Understanding Smart Field Columns

You define smart field data dictionary items as glossary group K. Smart fields are designed to retrieve and manipulate specific JD Edwards EnterpriseOne table data. For example, you add the FINRPTAB - Account Balance smart field, which is located in the S09001 - Financial Reporting smart field template, to a report. The smart field creates a column that calculates the account balance as of the specified financial period and fiscal year.

Smart fields mask the creation of event rules that call business functions. Business functions are programs that use data structures to perform functions including, but not limited to:

Requesting specific data from JD Edwards EnterpriseOne tables.
Returning data to the established parameters in the data structure.
Performing some type of calculation or other manipulation on the data.
Returning the desired information, such as column headings and complex calculations, to the report.

Smart fields are associated with smart field templates. Using smart field templates, you can include complex logic in the report without having to do any programming.

Smart field templates are attached to Report Director templates. When you create a new report template, you can select a Report Director template from the Application Reports drop-down list box on the welcome form of the Director.

When you insert a smart field into an existing report, a director guides you through a linear process to set up the smart field parameters and values. The option to insert smart field columns is unavailable for input if no smart field template is associated with the report section.

When you select a smart field, the event to which the associated logic is written is predefined. The section type in which the smart field can be used is also predefined. If a Director Template does not exist for the section type in which you are working, the smart field option is not available from the Create menu.