Problems with ExpirationDate on Documents

We have modified the Document & Files control by requiring the entry of the expiration date and the publication date as well as adding a custom field for display date (which we use to display in the download lists). (as seen in snip1) . We also turned on One-step workflow so the uploader's would have to enter the properties edit page and force them to enter the data in the fields.  I will let one of my end users describe what is happening to them;

Lets say I want to change the name or date on a file on the MOS….

Here’s the process:

1. Click on any file/document in the Sitefinity backend.
2. Make the changes I need to … whether that be changing the name, changing the display date or expire date.
3. THEN:　 Click the Save as draft button.
4. The expire date disappears.　 SO you have to put in new expire date.
5. Click the Submit for approval button.
6. Then FIND the file and goto Actions- publish (finding the file is going to get tougher and tougher as more files get added to this)

Why cant you just:

Click on the file that you need to change.

1. Change the title or expire date or display date –
2. And click PUBLISH　 or SAVE CHANGES and be DONE WITH IT?

THREE Steps vs. SIX Steps

Hi,

it seems you are not able to save ExpirationDate for Documents or any other contemnt types (news, images,...).
Tryed for 4.3 1873 and 4.2.1733 in an empty new project with no success :-(

Maybe it isnt't supposed to be used as Custom field (then it should be removed from list).

Hello Scott,

I'm a little confused here. You say you have enabled the One-step workflow for documents. In this case it is completely normal for non-administrator users to "Send for approval" the documents and then some approver - e.g. Editor to approve the document - e.g. Publish it. These extra steps are because of the workflow. There is a setting for the workflow - Allow administrators to skip the workflow - that allows Administrator users to publish content items directly without approval.

Does this explain the extra steps?

Regards,
Lubomir Velkov
the Telerik team

Indeed the workflow process add extra steps. We have 8 content managers responsible for thier sections. The site is file and document intensive. So these content managers have both the capability to upload files and the ability to publish. We went to the one-step workflow so that when they upload they have to go to the "edit properties" pages for the files they uploaded and fille out the 3 dates we require of them (Expire/publish/Display).

The problem is that anytime they enter the "edit properties" page to make an update on the properties (i.e. change title, description, categories etc) they have to re-enter the expiration date. We use the expiration date so the system will unpublish the file/document after a preset time from the time of upload.


Without the one-step workflow the files would be uploaded and the dates would not be populated because the file pulishes upon upload and skip the step of editing the properties.

Hello Scott,

I'm getting confused here. Do you mean that when you send an item for approval, even if you set a value for your custom field Expiration date it is not saved? But when an approver goes and edits the already sent for approval document, the Expiration date is missing and must be reentered again?

You are Correct!

ExpirationDate is NOT a custom field. It is a default field that we made 'required' using the "Custom Fields" link on the file list page.

If I go in and edit any document information (such as title,categories etc) and then click on "Save as Draft"  The draft is saved but when the screen refreshes the Expiration date is empty. And I must re-enter the expiration date in order to Send for approval.

Our upload Process is this;
1.upload document using 'Upload and Save as Draft"
2. Find the file in the file list - Select Actions - Edit properties
3. Add ExpirationDate and Displaydate and select categories for the file (all are required)
4.Click on "Send for approval"
5. Publish

It would relly be nice is that when I upload a file as soon as I click on one of the buttons "Send for approval" or "Upload and save for as Draft"  the system would automatically open the edit properties window when there is a required field.

Hello Scott,

I see what you mean now. Unfortunately PublicationDate and ExpirationDate are system fields that shouldn't be mapped to a custom field, as their values might change unexpectedly when you edit a content item. The ExpirationDate is set when you are logged in as an Administrator and you edit a Document, on the top toolbar there is a button More actions and under it there is a menu item named Publish/Unpublish on a Specific Date. These fields aren't visible for Authors. It is visible for Editors only if they created this specific Document (they are the owner).

Now I guess I should be confused.
These fields shouldnt be exposed so that a simple click of a check box they become a visible required field.
And why does the ExpirationDate lose its persistence when it is exposed on the form.

I understand that they are system fields and certain events change them, (such as the Publish/UnPublish setting) but my aggrevation is that the field is not persisted from one screen to the next. It just dissapears. So why would editing the title
in the "Edit Properties" make the ExpirationDate dissapear. The only thing I can think of is that it is overwritten because the code behind the control does not persist all data in a record it reads.

Hmm now how to solve our problem. We want simply to be able to upload a document, set a PublishDate, an ExpirationDate, and a DisplayDate and have those dates function properly. The document should not show until its PublicationDate, it should be archived on its ExpirationDate and when displayed it should show the date we asked to be displayed.

Hi Scott,

As I mentioned these fields are accessible through the Publish/Unpublish on Specific Date menu command. You shouldn't expose them through custom fields as their values might be changed by Sitefinity at any given moment, even though you have exposed them.