User-Defined Fields Tab
The Custom Defined Fields tab is divided into two panes, the Item Type pane and the Definition Pane.
Item Type Pane
The Item Type pane contains the following:
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A Search box where you can enter a search string for a specific Item Type, Custom Field name or part of a name.
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Counters:
Match search – Indicates the number of items found that match your search criteria.
Total items – Indicates the total number of items in the Item Type pane. -
A list of all the Item Types, that can be expanded to display the Item Type Custom names.
next to a custom defined name indicates that there are inconsistencies present between
the custom fields properties in different plants in the database. An inconsistency
is caused by one of 2 things;
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Inconsistency in the Custom Field Names.
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Inconsistency in the Number of Characters field.
These inconsistencies are found in domains which have been upgraded from previous versions of the software where the custom fields were per plant. Now that the custom fields are at the Domain level there can only be one unique name and one unique number of characters. For example, in plant 1 you have UDF 001 called "Yes and No", and in plant 2, UDF 001 is called "No and Yes". Both have the same attributes and values. When the upgrade to version 2016 takes place the software recognizes that there is an inconsistency in the name of the UDF, and marks it as an inconsistency in the Custom Defined Tables and Fields Editor. You must then tell the software which name to use for UDF 001 by selecting the name from the Existing custom fields names select list.
Definition Pane
The Definition Pane is used to define and save the definition of a selected custom field.
Database Name – Displays the database name for the selected custom field. (Read-only)
Custom Field Name – Here you type the custom field name you want displayed in the GUI of the software.
Existing Custom Field Names — Displays a select list of the custom names that have already been assigned to the custom field in other plants. The software searches your plants to see if the selected custom field has already been assigned a custom field name. If the software discovers that a name has already been assigned to the custom field in another plant, then they are displayed as a select list. You must select one name for use in the domain for all your plants, from this list.(Only available if an inconsistency in the custom field name is discovered).
Number of Characters —– Allows you to set a value for the maximum number of characters for the custom field name.
When creating a custom field (UDF) for instrument numbers, it is important that you
define a maximum length for the field (up to a maximum of 30 characters). If the custom
field is used in an EDE without a defined maximum length, the instrument number is
displayed exponentially and not as entered in the database. For example, if you enter
a value of 12345678911234567891123456789 in the custom field without defining a maximum
number of characters, once it is saved to the database it is displayed in the EDE
as 1.23456789112346E+28.
The Number of Characters field for certain UDFs are not available in the User-Defined Tables and Field Editor. The number of characters permissible in these specific UDFs is dependent on the
physical space allocated to them in your database.
The specific fields are as follows;
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Process Data fields – Process Data UDF 91 to Process Data UDF 134.
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Instrument > Custom Fields
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Instrument Numeric UDF 01 to Instrument Numeric UDF 06 – You can set up to a maximum of 10 characters. These fields can only be of type integer (whole numbers, no decimals).
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Instrument Numeric UDF 07 to Instrument Numeric UDF 10 – You cannot set a number of characters for these fields, this is determined by the software. The software also allows for two decimal places after the point.
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Existing Values — Displays a select list with the value for number of characters that have already been assigned to the custom field in other plants. The software searches your plants to see if the selected custom field has already been assigned a value for the number of characters. If the software discovers that a value for the number of characters has already been assigned to the custom field in another plant, then the values are displayed as a select list. You must select one value that you want to use in all your plants from this list. (Only available if an inconsistency is discovered in the value used for the number of characters.)
Field Type — Select the type of field that is displayed. The options are:
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Select List – a list of values, from where you select one. For example, a list of colors.
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String – a field where you type an alphanumeric value.
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Numeric — a field where you type a numeric value.
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Date — a field where you enter a date.
Only those field types applicable to the selected item type are displayed.
Selected List — Displays the name of the select list, if the Select List option was selected.
Visible - Select the check box for the field or select list to be visible. Clear the check box to make the field or select list invisible.
Read only – Select the check box for the field or select list to be read only. Clear the check box to make the field or select list editable.
At the bottom of the Definition Pane is an area where a description of the selected definition field is displayed.