This chapter contains the following topics:
Enter text to display on the first line of descriptions that are used in column headings on a report or form. This description is for the base language only, unless you update the description for another language.
This description should be no larger than the DD item size, if possible. If the column heading is only one line, it should be placed in this column. Use the second line of the Column Title when one row is insufficient.
Use row description in a manner similar to the column description in the query facility. The row description identifies fields on forms and reports. This description is for the base language only, unless you update the description for another language. It should be less than 35 characters. Use abbreviations whenever possible. Common abbreviations are:
U/M: Units of measure
YTD: Year-to-date
MTD: Month-to-date
PYE: Prior year end
QTY: Quantity
G/L: General ledger
A/P: Accounts payable
DEPR: Depreciation
This section lists the forms used to create a DD item, and discusses how to create a DD item.
When you create a new DD item, the system prompts you to indicate whether the DD item will be a glossary DD item.
| Form Name | FormID | Navigation | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add EnterpriseOne Object to the Project | W98220C | Click the Add button on the Object Management Workbench form. | Create a DD item. |
| Data Item Specifications | W92001C | Select Data Item on the Add EnterpriseOne Object to the Project form.
When prompted, indicate the DD item type you want to create. |
Define the DD item specifications. Attach default triggers, if needed. If creating a glossary DD item, write the glossary. |
| Smart Field Criteria | W9212A | Enter K in the Glossary Group field on the Data Item Specifications form.
Select Smart Fields from the Form menu. |
Select the business function that was created for the smart field. Select the event in which the smart field should be triggered. Select the named mapping that is associated with the business function data structure. |
Access the Data Item Specifications form.
Enter a code that identifies and defines a unit of information. It is an alphanumeric code up to eight characters long that does not allow blanks or special characters such as %, &, or +. You create new DD items using system codes 55-59. You cannot change the alias.
Within the DD, all DD items are referenced by this four-byte data name. As they are used in database tables, a two-character prefix is added to create unique data names in each table specification (DDS). If you are adding an error message, this field must be left blank. The system assigns the error message number using next numbers. The name appears on a successful add. You should assign error message numbers greater than 5000. Special characters are not allowed as part of the DD item name, with the exception of #, @, $.
Set this flag to indicate whether blank values can be written to the database. Select this option to allow blank entry under these conditions:
If the field is edited against a user-defined code (UDC) table, a blank value will be allowed regardless of whether a blank value is valid for the table.
If the field is specified to be a mandatory entry, a blank value will be allowed as a valid entry.
Set this flag to indicate whether this column should be automatically included in all database fetches to tables that contain this item. This option should only be selected for items that are essential for certain database trigger processes or security validation.
Enter a code that defines the DD item class. The class defines the essential attributes and characteristics of a DD item and is informational only.
Enter a code that defines the type of graphical user control that is associated with the DD item. For example, a DD item can appear as a push button, check box, and so on.
Control type is used by Form Design Aid (FDA) to automatically add the correct control to a form for a specific DD item. For example, if a DD item will normally be used as a check box, then the DD control type should be a check box. When you use Quick Form, the DD item will appear as a check box control instead of a generic edit on the form.
You can override this setting in FDA; however, you should anticipate how it will most commonly be used to reduce the need for overrides.
Enter a text string used to identify the DD item. The text string can be up to 32 characters long. Blanks and the characters %, & , and + are not allowed. The field cannot be changed after you save the DD item.
Enter an identifier of the style or classification of data, such as numeric, alphabetic, and date. Do not change the DD item data type if it is used within an existing application. Data types include these:
Character: A single letter, always the size of one.
Date: A date.
Integer: An integer.
Character (Blob): An item that can be translated from EBCDIC (8-bit character code commonly used on IBM mainframes) to ASCII (7-bit character code).
Binary (Blob): An item that cannot be translated, appears in machine code, and is found as an executable file under Win.help.
Binary: An option that represents two choices.
It is usually a combination of the digits 1 and 0 to represent on and off or true and false.
String: An item that is always the same size or length.
Variable String: An item of variable size.
UTime: An item that allows business processes to span several time zones by coordinating workstations to Universal Coordinated Time.
Identifier (ID): An item that is used within the program logic for controls.
An ID is used to write a C program and reference third-party software that returns a pointer. An API then saves the pointer that references the ID. The parameter that the system passes to the C program is the ID.
Numeric: A long integer.
Enter a case-sensitive description for the DD items. The system uses this name to search for similar DD items. To enter an alpha description, follow these conventions:
Dates: Begin all date fields with the word "Date".
Amounts: Begin all amount fields with the word "Amount".
Units: Begin all unit, quantity, and volume fields with the word "Units".
Name: Begin all 30-byte description fields with the word "Name".
Prompt: Begin any Y/N prompting field with the word "Prompt".
Address Number: Begin all address numbers (employee, customer, owner) with the words "Address Number".
Enter a value that designates the number of decimals in the currency, amount, or quantity fields the system displays. For example, U.S. Dollars would be two decimals, Japanese Yen would be no decimals, and Cameroon Francs would be three decimals.
Enter a value that identifies DD items that are applicable to one of the development platforms only. Valid values are:
1 – Non-AS/400 system only.
2 – AS/400 only.
Blank – DD item is valid for both platforms.
The system makes this flag available for entry if the DD item is of type numeric. When you select this option, the DD item is marked Not to total. When this item is used in a report, the item property, Suppress At Total, is marked.
Enter a value that indicates number of stored positions to the right of the decimal of the DD item.
Enter a code that indicates the type of DD item. It is validated against UDC H98/DI. Items in glossary group D or S can be included in database tables. Items in other glossary groups (for example, error messages) cannot be added to a table.
The DD item names for error messages are assigned automatically. If you need to assign your own error message numbers, use 4 digit numbers greater than 5000.
The DD item name for a non-database field (used on a form or report but not in a file - glossary group U) must begin with a #, $ or @. For help text (glossary group H), the DD Inquiry/Revision Program field may be used to specify the name of a follow-on item. To create messages for the IBM message file (glossary group J), begin the DD item name with your own three characters (for example, CLT0001).
Enter a value that indicates the number of array elements to create, which in turn will create child items (one child per array element).
Item occurrences allows you to create an item as a child of another item. The DD verifies that attributes are consistent between the parent and the child. If you change the parent item, the changes are duplicated in the child items. The DD item names use the parent DD item name and a number, such as a parent item ABC and child items ABC1, ABC2, and so on.
The array DD item names are restricted to certain lengths depending on the number of array elements:
3 bytes - 1 to 9 elements
2 bytes - 10 to 99 elements
1 byte - 100 to 999 elements
Set this flag to indicate whether the field can be used in setting up row security.
You can create protected data names by using $xxx and @xxx, where you define xxx.
The alias cannot be changed.
Enter a value that indicates the field size of the DD item.
All amount fields should be entered as 15 bytes, 0 decimals, and the DD item type should be P (packed).
Enter a value that designates the system number for the Next Number retrieval. See UDC 98/SY.
Set this flag to indicate whether the DD item will accept lowercase text. If the value of this field is a Y, the user cannot enter lowercase characters into a control based on this DD item.
This section lists the forms used to add glossary text for languages, and discusses how to add glossary text for languages.
For any DD item, you can add glossary text for different languages. For example, you can create glossary text for the base English language item and also add glossary text for French, Spanish, and German. Glossary text for languages must be added after the DD item has been created.
| Form Name | FormID | Navigation | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work with Data Items | W92001B | Data Dictionary Design (GH951), Work with Data Dictionary Items | Choose a DD item for which to supply a non-English glossary. |
To add glossary text for languages:
Access Work with Data Items.
Select the DD item that you want to change.
From the Row menu, select Glossary Overrides.
On Work With Data Item Glossary Overrides, click the Add button.
On Data Item Glossary Header, complete these fields:
Language
Form
Enter a form name if you want the glossary to apply to a specific form only.
If you do not enter a form name, the glossary applies to all forms that use this item.
On Work with Data Item Glossary Overrides, select the row that you just added.
From the Row menu, select Glossary.
On Data Item Glossary, enter the glossary text that you want to appear.
This section provides an overview of jargon and alternate language terms and discusses how to:
Change row and column text for all applications.
Define jargon.
Update a data item for languages.
When you create a DD item, you assign descriptions to the row, column, and glossary. Because these descriptions might not offer the flexible terminology that you need, you can assign alternate jargon or language descriptions to each item. Alternate descriptions enable the same DD item to appear with different row, columns, and glossaries for different users, depending on the system (product) code of the object that they are using.
For example, the cost center field MCU is widely used throughout the system. Its row description is Business Unit, which is a term used by financial applications. However, in distribution applications, this DD item appears as Branch/Plant. Likewise, in warehousing applications, the DD item appears as Warehouse.
In addition to any alternate terms that you define, users can implement their own language overrides at the application level. The system checks for and resolves overrides in this order:
If a user applies a language override in the application (such as FDA or Report Design Aid (RDA)), the system uses the term indicated by the language override, if one exists.
If the user did not specify a language override in the application, then the system determines at runtime whether a system code has been attached to the menu selection.
If the menu selection has an attached system code, then the system displays the alternate term dictated by the system code, if one exists.
If no alternate term has been indicated for the menu selection, the system determines at runtime whether a system code has been attached to the application.
If the application has an attached system code, then the system displays the alternate term that is dictated by the system code, if one exists.
If no alternate term has been indicated for the application, then the DD text appears.
In all cases, the system first checks the user's preferred language for an alternate term before checking without language. Language and language overrides always take precedence over non-language overrides. For example, assume that, in an environment in which English is the base language, all the forms have French translations that a user can view by selecting the French override. A form might contain a DD item that in English has an alternate term; in this example, however, the French version of the DD item does not have an alternate term. When it appears in English, the form displays either the main term or the alternate term, as appropriate. When it appears in French, however, the form displays only the main term, even when an alternate term is called for, because the language override takes precedence over displaying the alternate term.
Jargon and alternate language terms must be added after the DD item has been created.
| Form Name | FormID | Navigation | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work with Data Items | W92001B | Data Dictionary Design (GH951), Work with Data Dictionary Items | Choose a DD item for which to define jargon and alternate language terms. |
| Work with Data Item Descriptions | W92001S | On Work with Data Items, select a DD item.
From the Row menu, select Descript. Overrides. |
Modify language jargon codes. |
| Data Item Descriptions | W92001Q | On Work with Data Item Descriptions, click the Add button. | Apply a language and jargon code to the DD item. |
Click the Glossary Overrides to change the alpha description and create a record. You then use the Glossary form to change the description.
Changes to row and column descriptions are not replicated through data replication. To deploy row and column changes to workstations, you must deliver a new full or partial package, or an update package that includes the affected applications. The new or update package deletes the existing row and columns that are stored in a cache on the workstation.
To change row and column text for all applications:
Access Work with Data Item Descriptions.
Enter a UDC (98/SY) value that specifies the system number for reporting and jargon purposes.
Access Data Item Descriptions.
Enter a UDC (98/SY) value that specifies the system number for reporting and jargon purposes.