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Manage Associations

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  • Last UpdatedMay 25, 2023
  • 7 minute read

The Associations are pre-established relationships between the Classes and Objects in the Database. The following are the characteristic features of the Associations:

  • An object can have multiple associations.

  • All associations are bi-directional, and can be referenced back and forth.

  • For an association to exist, both the associated objects should exist in the class library.

  • If any of the associated objects are deleted, the association is also deleted.

    A diagram showing an association between two objects.

The following are a few among the default Association types, listed with their typical usage:

A diagram showing the following common associations: reference, essential classification, assembly, collection, note reference, fulfilment, direct connection, succession and generic association.

From the Manager pane of the Admin Tool, you can carry out the following operations:

  • Create New Association Types

  • Create Permissible Associations

  • Create Object Associations

    • Follow an Association

    • Delete an Association

Creating New Association Types

Important: Before creating a new Association Type, you must create a new Permissible Association in the Class Library. You cannot use a new Association Type in an XML import file, until the XML Schema is updated to include the new Association Type.

To create new Association types:

  1. Go to the Class pane in the Admin Tool.

  2. Select a Class in the Class Library.

    All the Objects associated to the selected Class appears in the Objects of Class pane.

  3. In the Objects of Class pane, select an Object.

  4. In the Manager pane, select the icon to expand the Associations node, and then select Association Types.

    The Association Types option selected in the Admin Tool.

    A table listing all the pre-defined Association Types is displayed.

    A table list of association types in the admin tool.

  5. Go to the last row of the table, and double-click the Double Select to Add cell.

    The last row of the association table which includes the text double click to add in each cell.

  6. Type the ID, Name, Source > Target, and Target > Source, and then press Enter.

    Note: Make sure to fill in data that is unique from what is already listed in the table. If not, you cannot create a new Association.

Creating Permissible Association Types

The Associations are pre-defined in the Class Library, and referred to as Permissible Associations. Permissible Associations are inherited, so an Association is allowed between a particular Objects and all of its sub-Classes. Creating Permissible Association types is as process of creating new relationships between Classes, through the pre-existing Associations in the Class Library.

To create Permissible Association types:

  1. Go to the Class pane in the Admin Tool.

  2. Select a Class in the Class Library.

    All the Objects associated to the selected Class appears in the Objects of Class pane.

  3. In the Objects of Class pane, select an Object.

  4. In the Manager pane, select the icon to expand the Associations node, and then select Permissible Association Types.

    The Permissible Association Types option selected in the Admin Tool.

    A list of all the Permissible Associations for Objects of the Class selected in the Class Library pane is displayed.

    Associations inherited from a Class up in the Class hierarchy appears in bold and read only.

    A list of permissible association types in the admin tool.

  5. To create a new Permissible Association, go to the Create Permissible Association area at the bottom of the Manager pane.

    The create permissible association settings, with boxes for source, association, and select target.

    The Class selected in the Class Library pane appears by default, in the SOURCE box.

  6. Select in the SELECT TARGET box, go to the Class Library pane, and select a Class.

    The selected Class is automatically populated into the SELECT TARGET box.

  7. Select the drop-down arrow in the Association box, and select an Association.

    Note: The Associations displayed in the drop-down list are permissible Associations pre-defined in the Class Library.

    The association drop down box is open in the create permissible association settings.

  8. Select Create.

    A permissible Association type is created.

    Hiding Association Types

    When too many Associations are listed under Related Items (for example, as part of a criterion in Advance Search, Query form, Export definition), you can remove them from dropdown lists or tree views (in Summary Views).

    • To remove Associations from the dropdown lists in the AIM Dashboard, add a Hidden attribute in the EIWM file.

    • To remove Associations from all tree views lists in the AIM Dashboard, add a Visible attribute in the EIWM file.

      Example:

      <AssociationType>

      <ID>FUL</ID>
      <Name>Fulfillment</Name>
      <SourceRole>is fulfilled by</SourceRole>
      <TargetRole>fulfills</TargetRole>
      <Hidden>true</Hidden> // Optional
      <Visible>false</Visible> // Optional

      </AssociationType>

      After the Import Controller processes the EIWM file, you must restart IIS.

    The Association Types tab in the Admin Tool displays the status of these two attributes (Hidden and Visible) as displayed below:

    A list of associations in the associations tab. Two columns titled hidden and visible are included.

    Creating Object Associations

    Creating Object Associations is a process of creating new relationships between the Objects, through the pre-existing Associations in the Class Library.

    To create Object Associations:

    1. Go to the Class pane in the Admin Tool.

    2. Select a Class in the Class Library.

      All the Objects associated to the selected Class appears in the Objects of Class pane.

    3. In the Objects of Class pane, select an Object.

    4. In the Manager pane, select the icon to expand the Associations node, and then select Associations.

      The Associations option selected in the Admin Tool.

      A table listing all the Associations for the selected Object is displayed.

      A table list of association types for the selected object in the admin tool.

    5. To create new Object Associations, go to the Create Object Association area at the bottom of the Manager pane.

      The create object association settings, with the boxes from object, Permissible Association and select to object.

      The Object selected in the Object of Class pane appears by default, in the FROM OBJECT box.

    6. Select in the To Object box, go to the Objects of Class pane, and select an Object.

      The selected Object is automatically populated into the SELECT TO OBJECT box.

      The permissible association drop down box is open in the create object association settings.

    7. Select the drop-down arrow in the Association box, and select an Association.

      Note: The Associations displayed in the drop-down list are permissible Associations pre-defined in the Class Library.

      The association drop down box is open in the create permissible association settings.

    8. Select Create.

      A new Object Association is created.

      Following an Association

      To follow an Association:

      1. Go to the Class pane in the Admin Tool.

      2. Select a Class in the Class Library.

        All the Objects associated to the selected Class appears in the Objects of Class pane.

      3. In the Objects of Class pane, select an Object.

      4. In the Manager pane, select the icon to expand the Associations node, and then select Associations.

        The Associations option selected in the Admin Tool.

        A table listing all the Associations for the selected Object is displayed.

        A table list of association types for the selected object in the admin tool.

      5. Right-click on an Association, and select Follow Association.

        The context menu when an association is right clicked, with Delete Association and Follow Association options.

        The Associated Object is displayed.

      6. To return to the previous window, go to the toolbar at the top, and select the Previous button.

        The Associated Object is displayed.

      7. To return to the previous window, go to the toolbar at the top, and select the Previous button.

        Deleting an Association

        To delete an Association:

        1. Go to the Class pane in the Admin Tool.

        2. Select a Class in the Class Library.

          All the Objects associated to the selected Class appears in the Objects of Class pane.

        3. In the Objects of Class pane, select an Object.

        4. In the Manager pane, select the icon to expand the Associations node, and then select Associations.

          The Associations option selected in the Admin Tool.

          A table listing all the Associations for the selected Object is displayed.

        5. Right-click on an Association, and select Delete Association.

          A message confirming Do you want to delete the association? appears.

          Note: You CANNOT delete an inherited Permissible Association.

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