Customize Incarnations

Objective

• To create and identify objects without visible ID numbers

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 example, only one label field is visible to the user.
• 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.

Notes

• The incarnation DI and both of its sub DIs must stem from the same data table. If a designation data item does not exist in the same table, it can be retrieved from another table using 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 further information, see the description below.

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
• The Define Incarnation/Fetch Exit module is opened.
• Fill the data fields here as follows:
  • DT for exit of the KO DT of the incarnation / Fetch DI: data table from which the name for a KO data item of the incarnation is fetched via exit.
  • DI for exit of the KO DI of the incarnation / Fetch DI: data item from which the name for a KO data item of the incarnation is fetched via exit.
• The following fields are automatically filled with the data table and the DI from which the context menu command was activated when the module is called up:
  • 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
  • The following data items are created automatically:
    • KO data item with the corresponding exit
    • incarnation data item
• Save.

Drag&Drop and Incarnations