Customize Incarnations

Objective

Information

Each PLANTA database record contains a unique ID number. Since the display of IDs can sometimes be disturbing or obstructive, invisible or automatic ID numbers can be used.
Incarnations are data item structures that enable you to hide the technical ID number of a data table. For the user, e.g., only a name field is visible.
The incarnation DIs consist of two sub-DIs: one data item with Function = ID and one data item with Function = CO (text, name)

Create incarnation manually

Create a new DI which you want to become an incarnation DI in the Data Dictionary module.
- When creating an incarnation, please make sure that the DF length, DB length, and the Column type of the incarnation must be identical to those of the CO data item.
Select the value "4" in the Class field.
Open the newly created DI in the Data Items module.
Right-click on the data item record.
Insert → Subordinate data item from the context menu.
Enter the number of the ID DIs in the SUBDI field and select the "ID" value in the Function field.
Insert another sub-DI record and enter the number of the CO data item in the SUBDI field and select the "CO" value in the Function field.
Save.

Note

The incarnation DI and both of its sub DIs must stem from the same data table. If a name DI does not exist in the same table, it can be fetched from another table via exit.
Incarnations for which the value for the CO data item must be fetched from another table can also be created directly in the Data Dictionary module. For more information on this subject, see the following description.

Create Incarnation Automatically

Open the Data Dictionary module.
Right-click on the required data item (ID data item) and select the Define incarnation/fetch exit command
The Define Incarnation/Fetch Exit module will be opened.
Fill the data fields as follows:
- DT for exit of the CO DIs of the incarnation / Fetch DT: Data table from which the name for a CO data item of the incarnation is fetched via exit.
- DI for exit of the CO DIs of the incarnation / Fetch DI: Data item from which the name for a CO data item of the incarnation is fetched via exit.
When opening the module, the following fields are automatically filled with the data table and the DI from which the context menu command was made.
- DT of the incarnation/ Source DT: Data table in which the incarnation is created.
- ID DI of the incarnation / Source DI: ID data item of the incarnation
Click on the Create incarnation button
- The CO data item with the corresponding exit and
  - the incarnation data item will
  - be created automatically.
Save.

Drag&Drop and Incarnations

Copying from...	Explanation
... a non-incarnation field to an incarnation field	The copied value is copied to the ID of the incarnation.
... an incarnation field to a non-incarnation field	If there is a relationship between the sub-DI with Function = ID of the source incarnation and the target field, the content of the sub-DI with Function = ID will be copied. If there is no relationship, the content of the sub-DI with Function = CO is copied.
... an incarnation field to a non-incarnation field	If there is a relationship between the sub-DI with Function = ID of the source incarnation and the sub-DI with Function = ID of the target incarnation, the content of the sub-DI with Function = ID will be copied. If there is no relationship, the content of the sub-DI with Function = CO is copied.