IBM Content Manager, Version 8.5.0.3

Item types

An item type is a template that consists of a root component, zero or more child components, and a classification. By classifying the item type, you make a judgment about the purpose of the items created with this item type.

The item type classifications are item, resource item, document, and document part.

Item

An item type that is classified as an item is self-contained. This classification of item type does not describe separate stored content such as scanned documents, video, or audio.

Resource

A resource item describes and provides a connection to content that is stored on the resource manager. For example, resource items might contain pictures. If you select the resource item classification, select a media object class for the item.

Document

A document item adheres to the document model that the Client for Windows and web client support. A document item type is not required to have associated parts.

Document part

A document part is a part of a document such as the predefined ICMANNOTATION document part item type for annotations or ICMNOTELOG document part item type for information entered by users.

You associate document parts with a document item type. You can associate any particular document part item type with only one document item type. You associate document parts with a document in the Define Document Management Relations window. Open this window by clicking Add on the Document Management page of the New Item Type Definition window.

You cannot delete an association after you begin storing items in the item type or you will lose parts.

An item is a generic term for an instance of any item type, regardless of item type classification. For example, you might have item types called Insurance claim and Auto policy holder. Each claim that you create and each auto policy holder that you identify is generically referred to as an item.

By using the same template, items of the same type are consistently constructed, which helps you to locate them and quickly define new ones. Using IBM® Content Manager, you build item types for recording a consistent set of information about the related items that you want to catalog.

In the data modeling example, the Auto policy holder item type includes a consistent set of characteristics or attributes, for example: Policy number, Named insured, Named insured address, Vehicle make, Vehicle identification number. When you create an item of type Auto policy holder, you enter values for each of these attributes, and those values uniquely define that item.

A NOINDEX item type is available by default when you install IBM Content Manager. Do not delete this item type. You can use this item type as a model for other item types. You might also use it as a temporary item type for items that you import or scan. You can review them and later reclassify them appropriately The NOINDEX item type associates the following information with a new item:

Its source, such as import or scan
The user ID of the operator who entered it
A time stamp that indicates the time that the item was introduced

An ICMDRFOLDERS item type is also available by default when you install IBM Content Manager. The item type contains three attributes by default:

A folder name, which uses variable characters
A folder description, which uses variable characters
A folder timestamp, which uses the timestamp attribute type

This item type is typically used by the web client to route multiple work packages.

Hierarchical item type

Beginning with Version 8.4.3, you can create hierarchical item types and hierarchical folder item types with a new hierarchical data model. Beginning with Version 8.5.0.3, you can create these hierarchical item types and hierarchical folder item types by using the system administration client.

A hierarchical item type is a part of a data model that enables the storage of items in a rooted hierarchical folder structure. You can use this data model to create a hierarchy of document and folder items that is similar to a conventional file system. A major benefit of using hierarchical item types is the ability to assign unique file names within a particular parent folder when items are created.

Only the item type classifications for item, resource item, or document can be a hierarchical item type. A document part cannot be a hierarchical item type. Hierarchical and nonhierarchical items cannot coexist in the same hierarchical item type. A hierarchical item type can be configured to hold nonfolder items only or folders only. If the hierarchical item type holds only folders, then when client users are creating items, every item created with that item type must have the semantic type of Folder.

The library server enforces the following set of constraints for hierarchical item types:

Rooting constraint: A single root folder must exist for all hierarchical items. The name of the system-defined root folder is ICMROOTFOLDER.
Name constraint: Each hierarchical folder or document requires a name. The ICM$NAME attribute is the name attribute in the item type for this value.
Parent constraint: Each hierarchical item, document, or folder, except the hierarchical root folder, requires a single hierarchical parent folder.
Reachable constraint: Each hierarchical item, document, or folder must always be reachable from the root hierarchical folder.
Same-name sibling constraint: The name of each hierarchical item or document must be unique within a given hierarchical parent folder.
Delete constraint: A parent folder cannot be deleted if it contains items.
Folders-only constraint: Each item in a folders-only item type must have a semantic type of Folder. In addition, folder items with the semantic type of Folder cannot be stored in a nonfolder hierarchical item type.

For more information about working with hierarchical item types and working with hierarchical and nonhierarchical folders, see the Application Programming Guide.