Custom Segment Types

Every custom segment has a type. The type determines how the segment behaves when a user encounters a segment on a record and sets a value for it.

A segment’s type can be either of the following:

List/Record (default) – The user can save only one selection.
Multiple Select – The user can save multiple selections.

For more information about types, see the following:

Limitations of Multiple Select
Ramifications of Changing a Segment’s Type Field
Changes that Can Indirectly Modify a Segment’s Type Field

Custom segment types can be included in SuiteApps packaged with SuiteCloud Development Framework (SDF). SDF is a development framework that you can use to create SuiteApps from an integrated development environment (IDE) on your local computer. For more information, see SuiteCloud Development Framework and Custom Segments as XML Definitions

Limitations of Multiple Select

If you select a type of Multiple Select for a segment, be aware of the following limitations:

The segment cannot have GL Impact.
The segment cannot be applied to transaction columns.
You cannot configure dynamic defaulting for the segment. (Dynamic defaulting is configured by using the Source List field on the Application & Sourcing subtab of the segment definition, as described in Creating a Custom Segment.)
Multiple selects on multiple custom segments are not supported.

Ramifications of Changing a Segment’s Type Field

It is possible to change a segment’s type during editing of the segment. However, exercise caution when changing a segment’s type. This type of change can have the following effects:

Changing the type from Multiple Select to List/Record can cause data loss. For example, suppose you create a segment of type Multiple Select and apply it to a record type. In this case, users can create records that store multiple values for that segment. If the segment’s type is later changed to List/Record, the saved values are discarded.
Changing the type from List/Record to Multiple Select can affect where the segment has been applied. For example, suppose you have a segment of type List/Record that is applied to one or more transaction sublists. If you change the type to Multiple Select, the system generates a warning explaining that the segment will be removed from these transaction sublists. You have the ability to cancel this change, or you can proceed with changing the type and application of the segment.

Changes that Can Indirectly Modify a Segment’s Type Field

Be aware that in some cases, you can indirectly change a segment’s type. For example, this type of change can occur when you have a filtering relationship between two segments, one of type List/Record and one of type Multiple Select.

For example, suppose that Segment A is of type List/Record. You may decide to filter Segment A’s values by the choice a user made in another segment, Segment B, on the same record. Suppose that Segment B is of type Multiple Select.

With filtering, both segments must be applied to the same record types and transaction columns. So in this example, you are choosing to filter Segment A’s values according to Segment B. In this case, if Segment B is not already applied to the same records as Segment A, the system makes changes. It automatically updates Segment B to apply it to all of the records where Segment A has been applied.

Now, suppose that Segment A has been applied to a transaction sublist, such as Sales Item or Expense. In this scenario, when you create the filtering relationship between Segment A and Segment B, the system must apply Segment B to the transaction sublist that Segment A is associated with. However, because a segment of type Multiple Select cannot be applied to transaction sublists, the system changes Segment B’s type to List/Record. In this case, you are not warned that the type of Segment B will be changed.

For more details about filtering, see Filtering for a Custom Segment.

Limitations of Multiple Select

Ramifications of Changing a Segment’s Type Field

Changes that Can Indirectly Modify a Segment’s Type Field

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