Document and File Types in Cognidox

Document and file types in Cognidox streamline your document management by controlling workflows, ensuring security, and organizing content. Whether you're managing HR files, training manuals, or design specs, these powerful tools simplify your processes.

• Document types can be used to:
  • Control your workflow: who reviews documents. who approves them, whether PDFs are created automatically, etc.
  • Implement security: who can see documents, who can change them, etc.
  • Categorise documents by content or purpose: TM for training manuals, HR for human resources documents, etc.
• File types control what can be imported/uploaded to Cognidox.

Videos in this article

What's in this article?

This article contains the following information for Admin users:

• An introduction to document and file types, and why you need them
• How to create, edit, and delete document types
• How to create, edit and delete file types
• Why some document and file types are 'fixed' (system types)

What are document and file types?

Document types are an intrinsic part of a Cognidox document number. Unlike file types, they are descriptive, and categorise documents as Design Guides, Training Material, Artwork, Specifications, and so on. You can control access by document type. Cognidox comes supplied with a set of document types that you can use to classify new documents. If the supplied document types don't suit your needs, you can create new ones.

File types, on the other hand, relate to the actual format of files that Cognidox can handle, such as Word (.doc, .docx), image (.png, .gif) and so on. Cognidox allows you to import a wide variety of media out of the box, and it's super easy to create new file types if you come across something that isn't included. 

What are fixed document and file types?

Fixed document and file types are system-defined elements that ensure compatibility with key features in Cognidox. These cannot be edited or deleted, preserving system integrity.

Creating and editing document types

The quickest and most efficient method is to use the System Importer Plugin to create and edit multiple document or file types in one go, by uploading a spreadsheet. You can quickly see and change settings for all the current document types, and add as many new ones as you need.

You can also create or edit individual document types from the Document Types and File Types page.

Create/edit document types using the System Importer plugin

To create or edit document types using this method:

1. Choose Manage Cognidox > User & Configuration > Plugins > System Importer and display the Upload Document Types tab.
2. Download, edit and save one of the spreadsheet files.
3. On the Upload Document Types tab, click Choose file, select your edited spreadsheet file, and click Upload Document Types.

Create/edit a single document type

1. Choose the Manage Cognidox > Settings & Configuration > Document & File Types.
2. Click Create Document Type
3. Enter the details.
   
   • At the very least you'll need to enter a Name and a 2-character Suffix.
   • You can limit the file types that can be uploaded (use the Valid File Extensions field)
   • You can also set a number of other options to control things like PDF creation, Extranet exporting, Template availability, valid file extensions, and MIME types.
4. Click Create Document Type.

There's more in the online help.

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Deleting a document type

Deleting an unused document type

You can easily delete a document type if there are no documents that currently use it:

1. Open the Manage Cognidox > Settings & Configuration > Document Types & File Types page.
2. Click on the document type and click Delete Document Type.

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What if a document type is in use?

If you have some documents that use the document type you want to delete, you have a couple of options:

• Recommended option: Before deleting, find all the documents that use that document type and apply a different one. (You'll see a link to in-use documents when you try to delete a document type.)
• Not recommended: Delete all the documents that use that document type. In this case, you will lose any change history and review comments associated with those documents. 

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Editing and renaming a document type

You can edit the properties of an existing document type, including its name.

1. Open the Manage Cognidox > Settings & Configuration > Document & File Types page.
2. Click on the document type you want to edit or rename.
3. Make your changes and click Update Document Type.

If you want to know details about the available document type parameters, check out the online help.

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Working with file types

File types control the types of media that can be uploaded to Cognidox, and how those media types are handled.

• As with document types, you can create, edit and delete file types, but note that many of the installed versions are fixed system file types, which you can't edit or delete.
• As with document types, you can manage multiple file types using the System Importer plugin, or single file types using the Document Types and File Types page.

The video below explains the basics. Head to the online help for more detailed information.

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What next?

Ready to streamline your document management? Start by exploring the System Importer plugin or create custom document types to suit your needs. For more detailed guidance, check out Document and File Types and Using the System Importer plugin in the online help.