GN4 copy flow provides a clear path to follow for all content work phases in the editing of copy and proofing process of paper pages, Web pages and other channels. GN4 ensures that no content will be published unless it underwent all the required editing, proofreading, spell checking and other checks/steps.

GN4 copy flow is based on an arbitrary structure of folders and workstates, and it features:

•Multi-channel copy flow

If you are using article with the channel-specific article elements, such article elements can be sent in another folder independently of the article, so they can follow different workflows. For example, paper body can reside in the folder W with the workstate X, while the web body element can reside in the folder Y with the workstate Z.

This provides for the multi-channel copy flow.

•Parallel copy flow

Many people can be working on the same content concurrently, without worrying about overwriting each other's content. A parallel copy flow saves a huge amount of time. More users can work on the same article, each one on the individual article element, e.g. body, headline, image caption, image itself, etc (see Working with articles in a multiuser environment). More users can review the same page layout. More page designers can work on the same page layout, as long its elements are on different page layers (see Working with pages in a multiuser environment).

•Folders with access permissions

First thing first: access permissions on the folders keep off unauthorized staff and protect the content. The rich array of access permissions in GN4 (read, write, place, send, ref read, ref write) provides an atomic control over operations, permitted in a given folder. Therefore, it's easy to establish a "Pool" folder, where all staff can send the content over from their private baskets, but only copy editors will have 'send (from)' permission.

During the copy flow process, the user send the content from one folder to another.

•Copy flow paths

Copy flow paths are used to simplify sending of content, introducing the concept of "next/forth" and "previous/back" work step. For example, if a content item is in the Pool folder, a natural 'next' is Edit folder, and a natural "previous" is the private folder from where the content arrived. In a bottom line, 'next' and 'previous' can be attached to keys, so, for example, F12 sends to the next work step, and F11 sends back.

See About copy flow paths.

•Interaction with external systems

Through the system of folder or calendar triggers (that automatically run when a content appears in a specified folder), it is possible to interface with the external systems. Triggers are generic mechanism that allows you to perform the action X when the condition Y is met. The condition can be "appearing of a content in a folder", "meeting the deadline", or anything else. A trigger runs a procedure (the term we’re using for that sort of procedures is "workflow" – do not confuse it with the general term for workflows as copy flows), that can run a program, execute an API call or something else. GN4 workflows run on server, so it’s enough to install API on a server.

See Configuring triggers.

•Workstates, assigned to folders, editions and pages

Workstates get assigned to folders to define more precisely the folder's purpose. A folder can have only one workstate, but the same workstate can be assigned to more folders, editions or pages.

Workstate of a content changes automatically, as you send content in another folder. For editions and pages, as they do not reside in folders, you need to change the workstate manually.

See also

Layout-driven and copy-driven copy flow