User Extended Tables Overview
The User Extended Tables (UET) feature gives the system administrator
the ability to extend existing application database tables and add custom
user fields to forms in the application. Use this feature to keep track
of information that is not currently in the application database schema.
NOTE: If you are
using replication, you must click the Regenerate
Replication Triggers button on the Replication Management form after
UETs are changed, added, or deleted.
Tables are a systematic arrangement of data in records and fields for
ready reference. The application ships with tables containing predetermined
fields. The UET feature allows users to add their own fields to these
tables.
Once a table is extended, you can drop user fields into any application
form that uses this table.
NOTE: If you bind
a new component to a UET on a form that uses a custom load method stored
procedure, an error message displays when you refresh the form. However,
the error does not prevent you from continuing.
Only the Primary table of the Form's Primary Collection is extendible
on that form. To find the Primary Collection:
- Select Form Definition from the Edit menu.
- Select Form Properties from the Edit Menu.
- On the Primary tab, click the Collections button.
When data is entered into pre-existing fields, and if the rule expressions
you defined for those fields are true, the events to arrange and display
information in new custom user fields are triggered.
Follow these steps to add new user fields to forms:
- Creating
a user class - The user class definition is the highest level
to extend an application database table.
- Creating
user fields - User fields are generic and can be a part of many
classes. If the user changes any property of a user field, all user
classes inherit the change.
- Associating
the user field with a user class - The UET tools look for this
association to place the user fields in the form that belongs to the
user class.
- Defining
the index for the user class - Users who generate their own reports
or browse through the classes can take advantage of using an index.
This gives users the ability to define their own sorting process in
reports. You do not need to define the index for a class, but if you
do not, and you sort these fields in custom reports, performance is
slowed.
- Linking
an application database table with the user class - The association
between a table and a class provides the information that UET needs
to retrieve, arrange, and display the user fields that belong to a
user class. To link the table with the class, define a rule that determines
if the record accessed has a valid user class associated with it.
If valid data is entered in existing fields to make the rule expression
true, the new user field displays.
- Impacting
the schema - Use the UET Impact Schema form to apply the
changes you made in the previous steps to all affected databases.
This step also updates the corresponding views over multi-site tables.
- Drawing
user fields on application forms - Draw the user fields on the
forms that have extended tables associated with them. When the user
fields are placed on the form, they act as any other existing field.
User Extended Tables Reports
The following reports are available to view information about UET user
classes, user fields, user indexes, and user tables.
Quick
Dictionary Report
User
Class Report
User
Fields Report
User
Index Report
Related Topics
Restricted Tables
User Extended
Tables - Steps