Understanding Data Dictionary Fields
Data dictionary fields are populated using event rules. Business view columns fetch data from the database, but data dictionary fields, although they have specifications attached, do not have data associated with them. Data dictionary fields are defined in the data dictionary and can have edit codes and special triggers attached. Data dictionary fields are also referred to as data items.
To add a data dictionary field to a report section, click the report section and use the Data Dictionary Browser to search for and select an appropriate data dictionary field. Typically, you want to select a data dictionary field that includes the specifications that are required by the report. For example, you are adding a field to a salary report to calculate raises. Use the Data Dictionary Browser to select the Rate-Salary, Annual (SAL) data dictionary field so that the raise amount is in the same format as the salary amount.
You must add logic to the data dictionary field for the field to present data. You can click the report section where the data dictionary field resides and enter Event Rules Design. You must select an event on which to create the logic. Use the features of Event Rules Design to create logic that populates the data dictionary field with the correct data. For example, to populate the raise amount data dictionary field, you might select the Do Section event, create an assignment to assign a value to the data dictionary field, and create an expression that multiplies the annual salary by a percentage to calculate the raise amount.