Auto Sequence Tab

Business processes can have values specified on the upper or lower form that enable auto-sequencing. This feature is available at company, shell, and project levels and can be used on workflow and non-workflow business processes.

You can configure auto-sequencing for certain data elements on a business process form. This is in addition to the standard business process numbering, and allows you to number up to two fields on an upper form, and two fields on a lower form. For example, you can specify that a Name field uses auto-sequencing in order to number business processes that have similar names.

The data elements that support auto-sequencing use the SYS Auto Sequence data definition configured in uDesigner. You can use up to two data elements on a business process upper form and lower form that enable auto-sequencing.

Auto-sequencing generation occurs when the user clicks:

To configure the auto-sequencing for your data element:

  1. Go to the Data Elements Configuration window and click the Unique tab.
  2. Click Add to open the Select Data Element for Auto Sequence window.
  3. Select a data element to configure for auto-sequencing (Data Element drop-down).
    • All upper and lower form data elements of the type String and that were created using the SYS Auto Sequence data definition are listed.
    • The upper form data elements are distinguished by the list format Upper Form or <data element>. The detail form data elements are listed by the data element names only.
  4. Select a level (Company or Project/Shell).

    If you select Company, the system generates the auto-sequencing across all records in the entire company.

    If you select Project/Shell, the system generates the auto-sequencing across all records in the current project/shell. Per Record indicates data elements at the line item level (detail form).

  5. In the Start field, specify that the start date is a numeric value. The default start number is 0001. This value is required. The sequence number generated for the field will start with this number. If you modify the numbering sequence, it will apply only to future projects, and current projects for which no records have been created yet.
  6. From the Format block, click Create to open the Formula Creation window. You can specify the format for the auto-sequencing in this window.

    The Formula Creation window shows a list of String type data elements available from the form, and an additional system-defined data element, SYS Sequence Counter. This counter represents the value you entered in the Start field on the Add Auto Sequence Data Element window. You must use this counter when you build your formula for auto-sequencing.

  7. Choose Delimiter, then choose a data element from the list, and click Add Parameter. Add the delimiter, then choose the SYS Sequence Counter and click Add Parameter to build a formula to increment the auto-sequence counter. Build the formula by using the data element, the delimiter, and the SYS Sequence Counter in combination. The SYS Sequence Counter can appear first or last in the formula. For example:

    Data Element 1 - SYS Sequence Counter.

    If the data element is a document name, an example of the resulting auto-sequenced data element could be Building Specification-0001

    After the auto-sequence value is generated by the system, it cannot be modified, however you can modify the auto-sequencing configuration. See the procedure below.

    Notes:

    • An auto-sequence value will not be generated if any of the data elements that are part of the formula you specify do not have values. This includes the SYS Sequence Counter value.
    • In the BP design includes formula data elements that depend on SYS Auto Sequence, then UnifierUnifier will not have sequence DE value until the record or line item is updated. Sequence number is generated only after the record is submitted or line item is created. Line items can be updated via Rest API so that the formula based on SYS Auto sequence DE will be evaluated.
  8. Click OK.
  9. Click Apply and then OK.

To modify auto-sequencing configuration:

  1. Go to the Data Elements Configuration window and click the Auto Sequence tab.
  2. Click the data element that you want to modify, to select.
  3. Click Modify to open the Select Data Element for Auto Sequence window.

    You can modify the Level, Start, and Format as needed. Changing these values affects new records only. Existing auto-sequenced records are not changed. Any changes will take affect based on level selected before the change.

    • If Company is the initial level and data was created, and the level is changed to project/shell, the format will be the only value that will take affect
    • If project/shell is the initial level and data was created, changing the start value will affect the sequence created under new project/shells
    • Changing the format will affect existing and new project/shells.
    • If you change the level to Company then the sequence number will be created across project/shells and any modification to the start value will be ignored.
    • For data elements on the detail form, you cannot modify the level; the only level applicable is per record.

    You cannot remove auto-sequencing data elements unless the data element has been previously removed from the design in uDesigner. Data elements that are removed from the design in uDesigner are listed in the Data Elements Configuration window in red, and can be removed.

  4. Click OK.
  5. Click Apply and then OK.

To remove auto-sequencing configuration:

  1. Go to the Data Elements Configuration window and click the Auto Sequence tab.
  2. Click the data element that you want to remove, to select.
  3. Click Remove.

When setting up auto-sequencing, you have the option of defining how the sequencing can be incremented:

When the Generate number based on unique values of the parameters used in the format option is selected in uDesigner, the user can increment the auto-sequencing pattern. For example, in your documentation, for your electrical designs, you can select to generate one of the following auto-sequencing formats, or patterns:

Discipline + Doc Type + <seq no> which would result in:

Discipline + Doc Type + <seq no> which would result in:

In the Select Data Element for Auto Sequence window, you can select the Generate number based on unique values of the parameters used in the format option (deselected by default) when there are more than one parameter in the auto-sequence definition (the definition should have a parameter other than just the SYS_Sequence_Counter). This option is available for BPs, and it can be changed at any time including when the design is published.

The first time that you select this option, the sequence numbering will start from the value specified in the Start field of the Select Data Element for Auto Sequence window. Subsequently, the numbers will get incremented based on the last generated number.

If you deselect this option (not to generate the number based on values in the parameters), then the sequence will continue from the previously generated number, unless the value in the 'Start' field has changed. For example: Document Number = Company > Discipline > Report Period > SYS_Sequence_Counter

Unifier ignores the parameter values when a sequence number is incremented. For example: Architectural and architectural will be treated the same.

Note: Unifier ignores spaces in the values of the parameters.

Gaps in Generated Business Process Record Number

Business Process (BP) record number is sequentially generated when you create a new record. The newly generated record number is locked so that other records (being created at the same time) cannot use that number. If the BP record cannot be created for any reason (for example, Cost Sheet rules or validations that exist at the SOV level), then Unifier only voids the generated record number and does not reset the record numbering sequence to allow another BP record to pick up that generated number. This operation generates gaps in BP record number generation.


Last Published Monday, June 3, 2024