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The Metadata canvas enables you to view and edit the field attributes in a synonym. For example, a geographical field may have a role attribute that you want to change. You can do this using the Metadata canvas. Then, all subsequent reports derived from the synonym will include the edited geographical role.
To view and edit synonym attributes:
The Metadata canvas opens to the Field View tab, which shows a hierarchy of segments and columns on the left, with the attributes and values of the selected item on the right.
The attributes available depend on the type of synonym.
The values for Display Name (Title), Format, Expression, Description, and Nulls are viewable in the hierarchy with the columns. To edit these values, use the corresponding attribute fields in the Properties panel on the right-hand side of the Metadata canvas.
The Properties panel does not let you make any changes that would render the synonym unusable. Therefore, you cannot edit any value field that is highlighted gray. In addition, if a change does not have proper syntax or format applied, the field may appear in red text. Messages and warnings appear if you try to save a file that contains an error.
Note: You can multi-select fields to change attributes for multiple fields in a single operation. The display changes to show only those attributes that can be changed.
Note: If you close the Metadata canvas without saving your changes, you are prompted to do so.
Synonyms can have the following file attributes:
Identifies the type of synonym or data source.
Identifies the name of the FOCEXEC that will be executed before running a request based on the Master File.
Defines the default century value, specifying a century number for handling cross-century dates.
Note: Use the default setting (0) unless you wish to retrieve data from an earlier century (for example, 19xx).
Defines the base years, to represent the lowest year to which the century value applies (FDEFCENT).
Note: Use the default setting (0) unless you wish to retrieve data from an earlier century (for example, 19xx).
Enables you to include descriptive information at the file level and specify multiple language descriptions for the synonym. Remarks are displayed along with the file name during reporting.
Identifies the location of the data source to be used in the file name, including the extension and the location of the data file.
Note: The attributes available depend on the type of synonym.
Defines the language to use for the synonym.
Note: Information about the attribute that has focus is displayed at the bottom of the attribute list. In this case, an explanation of the REMARKS attribute appears.
If a synonym segment is selected, the attributes listed below are available.
Note: Information about the attribute that has focus is displayed at the bottom of the attribute list.
Is the name of the segment.
Check this box to scramble field values in the current segment in order to protect it from unauthorized examination.
Specifies the type of relationship that a segment has to its parent, and indicates which of the segment fields are key fields and in what order they are sorted.
Type. Identify the segment type and sorting options from the Type drop-down list.
Keys. Records are sorted in a data source by key fields. Enter the names of key fields that you want to use for sorting. For example, no two employees can have the same employee ID number, so you can use that field as the key. A segment instance can have more than one field that makes up the key. That is, two or more field values may be used to distinguish records.
SEGSUF is used when part of the data source being described by the synonym is of a different data source type than that declared for the entire structure.
Contains a description or comments about the segment.
An optional attribute that enables you to provide the title prefix for the segment fields that appear in reports. You can split the text across up to five separate title lines by separating the lines with a comma.
Is the name of the cross-referenced data source.
Is the name of the cross-referenced segment.
Identifies the common join field for the cross-referenced segment.
Note: These cross-referenced values (CRFilename, CRSegname, CRKey) are available for WebFOCUS data sources.
Describes repeating fields or groups of fields in a data source. OCCURS can be based on an integer value showing the number of occurrences (from 1 to 4095), a field name, which names a field in the parent segment or a virtual field in an ancestor segment whose integer value contains the number of occurrences of the descendant segment, or a variable, which indicates that the number of occurrences varies from record to record.
Specifies the name of the field in the parent segment that specifies the starting position and overall length of the multiply occurring fields.
Adapter Specific fields are shown if an Access File component has been generated with the synonym.
Defines how many members of a dimension can be retrieved for a report.
Identifies the table or view. It may contain the owner ID, as well as the table name. For some synonyms, it must also contain the data source name. This value may be a variable.
Indicates the host server or data source for synonyms. This value may be a variable.
Identifies the names of the columns that constitute the primary key.
Identifies the logical sort sequence of data by the primary key.
Specifies whether write operations are allowed against the table.
Specifies the type of table persistence and related table properties. This is optional for database management systems that support volatile tables, and required otherwise.
Identifies the storage area in which the table resides.
Specifies the type of table persistence and related table properties. This is optional for database management systems that support volatile tables, and required otherwise.
Note: The attributes available depend on the type of synonym.
If a column or field in a synonym is selected, the attributes listed below are available. The available attributes depend on the type of synonym. Information about the attribute that has focus is displayed at the bottom of the attribute list.
Is the name of the column.
Assigns an alternative name for a column, or the real column name for a DBMS synonym.
For file data sources, a special reserved ALIAS of INSTANCE means the associated FIELD will show the name of the file when it is read.
When a FIELDNAME of RECTYPE is used the ALIAS contains the value that identifies the record type.
Indicates whether the field is part of the primary key for the table.
Indicates the sequence number of the field in the primary key for the table.
Controls how null data is handled, that is, if no transaction value is supplied.
Supplies a title to replace the column name that is normally used in reports and enables you to specify multiple language titles for the column or field.
Describes the type and length of data as it is actually stored in the data source.
Describes the data type and format for the column for usage or display.
Note: Additional attributes, DEFCENT and YRTHRESH, are available if the Usage field is set to Date, Time, or DateTime (Timestamp) format. Use these attributes to enter the century and year threshold values for the column or field.
Contains a description or comments about the column or field.
Specifies criteria for validating data.
FIND is only available for WebFOCUS data sources and does not apply to OLAP-enabled synonyms. Also note that, in the Maintain environment, FIND is not supported when developing a synonym.
Contains the name of a field to be included in a dimension.
Describes which hierarchy property the column represents.
Points to the field that is the unique identifier for the hierarchy.
Specifies access options for the column data.
Appends a help message to a column.
This attribute is not used by WebFOCUS.
Describes the geographic role of the column.
Inserts virtual fields in the Master File to show how selected totals progressed through a time period for specified intervals.
Are the styles (for example, font and color) to apply to the field.
The attributes available depend on the type of synonym.
Adapter Specific
Indicates that the field is automatically incremented by the relational database when rows are inserted. This option is only available for selected relational databases. When selected, the field must also be identified with a field type of read-only.
The following attributes are only used if AUTOINCREMENT is checked.
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You can open a synonym in the Metadata canvas and provide text for the title, caption, and description in multiple languages. These descriptions appear in the specified language in reports generated against the synonym.
The Multilingual Titles dialog box is available from the Remarks, Title, and Description attribute value fields in the Metadata canvas.
Note: The attributes available depend on the type of synonym.
The Master File opens to the Field View tab in the Metadata canvas.
The corresponding attributes and values appear on the right.
The Multilingual dialog box opens.
The selected language is added below the default language (which is determined by your code page selection).
To add an additional language:
To edit an existing specified title or description:
You may also double-click the title.
To delete a specified title:
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