Automatic versioning

As a manager, you can set version control for entire folders and their subfolders with the result that all documents that are newly created and all existing documents that are edited or replaced are automatically placed under version control.

•      Select  Change Properties in the top menu of the folder you want to put under version control.

•      The 'Automatic versioning' tab of the action form, which is also offered when creating a folder, offers you four settings:

o  The setting that is taken from a parent folder, or the BSCW default if no parent folder has a setting that differs from the default. The BSCW default normally does not provide for automatic versioning but may of course differ for your BSCW server; in case of doubt ask your BSCW administrator.

o  The remaining options are explicit settings for the current folder:

o  Automatic version control with an unlimited number of versions.

o  Automatic version control with a limited number of versions; creating a version that exceeds the specified maximum will cause the oldest version to be deleted.

o  No automatic version control; version control must be explicitly set for individual documents.

•      The current setting is displayed by preselection. Make your selection and confirm with [OK].

Automatic version control is inherited by all subfolders of a folder, unless a subfolder has its own automatic versioning setting. So you can put whole subtrees of your folder hierarchy under version control, excluding certain subfolders by explicitly setting 'No automatic versioning' for them.

You can use  Change Properties in the context menu to specify automatic versioning for individual documents as well, e.g. to exclude certain documents from version control or to specify version control with a limited number of versions. This is also offered already when creating documents.

The automatic versioning setting that is valid for a folder or document is shown on the Info page under Details (click on at the left margin of the object entry). If there is no entry 'Automatic versioning' in the Details tab, the BSCW default setting is valid for this folder or document.

If you set automatic version control for a folder (unlimited or limited number of versions), the following will happen to the already existing documents and subfolders:

Documents without version control: remain unchanged, i.e. remain documents without versions. However, a subsequent edit or replace will automatically place such documents under version control with the original as the first version and the edited or replaced document as the second version. Of course, you can also explicitly place such documents under version control.

Documents under version control: If automatic versioning with an unlimited number of versions has been specified, such documents remain unchanged. If automatic versioning with a limited number of versions has been specified, documents with more versions than the specified maximum are placed under version control with an unlimited number of versions to avoid unintentionally deleting existing versions; for documents with a version count below the maximum, automatic versioning applies as specified.

Documents under version control with explicit setting of automatic versioning: remain unchanged and keep their setting.

Subfolders: Subfolders with an explicit setting of automatic versioning keep this setting, all other subfolders inherit the setting from the current folder.

Any new documents created within the folder, such as via Document or via DragNDrop Upload, will be placed under version control as specified (with the new document as the first version). Note that documents added to the folder via  Paste are not automatically placed under version control; only a subsequent edit or replace will do this, as mentioned above. When a Version Branch is created from a document that is already under version control (see 8.3.4 Branch versions), the branch document is placed under the same kind of version control as is valid for the folder. Note that versions from which a version branch originates cannot be deleted. Such versions do not count for automatic versioning with a limited number of versions.

If you undo automatic versioning for a folder, i.e. you choose the 'No automatic versioning' setting or the BSCW default setting if that amounts to the same thing, the documents of the folder (and its subfolders) are not changed and no existing versions are lost. Documents and subfolders with an explicit automatic versioning setting keep that setting, other subfolders inherit the new setting, other documents become normal documents - either with or without version control but without their own automatic versioning setting.