A couple of points, then a positive suggestion for dealing with macros
etc.

First, macros (etc.) are used in all sorts of situations, not just for
documents that often get updated.  For example they are sometimes used
to get the correct date and address into a letter.

Second, macros are but one of a number of features people commonly use
that make documents, or their appearance, dynamic.  The features
include:
- Macros;
- Linked embedded objects (e.g. a histogram pasted into a Word document
from a spreadsheet that is linked to that spreadsheet; when the
spreadsheet is changed, the Word document changes too);
- "Fields" in Word that get updated automatically (often seen as a
"date" in footers - highly misleading);
- Internal cross references (e.g. a table of contents, or a
cross-reference to a page number - the page numbers can vary according
to the font and font metrics used, though this point is a bit arcane is
unlikely to cause practical problems);
- Inherited styles (the appearance of some documents can vary enormously
depending on which PC they are viewed with; Word and HTML pages are a
particular example);
- Potentially, formulae that depend on a calculation that include a date
or anything else external to the document itself (e.g. in a spreadsheet
a formula that is intended to split costs across years).

All of these features can change the apparent content (that is, the
rendition) of a document every time it is viewed.  I'm sure there are
others.  Note that it is the appearance of the document that gets
changed.  The underlying bit-stream does not alter (because the
record-keeping system prevents changes to records).  However, since the
rendition is the only way you can see the bit-stream this distinction is
not always helpful.

I doubt it is sensible, in the vast majority of cases, to rely on users
to remove this functionality; and it would be unrealistic to require
them not to use such features.

Fortunately I can suggest a relatively simple solution:  when keeping
these documents as records, keep two copies.  That is, keep the
original, fully-functional, dynamic document.  Then, keep also a PDF
rendition (or a DjVu rendition) of that document, as your record of what
it looked like (hopefully, what it was meant to look like) at the time
it was declared.  Keep both in your records "system," related to each
other.  In this way you will be able to see the record as it was used
for evidential purposes, and you also will have a copy with all the
formulae etc. so that someone can check how it worked, can re-use its
logic and formats, and so on.  Some EDRMSs can be configured to do this
automatically; if you keep records outside an EDRMS (e.g. in Windows
folders or SharePoint libraries) some other way of producing and linking
the renditions will be required.

As a final note, this approach gets you some way down the road to
solving another problem issue, for if you have PDF renditions of all
your records you have gained some protection against loss due to format
obsolescence.  So in one go, you improve the integrity of your records
and you have started to implement a digital preservation action.

Marc Fresko
EDM & ERM Consulting Services Director
Cornwell Management Consultants plc
Home Barn Court, The Street
Effingham, Surrey   KT24 5LG

[log in to unmask] 

Tel: 01372 456086 (home: 020 8645 0080    mobile: 07767 325630)
Fax: 01372 450950

www.cornwell.co.uk 





-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Records Management mailing list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Julie Gibbs
Sent: 09 October 2006 16:18
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Macros in Electronic Records

Unless I am missing something (and please correct me if I'm wrong) I
understand macros are used in active documents that are often updated
and/or changed and I would suggest it is not a good idea to save them in
an EDRMS.  A record should be robust evidence of a transaction which can
be proved to be what it says it is and an enabled macro means it could
be changed.

I don't have any suggestions other than not declaring the macro enabled
document as a record.  Otherwise you would have to disable the macros to
ensure it meets BIP0008 requirements as you propose.

Julie Gibbs
Information Officer, ICT
Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council

Message-----
From: The UK Records Management mailing list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Will Boardman
Sent: 09 October 2006 14:51
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Macros in Electronic Records

Good afternoon,

I'm currently looking at the requirements of BIP0008 and general issues
of admissibility of electronic records. One of our problem areas is
macros in documents saved to our EDRMS. Some documents use macros for
good reason.

However, when these are declared as records, the macros remain active
and may alter information in the record when the file is opened. Clearly
this would reduce the evidential weight of the record.

One option is for us to make it a business rule that everybody disables
the macros before declaring a record. This could, however, be quite an
onerous process, and I doubt whether this would always happen.

Has anyone else faced this problem, and found a different solution?

Any thoughts much appreciated.

Regards

Will

Will Boardman
Records Management Analyst
Highways Agency

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