (IS). Your site administrator must configure the external system connection and provide you with the library system information. For Image Services integration, you must specify the following required fields. For other external services, these fields can vary.
- Library Name Enter the IS library's symbolic (domain) name (not the two-part IS library name).
- Document ID Enter the IS document ID number
- Page Number To specify the default page the document opens to, enter the page number. Otherwise, enter 0.
If your Workplace logon information does not match an IS account, you are prompted to log on with your IS account information. This information is saved as long you are logged into Workplace with your current browser session for subsequent interactions with IS.
- Local File lets you browse to a file on your workstation or network drive.
To check in a document from an Office application
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After you modify a document, from the FileNet P8 menu, click Check In Document.
- Click Quick Check In or click Use Check In Wizard and enter the necessary information for the document.
Cancel a checkout
You can cancel the checkout of a document to make the document available to others for checkout. For example, you might have checked out the document to make changes, and later decided that the changes were not needed. When you cancel the checkout, the document returns to the previous version state and version number it had before it was checked out. For more information on document versions, see Manage Document Versions.
NOTES
- If you have saved content of a document and later cancel its checkout, then the saved content is lost and the document reverts to the last version that was checked in.
- When File Tracker is available, the Cancel Checkout page displays additional information. See the specific procedures below for more information.
To cancel a checkout from the Author page in Workplace
- Click Cancel Checkout. The Check Out List page opens.
- Select the object store where the document is located.
A list of all the documents currently checked out to you from that object store is displayed. You can click Object Stores in the Path to select a different object store.
- Click Select below the description for the document you want.
When File Tracker is available, the Cancel Checkout page appears. It displays the location of the local copy of the document you checked out from an object store, and then downloaded to your workstation. Click Browse to specify the file that corresponds to the document checkout you want to cancel. Use Browse to also locate a document if it was previously tracked, but no longer available.
In addition, click Delete Local File if you want the local copy of the document checkout you are canceling to be deleted from your workstation once the cancel procedure is completed. Close the local copy before you complete the deletion.
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.
Your site administrator determines whether or not you can override the default setting for the Delete Local File option.
- Click Accept to complete the action.
To cancel a checkout from Browse or Search
- Locate the document you want by browsing or searching for it.
- Right-click the document name, and select Cancel Checkout from the menu. If you want to select more than one document, select the check boxes to the left of the objects you want to file. To select all items in the page, select the check box to the left of the title row for the list of objects. From the Actions Menu, click Cancel Checkout. Review the list of objects to ensure you selected the objects you want.
- The name of the selected document appears on the Cancel Checkout page.
When File Tracker is available, the Cancel Checkout page appears. It displays the location of the local copy of the document you checked out from an object store, and then downloaded to your workstation. Click Browse to specify the file that corresponds to the document checkout you want to cancel. Use Browse to also locate a document if it was previously tracked, but no longer available.
In addition, click Delete Local File if you want the local copy of the document checkout you are canceling to be deleted from your workstation once the cancel procedure is completed. Close the local copy before you complete the deletion.
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.
Your site administrator determines whether or not you can override the default setting for the Delete Local File option.
- Accept the canceled checkout.
To cancel a checkout from an Office application
- Open your copy of the checked out document in an Office application.
- From the FileNet P8 menu, click Cancel Checkout.
- Click OK. Your checkout is canceled.
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