Understanding Sun Master Index Configuration Options (Repository)

Object Definition File Description

Table 1 lists each element in the Object Definition file and provides a description of each element along with any requirements or constraints for each element.

Table 1 Object Definition File Structure

Element/Attribute 

Description 

name

The name of the master index application. This name must match the name of the parent object. 

database

The database platform used by the master index application. Currently, the only values allowed are Oracle and SQL Server.

dateformat

The date format to use for the master index application. Three formats are allowed for the date: MM/dd/yyyy, yyyy/MM/dd, and dd/MM/yyyy. 

nodes

The configuration information for an object. There can be multiple nodes elements, each defining one parent or child object in the object structure. Each nodes element also defines the fields contained in each object along with the field attributes. The object structure must include one parent object and can include several child objects or no child objects.

tag

The name of the parent or child object defined by the nodes element.


Note –

Due to database naming constraints, the length of the name of the parent object plus the length of any child object name must be 21 characters or less.


fields

The configuration information for a field. There can be multiple fields elements.

field-name

The name of the field. Follow these guidelines when naming fields. 

  • The name cannot be longer than 30 characters.

  • The name cannot be objectId, where object is the name of an object in the data structure. For example, you cannot create a field named AddressId if there is an Address object in the structure.

  • Field names must conform to Oracle or SQL Server naming conventions, must conform to Java naming standards, and cannot contain XML reserved characters.

field-type

The data type for each field. Possible data types are: 

  • string - Fields of this type contain a string of characters.

  • date - Fields of this type contain a date value.

  • float - Fields of this type contain a floating point integer.

  • int - Fields of this type contain an integer.

  • byte - Fields of this type contain a single character.

  • boolean - Fields of this type can contain either true or false.

size

The number of characters allowed in each field. If you modify this value, be sure to modify the corresponding database column accordingly. 

updateable

An indicator of whether the field can be updated using the EDM or from back-end messages. Specify true if the field can be updated, or specify false if it cannot.

required

An indicator of whether the field is required in order to save an enterprise object in the database. Specify true if the field is required, or specify false if it is not.

code-module

The identification code for the menu list that appears for this field in the EDM. This must match a value in the code column of the sbyn_comment_header database table. This element is optional. 

maximum-value

The maximum value allowed in the field. To specify a value for a date field, use the format YYYY-MM-DD. This element is optional. 

minimum-value

The minimum value allowed in the field. To specify a value for a date field, use the format YYYY-MM-DD. This element is optional. 

pattern

The required pattern for the field. For more information about possible values and using Java patterns, see “Patterns” in the class list for java.util.regex in the Javadocs provided with J2SE Platform. This element is optional.

user-code

The processing code for the drop-down list that appears on the MIDM for the fields defined by the constraint–by property, described below. These codes are used for non-unique IDs, such as account numbers, insurance policies, credit cards, and so on.


Note –

This must match an entry in the code_list column of the sbyn_user_code database table.


constraint-by

The name of the field that contains the corresponding user–code value (described above) to use to validate the current field. The user–code and constraint-by properties are used in conjunction to define non-unique ID types, such as credit card numbers or account numbers. The first purpose is to define a drop-down list for the field that contains the user code value. The second purpose is to validate the field that contains the constraint value against definitions for the field with the user code value.

For example, if you store non-unique IDs such as credit card numbers or insurance policy numbers, you could create a field named ID Type with a user–code of CREDCARD (CREDCARD also needs to be defined as a code in the sbyn_user_code table). This gives the ID Type field a drop-down list based on the definitions for CREDCARD in the sbyn_user_code table. Definitions would be VISA, MASTERCARD, AMEX, and so on. You could then create a field named ID that would be constrained by the formats defined for the ID Type field. Any credit card numbers you enter would be validated against the format defined for the type of credit card you selected in ID Type.

key-type

An indicator of whether the field is used to identify unique objects. Specify true if the element is a unique object identifier; specify false if it is not. This element is optional.


Note –

Each child object should contain at least one field that is a unique object identifier, but it is not required. If two or more fields are unique identifiers, the combined value of these fields must be unique in a given enterprise record.


relationships

The configuration information for the hierarchy of the objects you defined in the nodes elements. Only one object can be the parent object; the remaining objects must be defined as children. The relationship definition allows a record to contain multiple instances of each child object. For example, if you define Address and Telephone child objects, the record can contain multiple addresses and telephone numbers.

name

The name of the parent object, as defined in the nodes elements.

children

The name of a child object, as defined in the nodes elements. You can define multiple children elements.