In Worldox GX2, document versioning was initially controlled by a default preference setting, which could be changed via the Edit > Preferences > Worldox dialog. The process by which versioning works has changed in GX3, and versioning is no longer preference-controlled.
Note: The information here is primarily intended for Worldox Managers and Administrators. Please check with your Worldox Administrator if you have questions about how to version documents at your site.
• Changing the versioning preference
In GX2, versioning was controlled by preference via the Edit > Preferences > Worldox dialog, and could be changed by Worldox Managers and Administrators. The two available Preferences settings correspond to distinct versioning modes:
• Version on document as last saved (New Ver is Last Sav = Yes)
• Version on document as last opened (New Ver is Last Sav = No)
The default Preferences setting for versioning in GX2 was:
New Ver is Last Sav = No
This meant that version on document as last opened was enabled by default. However, Worldox most often shipped with that preference already changed to Yes. In effect, most GX2 sites started with Worldox set to the version on document as last saved mode.
Either method gets the job done. Problems can arise when users expect versioning to work one way, when in fact Worldox is doing something quite different. Recent experience leads Worldox developers to suspect that:
• Some Worldox users are not sure how versioning works, especially the differences between the two versioning modes.
• Our own documentation does not provide adequate guidance on versioning, especially in regards to problems users can encounter in the version on document as last saved mode.
Key differences between versioning modes:
• In versioning on document as last opened
The most current (master) document changes as changes are made and saved. However, as long as the document remains open, a pre-changes copy of the master document (the temp file) is preserved unchanged. So, if the user opts to create the next version – and the document has not yet been closed – the previous version is saved as it was when it last opened.
• In versioning on document as last saved
Here too, the master document version changes as changes are made and saved. However, as long as the document remains open, the temp file changes too, incorporating any saved changes. So, if the user opts to create the next version – and the document has not yet been closed – the previous version is saved as it was last saved.
It comes down to how previous versions are maintained when new versions are created. Whether or not that matters to you depends on what you (and other Worldox users) expect.
The first change is in how version saves work. Worldox enables versioning by saving temp files as documents are opened. If you do not choose to version, those temp files are discarded as documents close. If you do save changes as a new version, the document's temp file becomes the prior version.
These temp files had been saved in GX2 in the Windows Temp folder. In GX3, temp files are saved in the ~VER structure of Worldox.
GX3 versioning is handled differently than in GX2. The two versioning modes are the same in GX3, but we recommend that you stay with the default setting of version on document as last opened.
• As shipped, the GX3 default versioning setting is version on document as last opened.
• The preference that once controlled versioning is gone. Any legacy settings from older Worldox versions are no longer valid in GX3.
• In GX3, the versioning mode can only be changed for applications which support version control – MS Word, MS Excel. WordPerfect and Adobe Acrobat.
• Such changes are made in one of two INI files – no longer in Worldox Preferences – and are application-specific.
As indicated above, the GX2 Preferences setting used to control versioning does not exist in GX3, and the legacy Worldox preference (if defined) is not obeyed in GX3. GX3 will do version on document as last opened out of the box. We recommend that you leave versioning on that default setting. The version preference setting can be changed if necessary via either of these INI files:
• WDHOOK.ini
• WDUSER.ini
If made, the change is in effect an override to the default versioning preference, and has to be application specific.
Notes:
• For more on how the two versioning modes operate - and on GX3 changes, including step-by-step instructions on changing versioning settings in GX3 - see:
Understanding Worldox GX3 Document Versioning
You can download it from support.worldox.com/MISC/M106.htm on the Worldox Knowledge Base or request documentation from Worldox Technical Support,
• For an overview of GX3 versioning-related changes, see Article M115 in the Knowledge Base.
Tip: Forgot your Knowledge Base user name and password? Here they are: support kbaccess |
World Software developers see risks in the version on document as last saved approach:
• Users may expect versioning to work differently.
• Results vary based on actions during the editing process. People save for other reasons … to protect data or save by accident; this then affects the version.
• The original condition of the file can be lost. We have seen this more often with collaborative environments, where other users’ edits/versions can effectively overwrite previous versions.
• If there are any technical problems (application errors, power outage, computer crash, et al.) during saves and versioning, the previous document version will be unavailable for restoration.
• If the user performs many saves before creating a new version, this can lead to two file versions being the same or almost the same.
• If Save and Save As version operations are done quickly, back-to-back with large files, this may not allow enough time for the process to complete. That can lead to unpredictable results.
By contrast, there are no such risks in version on document as last opened:
• The backup copy (the temp file, saved in the ~VER folder on the network drive where Worldox stores your data) is always available while a document is open. In effect, the previous version cannot be lost when you operate this way.
• With version on document as last opened, results are very predictable, not based on user “Save actions”. Versioning in this mode is more controlled, safer.
For these reasons, Worldox GX3 now ships with the default being version on document as last opened. We recommend that you leave versioning on that default setting. If this is different than what you used in a prior version of Worldox, please consider this recommended mode and make sure users are clear on how it works.
Note: If you have questions on how versioning operates at your site, please contact Technical Support.