Columns

The Columns table (md_column) is found in the Metadata Administration module of iTopia. The Columns view defines the columns for a database table.

• You can use this view to confirm which tables share specific domain names when creating restrictions in the User Restrictions view. For example, if you needed to know which tables contain the domain 'whse', you enter the Database Name 'ibis' and the Domain Name 'whse' in the appropriate Search fields and initiate the search. All of the tables that contain the Domain 'whse' display.

The following fields are available on the Columns view and are based on the order in which they appear in the grid on the search page:

• Database Name - the name of the database. This column only contains 'ibis' or 'meta'.

• Table Name - the foreign key to the table entity which is validated against the table master table.

• Physical Sequence - the column’s physical sequence within the table

• Column Name - the unique identifier for a column name within a table, view or synonym.

• Client Specific Text - the actual name of the column as it displays in the table or view.

• Description Literal Key - the literal key for the description and is unique to the table.

• Domain Name - the unique identifier for a given domain. This is a name that qualifies the domain usage or reflects the column that is referring to it.

• Default Value - provides a default value for data entry.

• Is Available for Views - indicates whether or not the column is available for selection within the table.

• Is Required - is used to determine if a user is required to enter a value for a column.

• Maintainability Scope - a field’s maintainability scope determines whether it can be edited or not (either while creating or modify a record).

• Alternate Identifier - serves as an alternate to the column name. One usage of this field is to generate the method names for Java Table Objects and their supporting classes.

For information on the functionality of each button on the Columns Search Criteria Results/Grid page, click here.

Columns Details Page

The following list defines every field on the Details page:

• In the General section:
  • Domain Name - the unique identifier for a given domain. This is a name that qualifies the domain usage or reflects the column that is referring to it.

  • Description Literal Key - the literal key for the description and is unique to the table.

  • Alternate Identifier - serves as an alternate to the domain name. One usage of this field is to generate the method names of Java Table Objects and their supporting classes.

  • Default Value - provides a default value for data entry.

• In the Options section:
  • Physical Sequence - the column’s physical sequence within the table.

  • Type The following options are available : '1-Physical' (default), '2-Derived by Extension', '3-Parameter to Extension', and '4-Expression'.
    • Select 1-Physical to indicate that this is a column that is part of the table. When the table type is physical, then this column must be physically located in the database. When the table type is derived by extension, this column is the main part of the table. When the table type is database view, then this column is part of the view.

    • Select 2-Derived by Extension to indicate that this is a column that is computed by code. Such columns are only available at the row level (i.e., Search Results, Details).

    • Select 3-Parameter to Extension to indicate that this is a column that is needed to compute a derived by extension column. Such columns are only available as parameters to a Search (i.e., Search Criteria).

    • Select 4-Expression to indicate that this is a logical table column which is not persisted into the physical database, but is associated to a physical table and whose value is computed/derived using physical columns within a single table or a table with the table's identifying tree.

  • Renderer Code - an attribute used in deciding how to render a the field in the user interface.

  • Maintainability Scope - a field’s maintainability scope determines whether it can be edited or not (either while creating or modify a record).

  • Use Defaults when Copying - this attribute determines, when copying record, whether the new record should use the default value assigned to the fields within the column table or the value assigned to the record that is being copied.

  • Is Required - is used to determine if a user is required to enter a value for a column.

  • Is Available for Views - indicates if the column is available for selection within the table.

  • Modification Counter - displays the number of times that the domain has been modified.

For information on the functionality of each button on the Columns Details page, click here.