Custom Object Types

Several types of items are available to use in your custom objects solutions, and all are created using the Objects Designer. While some solutions will require one or two of these items, other, more complex, solutions might require all of these items.

• Package—Packages are containers that store objects, menu-only objects, and system attributes.
• Object—Objects contain fields, indexes, and relationships that you define. You can create fields with different data types and other options, and some predefined fields are available for notes, transactions, and other items. When you create and deploy an object, a new table containing the fields you specify is added to the database.
• Menu-Only Object—Menu-only objects contain only menu options that you define. These are created to populate options in menu fields you want to add to multiple objects. Unlike objects, menu-only objects do not have options for fields, indexes, and relationships (relationships to menu-only objects are created automatically when you use menu-only objects in an object). When you create and deploy a menu-only object, a new table containing the menu options is added to the database.
• System Attribute—System attributes are fields that can be added to standard objects, such as incidents and contacts. You can select data types, indexes, and define relationships for these fields. System attributes can be used in workspaces and reports, just like custom fields can. When you create and deploy a system attribute, a new field is added to the table for the appropriate standard object (such as the incidents table).

Note: You can add a maximum of 200 objects, and each package can contain up to 23 objects. Menu-only objects do not count toward these limits.

The relationships you define between objects and system attributes help define what you can do with your custom object solution. For items to interact with one another, relationships must be created between them. You can define relationships between objects, system attributes, and standard objects. For example, if you created a product registration custom object, you could create a relationship between it and the contacts table. You could also create an object to store information about locations where the product could be purchased, and then create a relationship between the objects. Using this scenario, you could track who registered the product and where they purchased it, managing information in a single workspace and displaying it in custom reports.

Before you create any custom objects on your production site, we recommend that you create and deploy them on a test site to ensure they function as expected. However, you can edit or delete custom objects if necessary, whether they have been deployed or not.

Note: Only one staff member can edit or create objects in the object designer at a time. An option to override the lock on the object designer displays if you attempt to edit or create an object when another staff member is already doing so.