Overwrite Office03 Content With Office07 Content On Import?

MikeLima

Most of our existing content is .doc format. When we import a file with the same name, but with the .docx extension, obviously the two aren't recognized as being the 'same' file because of the different extensions.

We don't have the option of overwriting the existing file and adding the .docx as the latest version.

Has anyone ever considered what it would take to make that happen so we don't have to deal with multiple 'versions' of the same file?

Adam Stoller

Most of our existing content is .doc format. When we import a file with the same name, but with the .docx extension, obviously the two aren't recognized as being the 'same' file because of the different extensions. We don't have the option of overwriting the existing file and adding the .docx as the latest version. Has anyone ever considered what it would take to make that happen so we don't have to deal with multiple 'versions' of the same file?

As you point out - two files with the same base-name but different extensions are - quite simply - two different files that just happen to share the same base-name.

You could - if you really wanted to - wrap some code around the import functionality to look for files with the same base-name (in the same directory?) with "similar" extensions and "do something" - but you'd be making some assumptions that might not always be correct.

If you want to handle the specific case you mention correctly (IMO) - with the understanding that they really are the "same" file - you would first rename the foo.doc to foo.docx and then submit both (the deletion and the rename) to ensure the renaming is versioned, and then you would import the new version of the foo.docx file and submit that. In that way, you would preserve the full history chain of the document. However, I'm not sure what Word would do with a .doc file that was simply renamed to .docx - so you might end up with specific versions of the document that could never actually be opened with the application (Word)...

The other alternative is to delete the foo.doc file before or after you import the foo.docx file and submit both (deletion and new import) with suitable comments (perhaps creating editions before and after as well).

Whatever you choose to do - I wouldn't expect it to be automated OOTB, and I'm not sure I'd want to be responsible for creating an automation for it programmatically either...