Chapter 7   Defining Data Fields


This chapter explains how to create data fields for an application and describes the classes of data fields that are available to you.

This chapter includes these sections:

• Data Field Overview

• Creating a Data Field

• Setting Field Properties

• Custom Data Fields with Predefined Class IDs

• Custom Data Fields with Your Own Class ID

• Predefined Data Fields

• Deleting Data Fields

• Setting Up the Content Store

Data Field Overview

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The application's data dictionary contains all the data fields that are used by the application and stored in the database. Once you've defined your process map and groups and roles, you start defining the information that is captured and routed throughout the application. If you have a process that currently uses paper forms, a good start is to look at the information gathered on those forms.

A data field can be a structured field in a database, a document, or a file. The data dictionary contains all fields used by an application, regardless of which users see them at which steps in the process.

A field defines how the user interacts with the data (the class), and how the data is stored in the system (the type). Process Builder has some predefined field class IDs, but you can also create your own to extend the field framework.

Note. If you are using subprocesses or custom activity you may need to map the data between the parent and child process. See Subprocesses and Custom Activities for more information.

Creating a Data Field

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To add a field to the data dictionary, you should first ask yourself how the field interacts with the user (which determines the class) and what kind of information the field will store (which determines the type).

To define a field, follow these steps:

1. From the Insert menu, choose Data Field.

2. Fill out the fields in the Create a New Data Field dialog box.

   Each data field must have a unique name. The steps are described briefly below; see The Create a New Data Field Dialog Box for more information.

3. Add a new data field using one of these options:
   • Add a custom data field from predefined classes. Click the radio button Custom Data Field and choose a Class ID from the drop-down list.

   • Add a custom data field from a class you create yourself. Click Add New Class, browse to the .zip or .jar file that contains the class you created, and click Open. The class appears in the drop-down list. For information on writing a custom field, see the Process Manager Programmer's Guide.

   • Add a predefined data field from a template. Click the radio button Predefined Data Field and choose a predefined type from the drop-down list.

4. Choose a class ID or template.

5. Click either the Add button or the "Add & Define" button.
   • Click Add & Define if you want to define the new item right away. The Inspector window appears for the data field you added.

   • Click Add to define the item later. The Create a New Data Field dialog box remains open, and you can add more items.

6. If you clicked Add & Define, define the properties in the Inspector window that appears.

   When you close the window, your changes are saved automatically.

The new data field is now listed in the Data Dictionary folder in the application tree view.

The Create a New Data Field Dialog Box

The fields you fill out in this dialog box (see Figure 7-1) depend upon whether you are creating a custom data field or a predefined data field. After you add a field, you can define its properties in the Inspector window.

Figure 7-1    The Create a New Data Field dialog box

Creating a Custom Data Field

To create a custom data field, enter values for the following fields:

Name of this Field. The name of the data field. It is also used to name the database column that is going to store this field information. The value of this property should be unique among the data fields that are defined within a given application.

The name can contain only alphanumeric characters with no spaces. It cannot be longer than 18 characters. It's best to use all lower case, and use the underscore character (_) as a separator. Also, do not use a name that is a reserved SQL keyword (for example, select, integer, etc.), or the LiveWire reserved words project, request, server, and client, or the word comment.

See Appendix CReserved Words" for a list of Process Manager reserved words that must not be used as data field names.

Class ID. The class of the field you are creating. Technically, the class ID is the Java component that implements the field's format, but you don't need to understand the Java components unless you want to create your own Class ID. To add your own class IDs, click the Add New Class button and add your class to the drop-down list of class IDs. For information on writing a custom field, see the Process Manager Programmer's Guide.

Creating a Predefined Data Field

To create a predefined data field, enter values for the following fields:

Name of this Field. defines the name of the data field. It is also used to name the database column that is going to store this field information. The value of this property should be unique among the data fields that are defined within a given application.

The name can contain only alphanumeric characters with no spaces. It cannot be longer than 18 characters. It's best to use all lower case, and use the underscore character (_) as a separator. Also, do not use a name that is a reserved SQL keyword (for example, select, integer, etc.).

Template. A predefined field created with default data that you can modify. These templates make defining a field easier if you are inserting a field of a specific type: address, telephone number, or name.

Adding a Data Field

To add a new data field, click either the Add button or the "Add & Define" button.

Use the Add button to add several items in succession, without defining their properties. Each item will be added to the application tree view, but the "Create a New Data Field" dialog box will remain open so that you can add subsequent items. After adding the desired items, you can set their properties by double-clicking them in the application tree view.

Use the "Add & Define" button to add an item and then immediately define it. Each item is added to the application tree view, but the Inspector window also appears.

Setting Field Properties

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Data fields are listed in the Data Dictionary folder in the Application Tree View window. To set or modify field properties, follow these steps:

1. In the application tree view, in the Data Dictionary folder, double-click the field name, or highlight it and click the Inspector icon.

2. Update the properties.

   Some properties are grayed out and you cannot change them. Other properties contain values in angle brackets (<>). Those values are placeholder values. Replace the brackets and the values inside them with your own data.

3. Close the window. Your changes are saved automatically.

The following properties are available for all fields. In addition, fields have properties determined by their class ID. For more information about those additional properties, see the documentation for those properties.

Data Type. (Required) Defines the data type of the field (how it is stored in the database). Valid values depend on the Field Class ID and include TEXT, LONGTEXT, INT, FLOAT, DATE, DATETIME, and FILE. These data types map directly to the SQL data types with the exception of FILE. For more information, see your database documentation.

Display Name. The name used in Process Express when end users are allowed to search on a field. Use a name that will be clear and meaningful for the end user.

Field Class ID. (read only) This property describes the format of the data field as it appears on the form.

Help Message. A help message associated with a data field. When users click the field in a form, this message will appear as text at the bottom of the browser window (below the scroll bar).

Name. (read only) The data field's name.

Short Description. A description of the field. Currently, this property is unused.

Custom Data Fields with Predefined Class IDs

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Use this option to design your own fields using the class IDs that are predefined in Process Builder:

• CheckBox

• Computed

• Date

• DateTime

• Digital Signature

• File Attachment

• Password

• Radio Buttons

• Select List

• TextArea

• TextField

• URL

• UserPicker Widget

The following sections describes these class IDs in more detail.

CheckBox

Use this class ID to create fields in the form of checkboxes. In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, CheckBox fields have the following properties:

Default Value. The default value of the CheckBox field. Valid values are checked and unchecked.

Label. The label that appears to the right of the checkbox. If you would like to create the label by typing it on the form in the form editor, leave this property blank. However, any label you type into this property is automatically included any time you put the field on a form. If you choose to type the label on the form, you need to type it on each form that uses this field.

On click. A script that runs every time the user clicks on a checkbox. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onClick event handler of the field.

Computed

This class ID is for fields whose values are computed by the application, not entered by the users. In addition, users cannot view these fields. If you want the field to be viewable, use a text field instead.

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, Computed fields have the following properties:

Allow Search. Specifies if the field can be used as a search criteria. Valid values are true or false.

Default Value. Defines the default value of the field.

Length. A required property that defines the length of the field and the length of the database column that will be used to store values of that field. It must be an integer between 0 and 2000. Use a value between 0 and 255 for the TEXT data type, and between 0 and 2000 for the LONGTEXT data type. If you want the field to be searchable, use the TEXT type.

Date

This class ID lets the user enter and validate a date.

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, Date fields have the following properties:

Allow Search. Specifies if the field can be used as a search criteria. Valid values are true or false

Date Format. Represents the formatting of the date. Valid values are DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY.

Default Value. Defines the default value of the field.

DateTime

This class ID lets the user enter and validate a date and time.

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, DateTime fields have the following properties:

Allow Search. Specifies if the field can be used as a search criteria. Valid values are true or false

DateTime Format. Represents the formatting of the date and time. Valid values are MM/DD/YYYY HH:MI:SS or YYYY/DD/MM HH:MI:SS. MM is the month, DD is the day of the month, YYYY is the year. HH is the hour, MI is the minutes, and SS is the seconds of the time. Note that the user must put a space between the date and the time.

Default Value. Defines the default value of the field.

Digital Signature

The Digital Signature field is used for signing data. If the user has a certificate, the data is encrypted. For example, you would want a Digital Signature field if a Vice President has to approve a price. In this example, the price field is a user input field that is included in the List of Signed fields for the VP Signature field. When the VP updates the signature field, all the fields listed in the List of Signed fields are signed.

A Digital Signature field can be signed only by one person for a process instance. Once someone signs the field, the next time the field appears, it shows the name of the person who signed it.

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, Digital Signature fields have the following properties:

List of Signed Fields. The list of data fields that require an electronic signature. Separate fields with a semicolon (;) between them. All fields included in this list must be on the same form as the Digital Signature field.

File Attachment

Use the File Attachment class ID when the data field is actually a file you want users to attach. This data field provides menus in Process Express that allow end users to upload, download, and view files in a process. Users can use this field if they are accessing Process Express with Netscape Communicator 4.x, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x or 5.x.

A File Attachment field appears in the HTML form as a signed applet. This applet attaches a file to the form. When the end user decides to attach a file to the form, the user clicks the icon for the applet and the applet uploads the file to a special location on the iPlanet Web Server. All files for a process instance are grouped in the same folder so you can locate and manage them easily.

You specify this location in the URL property of the Content Store. See Setting Up the Content Store for more information. You specify what kind of file is uploaded in the data field's File Name property. For each kind of file you want users to be able to attach, you must create a separate data field.

Usage Tips for File Attachments

If you want to use file attachments with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), your server must be SSL-enabled. To use SSL, end users must use Netscape Communicator to access Process Express. For information on how to enable SSL on your server, see the iPlanet Web Server Administrator's Guide.

If you have Netscape Application Server installed on the same system as Process Express, you will not be able to use Netscape Communicator with file attachments. To avoid this situation, you can install NAS and Process Express on different systems, or you can use Microsoft Internet Explorer to access Process Express.

You must have the Web Publisher or Remote File Manipulation turned on in your iPlanet Web Server in order to use file attachments.

File Attachment Properties

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, File Attachment fields have the following properties:

Alignment. Defines the alignment of the file representation in the HTML form. Valid values are: CENTER, TEXTTOP, ABSCENTER, ABSBOTTOM. These position the file representation in the HTML form as centered, aligned with the top of the tallest text on the line, aligned with the center of the text, and aligned with the bottom of the text. The text may be moved to accommodate the alignment. Only one line of text is aligned with the data field. Subsequent lines of text appear below the data field. If no alignment value is specified, the alignment is handled by the browser.

Background Color. The background color for the data field display area. Specify an HTML color code in the format #RRGGBB. For example, for pure blue, specify #0000FF. For more information about specifying colors with this format, see the "Color Units" chapter in the HTML Tag Reference at:

http://developer.netscape.com/docs/manuals/htmlguid/index.htm.

Border Width. The thickness of the border to draw around the data field display area in pixels.

Debug Mode. If this is set to true, the data field displays debug information in the browser's Java console.

Display Height. The height in pixels of the data field display area. If you change this height, the size of the icon in the data field does not change. The display area gets more or less background space around the icon.

Display Width. The width in pixels of the data field display area. If you change this width, the size of the icon in the data field does not change. The display area gets more or less background space around the icon. The optimal width is 100 pixels, but this depends on the size of the font and the value of the File name property.

File Name. The file name which is displayed under the data field as a label in the HTML page. The extension of the File Name determines what kind of file can be uploaded via this file attachment data field. For example, if the File Name is attachment.html, then the data field can handle HTML files. If it is attachment.gif, then the data field can handle GIF files.

Font Name. The font used for all text in the data field display area and also for the menu associated with the data field in Process Express.

Font Size. The font size used for all text in the data field display area and also for the menu associated with the data field in Process Express.

Foreground Color. The foreground color for the data field display area. The foreground color is used for text and other foreground elements. Specify an HTML color code in the format #RRGGBB. For example, for pure blue, specify #0000FF. For more information about specifying colors with this format, see the "Color Units" chapter in the HTML Tag Reference at:

http://developer.netscape.com/docs/manuals/htmlguid/index.htm.

Help URL. A URL that points to a help page. If this property is defined, then when the data field is displayed in Process Express it has an additional menu item, User Help, that displays the page located at the Help URL. This URL must be an absolute URL. The intention here is that you can provide helpful information to your end users about the file to attach, such as what it is for or what kind of file it should be.

Icon Height. The default height for the icon used in the data field display area. You cannot change this value.

Icon Width. The default width for the icon used in the data field display area. You cannot change this value.

MAX URL Length. The maximum length of the URL for files that are saved with this data field. It defaults to 100 characters. This URL is computed from the content store URL. Hence, this width should be at least (content_store_url) + 32 + length(File name) characters long.

Password

The Password class ID is used for password fields. When the user enters data into this field, or when it is viewable, the field value is shown as asterisks (*****).

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, Password fields have the following properties:

Default Value. Defines the default value of the field.

Display Size. This required field defines the size of the text field in the HTML form.

Maximum Length. A required property that defines the length of the field and the length of the database column that will be used to store values of that field. Note that if this length is longer than the Display Size, some characters may not be displayed on the form. The Maximum Length must be an integer between 0 and 2000. Use a value between 0 and 255 for the TEXT data type, and between 0 and 2000 for the LONGTEXT data type. If you want the field to be searchable, use the TEXT type.

On Blur. The script that is run every time the field loses the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onBlur event handler of the field.

On Focus. The script that is run every time the field gets the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onFocus event handler of the field.

On Value Change. The script that is run every time the value of the field is changed. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onChange event handler of the field.

Radio Buttons

The class ID Radio Buttons produces radio buttons, which appear on the end user forms as the button and the text next to them. This class ID is useful when the list of values is well known. You may also consider using the class ID Select List for this kind of information. Select List produces a drop-down list. See Select List for more information.

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, Radio Button fields have the following properties:

Allow Search. Specifies if the field can be used as a search criteria. Valid values are true or false.

Default Value. Defines the default value of the field.

Maximum Length. A required property that defines the length of the field and the length of the database column that will be used to store values of that field. It must be an integer between 0 and 2000. Use a value between 0 and 255 for the TEXT data type, and between 0 and 2000 for the LONGTEXT data type. If you want the field to be searchable, use the TEXT type.

On Blur. The script that is run every time the field loses the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onBlur event handler of the field.

On Focus. The script that is run every time the field gets the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onFocus event handler of the field.

On Value Change. The script that is run every time the value of the field is changed. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onChange event handler of the field.

Options. A required field that represents the radio button options. To create them, type in all available values separated by semicolons (;). For example, to have a Yes and No radio buttons, in the Options text field, type:

Yes;No

Do not put spaces before or after the semicolon.

Select List

The Select List class ID produces a drop-down list. It useful when the list of values are well known. Another good class type for this kind of information is Radio Buttons, which produces radio buttons. See Radio Buttons for more information.

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, Select List fields have the following properties:

Allow Search. Specifies if the field can be used as a search criteria. Valid values are true or false.

Default Value. Defines the default value of the field.

Length. A required property that defines the length of the field and the length of the database column that will be used to store values of that field. It must be an integer between 0 and 2000. Use a value between 0 and 255 for the TEXT data type, and between 0 and 2000 for the LONGTEXT data type. If you want the field to be searchable, use the TEXT type.

On Blur. The script that is run every time the field loses the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onBlur event handler of the field.

On Focus. The script that is run every time the field gets the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onFocus event handler of the field.

On Value Change. The script that is run every time the value of the field is changed. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onChange event handler of the field.

Options. A required field that represents the values of the options in the drop-down list. To create the options, type in all values separated by a semicolon (;). For example, to have a Yes and No be the options in a drop-down list, in the Options text field type:

Yes;No

Do not put spaces before or after the semicolon.

TextArea

Use this class ID to create large areas where the user can enter text.

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, text area fields have the following properties:

Default Value. Defines the default value of the field.

Number of columns. This required field defines the number of columns of this text area. The number of rows multiplied by the number of columns must be between 0 and 2000 (for LONGTEXT) or 0 and 255 (for TEXT).

Number of rows. This required field defines the number of rows of this text area. The number of rows multiplied by the number of columns must be between 0 and 2000. The number of rows multiplied by the number of columns must be between 0 and 255 for the TEXT, and between 0 and 2000 for LONGTEXT.

On Blur. The script that is run every time the field loses the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onBlur event handler of the field.

On Focus. The script that is run every time the field gets the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onFocus event handler of the field.

On Value Change. The script that is run every time the value of the field is changed. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onChange event handler of the field.

TextField

Use this class ID to create text fields. Use the Date and DateTime class IDs for dates and times, not TextField. For longer text areas, use the TextArea class ID

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, TextFields have the following properties:

Allow Search. Specifies if the field can be used as a search criteria. Valid values are true or false

Default Value. Defines the default value of the field.

Display Size. This required property defines the size of the TextField in the HTML form.

Maximum Length. A required property that defines the length of the field and the length of the database column that will be used to store values of that field. Note that if this length is longer than the Display Size, some characters may not be displayed on the form. The Maximum Length must be an integer between 0 and 2000. Use a value between 0 and 255 for the TEXT data type, and between 0 and 2000 for the LONGTEXT data type. If you want the field to be searchable, use the TEXT type.

On Blur. The script that is run every time the field loses the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onBlur event handler of the field.

On Focus. The script that is run every time the field gets the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onFocus event handler of the field.

On Value Change. The script that is run every time the value of the field is changed. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onChange event handler of the field.

URL

A URL field is an input field in edit mode and a link in view mode. It is used for data that corresponds to a URL and is understood by a browser, for example the protocols http, ftp, ldap, etc.

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, URL fields have the following properties:

Default Value. Defines the default value of the field.

Display Size. This required field defines the size of the text field in the HTML form.

Maximum Length. A required property that defines the length of the field and the length of the database column that will be used to store values of that field. Note that if this length is longer than the Display Size, some characters may not be displayed on the form. The Maximum Length must be an integer between 0 and 2000. Use a value between 0 and 255 for the TEXT data type, and between 0 and 2000 for the LONGTEXT data type. If you want the field to be searchable, use the TEXT type.

On Blur. The script that is run every time the field loses the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onBlur event handler of the field.

On Focus. The script that is run every time the field gets the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onFocus event handler of the field.

On Value Change. The script that is run every time the value of the field is changed. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onChange event handler of the field.

Target. This required field defines the window in which the URL is open in view mode. For example, NewWindow opens the URL in a new window. The Target property takes the same values as the TARGET attribute in HTML.

UserPicker Widget

UserPicker fields appear as an input field and an Address Book button on a form. The input field is where users enter the user information the field calls for. By using the Attribute property, you can specify what the user needs to put in the field (for example, distinguished name, user ID, email address and so on).

If the user already knows the information they want to put in the field, they type it in. If they don't know exactly what to type, they can search the corporate user directory by pressing the Address Book button. This button brings up a screen for searching the corporate user directory. Once the user finds the information they want, it appears in the input field. That information is stored in the database with the type of TEXT.

Note. Because the values are automatically stored with a Data Type of TEXT, there is no Data Type property to specify for this class ID.

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, UserPicker fields have the following properties:

Allow Search. Specifies if the field can be used as a search criteria. Valid values are true or false

Attribute. the LDAP attribute you want to search on. Valid values include the distinguished name (dn), user ID (uid), common name (cn), email address (mail), department number, and manager.

Default Value. Defines the default value of the field.

Maximum Length. A required property that defines the length of the field and the length of the database column that will be used to store values of that field. Note that if this length is longer than the Display Size, some characters may not be displayed on the form. The Maximum Length must be an integer between 0 and 255.

Custom Data Fields with Your Own Class ID

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If the standard data field classes provided with Process Manager do not fit your needs, you can create your own. For example, you can use custom data fields to access external data sources and to generate dynamic content at entry points. To use custom data fields you need to write Java classes that implement the field.

For example, you could write a database-driven Select List field such that all the options available to the end user are extracted from a database using an SQL query. Another example is a field that gathers database information from an external source

For more information about implementing your own custom fields, see the Process Manager Programmer's Guide.

Predefined Data Fields

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The predefined data fields are templates that have been configured with default data that you can modify after you create the field. For example, the Address data field is a TextField with a default size. Select a template data field from the template list box, enter the name of the field, and click Create.

Process Builder contains the following predefined data fields:

• Address

• Name

• Telephone

Address

The predefined data field for addresses has the following predefined property values. You can change all but the field class ID.

Table 7-1 Predefined address properties

Property	Value
Data Type	Text
Display Name	Address
Field Class ID	TextArea
Short Description	Some Address

In addition to the properties listed in Setting Field Properties, Address fields contain the following properties:

Default Value. Defines the default value of the field.

Display Size. This required field defines the size of the text field in the HTML form.

Help Message. A help message associated with a data field. The user sees it as text displayed in the bottom of the browser window (below the scroll bar).

Number of columns. This required field defines the number of columns of this text area. The number of rows multiplied by the number of columns must be between 0 and 2000 (for LONTEXT) or 0-255 (for TEXT).

Number of rows. This required field defines the number of rows of this text area. The number of rows multiplied by the number of columns must be between 0 and 2000. The number of rows multiplied by the number of columns must be between 0 and 255 for the TEXT, and between 0 and 2000 for LONGTEXT.

On Blur. The script that is run every time the field loses the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onBlur event handler of the field.

On Focus. The script that is run every time the field gets the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onFocus event handler of the field.

On Value Change. The script that is run every time the value of the field is changed. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onChange event handler of the field.

Name

The predefined data field for names has the following predefined property values. You can change all but the field class ID.

Table 7-2 Predefined name properties

Property	Value
Data Type	Text
Display Name	Name
Field Class ID	TextArea
Short Description	Some

Name fields contain the following properties:

Allow Search. Specifies if the field can be used as a search criteria. Valid values are true or false

Default Value. Defines the default value of the field.

Display Size. This required field defines the size of the text field in the HTML form.

Help Message. A help message associated with a data field. The user sees it as text displayed in the bottom of the browser window (below the scroll bar).

Maximum Length. A required property that defines the length of the field and the length of the database column that will be used to store values of that field. Note that if this length is longer than the Display Size, some characters may not be displayed on the form. The Maximum Length must be an integer between 0 and 2000. Use a value between 0 and 255 for the TEXT data type, and between 0 and 2000 for the LONGTEXT data type. If you want the field to be searchable, use the TEXT type.

On Blur. The script that is run every time the field loses the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onBlur event handler of the field.

On Focus. The script that is run every time the field gets the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onFocus event handler of the field.

On Value Change. The script that is run every time the value of the field is changed. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onChange event handler of the field.

Telephone

The predefined data field for telephone numbers has the following predefined property values. You can change all but the field class ID.

Table 7-3 Predefined telephone properties

Property	Value
Data Type	Text
Display Name	Telephone
Default Value	(XXX) XXX-XXXX
Field Class ID	TextField

Telephone fields contain the following additional properties:

Allow Search. Specifies if the field can be used as a search criteria. Valid values are true or false

Display Size. This required field defines the size of the text field in the HTML form.

Help Message. A help message associated with a data field. The user sees it as text displayed in the bottom of the browser window (below the scroll bar).

Maximum Length. A required property that defines the length of the field and the length of the database column that will be used to store values of that field. Note that if this length is longer than the Display Size, some characters may not be displayed on the form. The Maximum Length must be an integer between 0 and 2000. Use a value between 0 and 255 for the TEXT data type, and between 0 and 2000 for the LONGTEXT data type. If you want the field to be searchable, use the TEXT type.

On Blur. The script that is run every time the field loses the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onBlur event handler of the field.

On Focus. The script that is run every time the field gets the focus within the HTML form. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onFocus event handler of the field.

On Value Change. The script that is run every time the value of the field is changed. The script is client-side Javascript that is associated with the onChange event handler of the field.

Short Description. A description of the field.

Deleting Data Fields

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To delete a data field, follow these steps:

1. In the application tree view, select the field.

2. Right-click and choose Delete.

If you delete a field that you have already added to forms, you must also edit the forms to remove the field.

If the field is used by a field role, you must first delete the role, then delete the field.

Setting Up the Content Store

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The content store is an HTTP URL where your application stores documents that are attached by File Attachment data fields.

Before deploying your application, if you have File Attachment data fields you need to set properties in your content store.

To set the properties of the content store, follow these steps:

1. In the Application Tree View window, right-click the content store and choose Properties, or double-click content store, or highlight it and click Inspect.

2. Edit the properties.

3. Close the window.

   The changes are saved automatically.

The Content Store Inspector Window

Figure 7-2 shows the Inspector window for the content store.

Figure 7-2    Inspector window for the content store

Name. The name of the content store. You cannot change this property.

Description. The description of the content store. This field does not appear in Process Express or Process Administrator.

URL. The URL to the iPlanet Web Server document directory where you want to put the file attachments, such as http://server_name/store. The files for each process instance will be placed in the folder you specify. If the folder does not exist, Process Manager creates it automatically when the application is deployed. Within the application folder, the documents (numbered by process instances) will be broken into subfolders, each able to contain a maximum of 64000 documents. For example, the first 64000 documents for the application go into a folder named part001, the second 64000 documents go into a folder named part002, and so on.

You can create the directory on the web server yourself if you prefer, rather than letting Process Manager create it for you at deployment time. For details, see Step 4: Optionally, Add a Directory to the Web Server in Chapter 14 "The Data Sheet Application."

Public User. The user name used to access the URL where the file attachments are stored. This user must be defined within the web server, and must have all access permissions for the directory where the documents are stored.

Public Password. The password for the web server user defined in the Public User property.

Troubleshooting the Content Store

If users have trouble attaching files in their applications, it could be a problem with access control on the content store. The web server that hosts the content store must have its access permissions set so that the public user can write to it. If you are using a Unix system, you should also check to make sure that the Unix permissions on the folders are set so that the web server public user has write access. The web server error log may also help you diagnose content store errors.