By Suhas Das
Author
In OpenText Documentum, virtual documents provide a powerful way to organize and manage complex content by combining multiple individual objects into a single logical document.
What are Virtual Documents?
A virtual document is a collection of individual content objects that are linked together to form one larger document.
- Each component remains a separate object in the repository
- The virtual document acts as a logical assembly, not a physical file
Key Characteristics
- A single content object can belong to multiple virtual documents
- Changes made to a component are reflected everywhere it is used
- No duplication of content is required
👉 This ensures consistency and avoids redundant data.
How Virtual Documents Work
- Individual documents (chapters, sections, images, etc.) are linked together
- The system maintains relationships between these components
- When accessed, Documentum assembles them into a unified structure
Assembly and Publishing
Virtual documents support dynamic assembly and publishing:
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You can publish:
- The entire document
- Selected sections only
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Assembly can be controlled using:
- Business rules
- Metadata stored in the repository
They can also integrate with tools like Arbortext Editor for structured content authoring and publishing.
Example Use Case
Consider a product manual:
- Each chapter is stored as a separate document
- Chapters are linked into a virtual document
- Updating one chapter automatically updates all manuals using it
Benefits of Virtual Documents
- Content reuse → Same object used in multiple documents
- Consistency → Updates reflect everywhere
- Flexibility → Dynamic assembly based on rules
- Efficiency → No need to duplicate content
Conclusion
Virtual documents in Documentum allow organizations to logically assemble and manage large, complex documents from smaller reusable components, enabling efficient publishing, consistency, and scalability.