MES Stateless API

Data Types

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Data Types

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Last UpdatedNov 06, 2025
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For any method, all parameters are required for scripting. If you pass Null for any of the parameters, they are ignored. Such parameters are called Nullable and are set to Nothing (or Null in System Platform object scripts). You can also pass database Null (DB Null) for the parameters. Database Null is not ignored, but sets the database field value to Null. For Database Null, you need to use the DB Data Type and you can pass either Null (ignored) or DB Null (field set to Null).

The following example shows two parameters of the the Job.UpdateSpecific() method:

Sample Script CS

Dim rework As Nullable(Of Boolean)
Dim spare1 As DBString

The following example uses the same declaration and calls the UpdateSpecific()method:

System Platform

DimreworkAsBoolean;

Dimspare1AsaaMES.aaDBString;

'Variable set here

aaResult= aaMES.Prod.aaJob.UpdateSpecific(sessionId,woId,operId,seqNo,jobDesc,itemId,stateCd,jobPriority,reqFinishTimeLocal,initSchedEntId,targetSchedEntId,runEntId,qtyReqd,qtyProd,qtyProdErp,qtyRejected,qtyRejectedErp,qtyAtStart,deviationAbove,deviationBelow,batchSize,schedPinned,checkInv,estFixedLab,estLabRate,estSetupTime,estTeardownTime,estProdRate,prodUom,estTransferTime,schedStartTimeLocal,latestStartTimeLocal,schedFinishTimeLocal,actStartTimeLocal,actFinishTimeLocal,concurrentLink,jobCost,parentContingentJob,childContingentJob,notes,assocFile,assocFileType,statusNotes,displaySeq,folderVerId,rework,reworkCd,reworkProcessId,spare1,spare2,spare3,spare4,lastEditComment,editTime);

Visual Basic .Net

Dim rework As Boolean

Dimspare1AsaaMES.aaDBString

'Variable set here

aaResult = aaMES.Prod.aaJob.UpdateSpecific(sessionId, woId, operId, seqNo, jobDesc, itemId, stateCd, jobPriority, reqFinishTimeLocal, initSchedEntId, targetSchedEntId, runEntId, qtyReqd, qtyProd, qtyProdErp, qtyRejected, qtyRejectedErp, qtyAtStart, deviationAbove, deviationBelow, batchSize, schedPinned, checkInv, estFixedLab, estLabRate, estSetupTime, estTeardownTime, estProdRate, prodUom, estTransferTime, schedStartTimeLocal, latestStartTimeLocal, schedFinishTimeLocal, actStartTimeLocal, actFinishTimeLocal, concurrentLink, jobCost, parentContingentJob, childContingentJob, notes, assocFile, assocFileType, statusNotes, displaySeq, folderVerId, rework, reworkCd, reworkProcessId, spare1, spare2, spare3, spare4, lastEditComment, editTime)

The following 3 cases show how to set the value, ignore the parameter, and pass DB Null to it:

Case	System Platform	Visual Basic .Net
Set the Value	rework=False; spare1 = New aaMES.aaDBString("Your text");	rework = False spare1 = New aaMES.aaDBString("Your text")
Ignore the Parameter	rework=Null; spare1 = Null;	rework = Nothing spare1 = Nothing
Sent to DB Null	'Not possible for rework spare1 = aaMES.aaDBString.Null;	'Not possible for rework spare1 = aaMES.aaDBString.Null

This help document describes the following data types:

Types

Members

Description

Standard Data Types

Boolean
Integer
Double
Date
String

These are straight forward and defined as shown in the example below.
The exception is the Date data type, which is defined as System.Datetime. For example:

System Platform	DimforFirstOpAsBoolean; Dim releaseTime As System.DateTime;
Visual Basic .Net	DimforFirstOpAsBoolean Dim releaseTime As System.DateTime

Nullable

Nullable(Of xxxx)
Where xxx is one of the standard data types like Boolean

Nullable data types are used for optional values. If you pass Null for these parameters, they will be ignored.
The nullable data types are declared using the base data types. However, if you want to pass Null, then use Null in the call. For example:

System Platform

aaResult = aaMES.Core.aaSession.GetSessions(Null , clientType, Null );

Visual Basic .Net

DimoNullAs Object=Nothing

aaResult = aaMES.Core.aaSession.GetSessions(oNull, clientType, oNull)

aaResult = aaMES.Core.aaSession.GetSessions(Nothing,clientType, Nothing)

They are used for optional arguments where you do not want to pass an argument. For example, the UpdateSpecific() method has many arguments; however, for fields that you do not want to update, pass Null. The Null values are ignored.

For output parameters such as LastEditAt, you must pass a valid value or use the following:

Dim lastEditAt As Object;

lastEditAt = NULL;

DB Data Types

DBInt
DBDouble
DBDateTime
DBString

These data types are similar to the Nullable types except that, you can use them to set the value to Database Null. For example, for an UpdateSpecific()method, spare1 is defined as follows:

Dimspare1AsDBString

To clear this field, you can use the following:

System Platform

Dim spare1 As aaMES.aaDBString;

spare1 = aaMES.aaDBString.Null;

Visual Basic .Net

Dim spare1 As aaMES.aaDBString

spare1 = aaMES.aaDBString.Null

To leave the spare1 field unchanged, you must pass Nullas described in the Nullable data types.

When setting these values, it is recommended to use the constructor as follows:

DBInt	= aaMES.aaDBStringaaMES.aaDBInt(0)
DBDouble	= aaMES.aaDBDouble(0)
DBDateTime	= aaMES.aaDBDateTime (Now())
DBString	= New aaMES.aaDBString("mystring")

The following is an example of setting a DBString

System Platform

Dim spare1 As aaMES.aaDBString;

spare1 = New aaMES.aaDBString("mystring");

Visual Basic .Net

Dim spare1 As aaMES.aaDBString

spare1 =NewaaMES.aaDBString("mystring")

Others

Class specific

There are some custom data types that must be used. Generally, these are used in association with data enumerations. For example, the Session.StartSession() method defines the clientType parameter as follows:

Dim clientType As ClientTypes

You can define it as:

Dim clientType As aaMES.Core.aaClientTypes

You can then define it as:

System Platform

Dim clientType As aaMES.Core.aaClientTypes;

ClientType = aaMES.Core.aaClientTypes.clientOperator;

Visual Basic .Net

Dim clientType As aaMES.Core.aaClientTypes

clientType = aaMES.Core.aaClientTypes.clientOperator

The following table defines the data types and how to use them within the scripts:

DataType	System Platform Object and Graphics	Visual Basic .Net
Standard Data Types
As Boolean	AsBoolean;	AsBoolean
As Integer	AsInteger;	AsInteger
As Double	AsDouble;	AsDouble
As Date	AsSystem.DateTime;	AsSystem.DateTime
As String	AsString;	AsString
Nullable Data Types
As Nullable(Of Boolean)	AsBoolean;	AsBoolean
As Nullable(Of Integer)	AsInteger;	AsInteger
As Nullable(Of Double)	AsDouble;	AsDouble
As Nullable(Of Date)	AsSystem.DateTime;	AsSystem.DateTime
As Nullable(Of String)	AsString;	AsString
DB Data Types
As DBInt	AsaaMES.aaDBInt;	As aaMES.aaDBInt
As DBDouble	AsaaMES.aaDBDouble;	As aaMES.aaDBDouble
As DBDateTime	AsaaMES.aaDBDateTime;	As aaMES.aaDBDateTime
As DBString	As aaMES.aaDBString;	As aaMES.aaDBString
Others
As DataSet	AsSystem.Data.DataSet;	As System.Data.DataSet