Creating and managing document types

Define the document types that users can select when they add a file to a library.

About this task

Library owners can set document type parameters as follows:
  • Default document types
  • Whether changing a document type is allowed for a library
If the library owner allows the type to be changed when a user uploads a file to a library, the user chooses the document type from a list that the owner creates. If the library owner does not allow the type to be changed, uploaded documents use the default document type for that library. See Configuring Library widget options and defaults for information about setting global defaults with the allowChangeDocTypeDefault property.

Owners also define the properties that are added to the standard metadata of the document.

Users can use document types to classify documents according to a defined set of document types. Each document type has required and optional properties. Users can enter properties when they upload a document. These properties can then be used to search for documents. When users search the Files filter in All Connections search, they can filter by the properties that are used in Document Types.

You can create new document types, or modify existing ones by accessing the Object Store and working inside of the Classes folder.

Note: This procedure shows how select certain properties by right-clicking them. If your browser does not support this function or if you are having difficulty with your browser, you can also select the item in the tree view. This action opens a tab on for that item where you can click the Actions button in that tab.

Procedure

  1. Open the Administration Console for Content Platform Engine (ACCE) interface and log in as the FileNet P8 domain administrator.
  2. Create properties:
    1. From the administrative console, select Domain > Object Stores > ICObjectstore.
    2. In the Data Design folder, right-click Property Templates and select New Property Template.
    3. Define the rest of the property template's details.
    4. If you want to make the property a required field:
      • When it is created, open the Property Template.
      • Select Properties.
      • In the list, find Is Value Required, and choose True.
      • Click Save.
  3. Create the document type:
    1. Click the P8 Domain tab.
    2. In the tree view, open the object store under Object Stores. The default name of the object store that is created by Connections Content Manager is ICObjectStore
    3. Open the Data Design folder.
    4. Open the Classes folder.
    5. Right-click Document and select New Class.
  4. Modify properties:
    1. Expand Document.
    2. Select the class that you want to modify.
    3. In the tab for the class, select Property Definitions tab.
    4. Add and remove properties.
  5. Modify security settings:
    1. Expand Document.
    2. Select the class that you want to modify.
    3. In the tab for the class, select Default Instance Security tab.
    4. Modify the security settings.
      • Check the Create Instance permission to allow users to create instances of a particular Document Type.
      • Use Groups in Create Instance permission to add and remove users.
      Note: The "#AUTHENTICATED-USERS" entry applies to all users that can access the FileNet P8 domain. If anonymous users are enabled, the "#AUTHENTICATED-USERS" entry also applies.
      Note: If permissions are configured correctly when you create the FileNet P8 domain and Object Store, #AUTHENTICATED-USERS are added to the new class automatically. This configuration allows users to use the document type without requiring a manual update of security setting.
      Note: Caching in FileNet Collaboration Services means that changes to document types are not immediately available to Connections Content Manager users. By default, you see document type changes within 1 hour, or after a restart of the FileNet Collaboration Services (FNCS) application in WebSphere. It is also possible that a document type can be added to the cache after it is created but before you add properties. For example, if you create a document type and then add properties later. In this case, you might see the document type immediately in Connections Content Manager but do not see the properties for 1 hour. To avoid seeing document types with no properties in the Connections user interface, create the property definitions first. Then add them to your document classes when you create and save the document class.
      Note: Grouped property value choice lists and multi-value fields are currently not supported.