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<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Managing definitions of User defined project parameters |
  
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<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Managing definitions of User defined project parameters |
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If you want to add more user defined project parameters, remove existing ones, or make any other changes to the definitions, you can do that by clicking the Definitions of user defined project parameters button in the lower part of the User defined project parameters tab.
Please note that this is an advanced operation with many implications that requires some consideration.
Figure 278: The "Definitions of user defined project parameters" dialogue box
In this case we already have three user defined project parameters defined.
For each such parameter, five properties are defined:
•The Key
•The Maximum length
•The Prompt
•The Write protected flag
•The Empty for new project flag
The meanings of these five properties are described in the table below.
Property |
Description |
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Key |
The key is used as a unique reference to a project parameter. It can be regarded as a database field name, even though the technology used to store these parameters does not include a database.
The key is used to retrieve the value of a project parameter for whatever purpose it is used, for example as a default value in the Drawing Manager or for report generation.
The key name is subject to strict restrictions. It may contain a maximum of 10 characters, of which the first must be a letter A-Z. The remaining characters must be letters A-Z, digits 0-9, - (minus) or _ (underscore). This is the same limitations as for xBase database field names.
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Maximum length |
The maximum length is the maximum number of characters that a user can enter as the value of the parameter in question. It is wise to be somewhat conservative when specifying this limitation, since it is relatively easy to increase the maximum length, while reducing it might be a very painful experience that is better to avoid!
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Prompt |
The prompt is the text that is presented directly in the User defined project parameters tab, as described in the previous section. Please consider that a prompt which is unambiguous, clear and distinct, makes life much easier, than one which is not.
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Write protected |
It is possible to write-protect user defined project parameters by activating this flag using the associated check-box. Such a parameter is not editable. The value can however be viewed. A typical use of a write-protected project parameter is for data that are handled automatically by customisations, like PDM system integrations or similar. A unique project reference in a PDM system might for example be a candidate for a write-protected parameter.
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Clear for new project |
The normal behaviour of the value of a project parameter - user defined or not - is to remain unchanged in a new project that is created using an existing one as prototype. The value is simply copied from the prototype to the new project. However, it has now been made possible to create a parameter which value is not copied in that way. Instead the value is cleared leaving the new project with an empty value of the parameter in question. A typical use of this feature might be for a value that is supposed to be unique, like a PDM system reference. Copying such a value would obviously be a bad idea.
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How to make changes to the definitions, like creating new parameters, delete or change existing ones, is described in the sub-topics that are listed below.
•Create a new parameter definition
•Delete a parameter definition
•Change the definition of a parameter