Understanding document types

In Meridian, every document is assigned a document type based on the business purpose of the document, which may not be related to its file extension. Examples of document types are memos, specifications, drawings, project plans, and so on. Practically every type of document your organization uses can be a Meridian document type. The same document type can be assigned to any kind of file such as a vector drawing, a raster image, a text file, a spreadsheet, a database file, or a word processor file. In addition, the same file type may belong to different document types. For example, a floor plan drawing is very different from a manufacturing part drawing. They may both be AutoCAD DWG files, but different document types are assigned to them.

A Meridian document type determines the following characteristics of a document:

• Naming convention
• Revision numbering
• Available file (content) templates
• Workflow
• Metadata properties
• File type associations
• Data links

The appropriate document types for your organization are defined by a system administrator.

Security for your system may be implemented on a document type basis. This means that access to documents will be granted based on what type of document they are, rather than the folder in which they reside.

The following topics describe each of the preceding characteristics.