Check-out and check-in are at the heart of how M-Files keeps documents safe. They make sure two people never overwrite each other's work, and that every change becomes a version you can go back to.

What check-out does

When you check out a document, M-Files marks it as being edited by you. Others can still open and read the latest version, but they cannot save changes until you are done. In the listing, a checked-out document carries a mark that shows who has it.

What check-in does

When you check the document back in, your changes become a new version. The previous versions stay in the version history, with who changed what and when. If nothing changed, many clients simply release the lock without creating a version.

Undo checkout

Changed your mind? Undo checkout releases the document and throws away your local changes. The latest version on the server stays as it was.

A typical editing session

1. Open the document and choose to check it out.
2. Edit it in its app and save as often as you like. Saving updates your working copy, not the vault.
3. Close the document and check it in. Add a comment if your process asks for one.

Check-out and check-in on a Mac

In a browser, editing usually means downloading the file, editing it and uploading it again, which is easy to get wrong. M-Client brings the desktop flow to the Mac:

• double-click a document and choose Check out or Open read-only;
• the document opens in Word, Excel, Pages, Preview or whichever app you use;
• save and close it, and M-Client asks Check in changes?;
• closed without changes? Nothing is uploaded.

Templates with M-Files fields keep working too: M-Client fills in the M-Files properties in Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, in the same format as M-Files for Windows.

Good habits

• Check in at the end of the day, so colleagues see your latest work.
• Use check-in comments for meaningful changes. They make the history readable.
• Keep an eye on the Checked out tab, which lists everything you still have.

Try it on your Mac with a free 15-day trial.