Description and Long Text

In the Description field, you can enter a freely defined text with a length of up to 40 characters. The system also automatically uses the description as the long text. If required, you can add information to the long text. For example, if you want to provide additional information about the document and you need more than 40 characters. To edit or delete an existing long text, choose the Long Text pushbutton.

You can enter descriptions and long texts in multiple languages on the Descriptions tab page (see Descriptions).

For more information, see Creating Descriptions (PLM Web UI).

Document Status

You can change the status of a document on the General Data tab page. When you create a document, the system automatically sets a status of the type Primary status (P) or Initial status (I), depending on how the status network has been set up in Customizing. If the maturity level of the document requires a status change, you can set the required status in the Document Status field by selecting the relevant value from the input help. The input help contains only those status values that can be set according to the current status of the document. After selecting and confirming the required status, you must save the document.

You can also change the document status on the Status tab page. For more information about this tab page and about the document status on the PLM Web UI, see Status.

User

The user who is responsible for the document is displayed in the User field on the General Data tab page. When you create a document, the system enters your user name by default. You can overwrite this name with any user name defined in the SAP system.

Note that the SAP user entered in the document can process the document. However, the authorization concept and the settings in the status network determine whether that user and other users can change the document.

For more information, see Definition of Responsibility.

By setting up the status network accordingly, you can define that the system changes the user automatically when the document status changes. For more information, see Defining Statuses.

Change Number and Valid-From Date

A document can be part of a change process. You can therefore assign a document to a change number and its related valid-from date. On the General Data tab page, you enter the change number in the Change Number field. If you do not know the change number, you can search for it using the input help. When you enter the change number, the system automatically enters the valid-from date from the change master in the corresponding field.

For more information, see Engineering Change Management in Document Management.

Superior Document

You can define a document hierarchy by specifying a superior document in your document. Note that to do this, you must set up the Superior Document field accordingly in Customizing for the document type (that is, as an optional or required field).

For more information, see Defining a Superior Document.

Document Structure

If a document is related to other documents, you can create a document structure on the PLM Web UI. If a document is in a structure, the system automatically selects the Document Structure checkbox on the General Data tab page. You use the document browser to create document structures.

For more information, see Document Browser on the Web UI and Document Structures.

Originals

You can process originals on the General Data tab page in the Originals screen area and on the Originals Processing tab page. An original is a file, for example, an output file from a Microsoft Office application. In the process of creating a document, the original may need to be modified many times. You can assign one or more originals to a document.

For more information, see Originals Processing.