Dictionary

rbuser

Hello,
I have a client that is asking can he change the field names on the
criteria window. I understand correctly the dictionary component should be
used for this pupose. Do you have to have entries for every field in the
database or only the fields that he requires to show the "end user" name.

regards

Steve

nicocizik

Hi Steve,

Once you have all the proper tables created and connected to the
DataDictionary and the database defined that you would like to define
(see the help topic for TppDataDictionary), the DataDictionary will
automatically generate entries for each table/field in the DB. Then you
can go through and only change the tables/fields you need. See the main
end-user demo for how this should be done (\Demos\3. End-User\1. Report
Explorer\...).


Regards,

Nico Cizik
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com

nardmoseley

A couple of options to using the Data Dictionary.

1. From the Query Designer Fields page you can modify the Field Alias of
selected fields. Use the mouse to select the field alias and then press the
right button and select Rename.

2. With RB 12 you can define Report.Parameters and configure the
Parameter.AutoSearchSettings with a Field Alias value. Then use the Query
Designer Search page to bind to the parameter.

-
Nard Moseley
Digital Metaphors
www.digital-metaphors.com

rbuser

Hi,
I finally got round to attempting this,

I have the tables datasources and pipelines for rbTable,rbField,rbJoin.

I have a Data dictionary component linking to them.
I have set ppDataDictionary1.Buildersettings.DatanaseName.

I have linked the Designer.DataSettings.DataDictionary. to the dictionary
component and set the UseDataDictionary =True.

How do I get the program to populate the rbTable and rbField from the
database?

The tables remain empty and when I use the designer it now doesnt show any
tables or fields to query because they are empty.

Regards

Steve

rbuser

To add to this if I call

ppDataDictionary1.AppendTableRecord('CoilTransactionTable','CoilTransactionTable');

It adds an entry into rbTable and I can see the tablename from the
designer.

How do I get it to auto populate all tables in the database.

regards

Steve

nardmoseley

You can use the DataDictionary Builder to generate the entries. There is a
tutorial in the RB Developers Guide and there is also some excellent
information in the RBuilder help topic for TppDataDictionary.

-
Nard Moseley
Digital Metaphors
www.digital-metaphors.com

rbuser

I have seen that and can see that I can generate the entries at design time.

My application is not designed in a way that it is connected to the database
at design time, also it would mean that I would have to populate the tables
and then export the tables to the client's database.

Is there a way I can get them populated at run time, also to add any new
fields automatically.

regards

Steve

rbuser

This is what I have now so far, It adds any fields in the database that do
not exist in the dictionary tables.

Have I created something that already exists?

TableList := TStringList.Create;
Database1.GetTableNames(TableList);
for i := 0 to TableList.Count-1 do
begin
try
if not
rbTable.Locate('TableName',TableList.Strings[i],[loCaseInsensitive]) then
ppDataDictionary1.AppendTableRecord(TableList.Strings[i],TableList.Strings[i]);
with TempTable do
begin
DatabaseName := Database1.DatabaseName;
TableName := TableList.Strings[i];
FieldDefs.Update;
for j := 0 to FieldDefs.Count-1 do
begin
if not
rbField.Locate('TableName;FieldName',VarArrayOF([TableList.Strings[i],FieldDefs.Items[j].Name]),[loCaseInsensitive])
then
ppDataDictionary1.AppendFieldRecord(TableList.Strings[i],
FieldDefs.Items[j].Name,
FieldDefs.Items[j].Name,
'T','T','T','F',
daDataTypeToString(ppConvertFieldType(FieldDefs.Items[j].DataType)));
end;
end;
except
//TODO: Handle exceptions
end;
end;
FreeAndNIL(TableList);

nardmoseley

The code to the DataDictionaryBuilder resides in daDataDictionaryBuilder.pas
if you want to check out how it works. Each page of the
DataDictionaryBuilder is a separate class with some methods such as
GenerateItems, SynchonrizeItems that I think would be helpful.


-
Nard Moseley
Digital Metaphors
www.digital-metaphors.com