If you need to publish the site, but there are many unapproved contents !!
You can approve these contents using DML into Database.
Run the following DML on Vignette system schema in Oracle or Vignette System database in DB2 or SQL Server:
UPDATE VgnAsMoMetaData set status='approved';
Comments
Things to keep in mind before running the above DML
1. This will mark every single content item in the system. So if you just want to approve a sub-set of content items, be careful.
2. In VCM 7.3.1.1 and above, you can actually approve the items on the fly while creating a Publish job. The job engine lists all the unapproved item in a paginated way and lets you approve in the same window
3. If you have approval workflows for your business/content processes, the above script will be against the entire purpose of approval workflow
4. Pressing the "Approve" button in Management Console also touches the content (means it is treated as an update action) but the database script does not achieve that effect.
I am strongly against doing
I am strongly against doing this! Vignette is very sensitive and fragile system and we should NOT touch the database unless we are very much SURE to do so. I had many nightmare experiences by touching the Vignette database before. Point 2 in the above comment makes sense and its useful approach as well.