Map Free-text Cells to Tag Attributes in Datasheets

If a datasheet template contains one or more free-text cells, you can map each of those cells to an attribute. For example, to update the description of a tag from within a datasheet, link a free-text cell in the datasheet to the Description attribute.

If the structure of a datasheet template changes (for example, by the addition of a further free-text cell), and you open a datasheet based on that template, you are prompted to upgrade the datasheet instance.

Click Yes to apply the changed template to the existing datasheet instance. Click No to continue working with the unchanged template.

This functionality is available only to administrators or users with access to all databases.

If you use a free-text cell to update an attribute that already has a value, an error is logged. Subsequent updates to that attribute do not generate errors.

You can specify a location in which to store error logs. If you do not specify a location, logs are sent to the local temp directory.

Errors are also logged if, for example, you log in as a non-administrator, or try to use an invalid type to update a value.

Specify the Location of Error Logs

Log in to the Engineer module as an administrator.

1. Click the Admin tab.

2. Click Settings in the Datasheets group.

3. In the Logs field specify the location in which to store error logs.

   

Example of Linking a Free-text Cell to an Attribute

This example describes how to create a datasheet template with a free-text cell and link that cell to an attribute. This example uses the Description attribute of a reciprocating pump.

4. Log in to the Configuration module as an administrator.

5. Click the Libraries tab.

6. In the View group, click Datasheet.

7. In the Datasheet pane, select the node in which to create a datasheet template.

   

8. Right-click and select New Datasheet Template.

9. Specify a name and description for the template and click the plus (+) icon in the Data source field.

10. Select a data source and click Add.

11. Select the Edit the template when finished check box and click OK.

12. From the Standard Controls pane, drag the Free Text control to the template.
    

13. Click in the free-text cell. In the Data Sources pane, navigate to the Data Sources node and double-click the required attribute.

    

14. Save the template.

15. Log into the Engineer module as an administrator.

16. In the Grids Explorer, open the grid for the data source that you selected for the datasheet template.

17. Select the tag to which to link the template and select Datasheet>New in the Datasheets group.

    

    

18. Select the datasheet template to use and specify a description. Click OK.

    

19. In the template, enter a value in the free-text cell.

    The tag attribute is updated with the entered value.