Defining Extendable Lookups

The "lookup" table is a single table that holds valid values for many columns on many tables. Standard lookups are used when the element's valid values are limited to a predefined list. These work well when:

The size of the valid values is 4 characters or shorter.
The valid values are a simple code / description pair.

However, there can be situations when the valid values exceed 4 digits. For example, when the value is interfaced to another system and this system uses longer values (and you don't want to do a transformation in the interface).

There are also situations when more than just a description is needed for each valid value. For example, what if the value has both a description and a list containing different options based on existing conditions, such as the type of To Do to create based on an activity's service class?

In these situations, extendable lookups can be used to store these types of values. You use the Extendable Lookup portal to create and maintain extendable lookups.