Defining and Using Parameter Sets
Defining a set of standard Parameter Sets facilitates creating Parameter instances in Program and other executable instances and facilitates setting up Parameter value propagation in Report Sets and Workflows.
As soon as you add a Parameter to a Program, Report Set, or Workflow, behind the scenes, the system creates a Parameter Set definition and instance in that executable's definition. The Parameter you create really gets added to the Parameter Set definition and instance. You can never see a Parameter Set instance in the user interface, but a Parameter exists exclusively inside a Parameter Set. In addition, each executable can contain only a single Parameter Set. This is why you see the option of creating a Parameter using an existing Parameter Set only once.
When you are working in a Program, Report Set, or Workflow, the simplest way to create multiple Parameter instances is to create instances of all the Parameters in a Parameter Set at the same time. However, you must create logical Parameter Sets in Application Areas or Domains in order to use this functionality.
See Figure 6-1.
If you define the first Parameters by selecting a Parameter Set, then the system creates an instance of that Parameter Set in the executable definition. The Parameter Set definition remains in the Application Area or Domain. This has implications for modifying the Parameters in your executable, as follows:
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If you have Modify privileges on the Parameter Set definition in the Application Area or Domain, you can make structural changes to the Parameter Set, but behind the scenes the system checks out the Parameter Set definition, creates a new version of it, and makes the same changes in the new version so that the Parameter Set definition remains consistent with the Parameter Set instance in the executable. The next time someone uses the same Parameter Set definition, he or she will see the modified version as the most current. Structural changes include adding and removing a Parameter and changing the source definition of any Parameter.
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If you do not have Modify privileges on the Parameter Set definition in the Application Area or Domain, you cannot add or remove Parameters from your executable, or change the source definition of any Parameter, because the Parameter Set instance and definition must remain synchronized.
Solution 1: To avoid either of these situations and yet benefit from standard Parameter Sets, before you create Parameters in a Program or other executable, copy the Parameter Set definition in its Application Area or Domain and paste it into your local Application Area. Create Parameters in your executable from the local Parameter Set definition. You can then add and remove Parameters and the changes will affect only the local copy of the Parameter Set definition.
Solution 2: Create a version label on the version of the Parameter Set that is the correct, standard version. Always search for Parameter Sets with Version Labels that are not null, and use the correct version.