Tables element attributes

The Tables element inserts a table or nested tables into a view type when an Administrator selects the view type.

Note: All attributes are required unless indicated as optional.

The Tables element attributes are as follows:

• Optional: AdhocImportKey is a key used when importing data to the table using the Advanced Database Editor (ADE) Import function.

• CanOpenRecord is used to control the Administrator's ability to open a record. If the property is set to true, you can open the Row Edit dialog box for the record even though the CanOpenTable property is set to false.

• CanOpenTable is used to control the Administrator's ability to open a table. If the property is set to false, opening the Table Edit form generates the following error:

  Cannot open an Edit form for this entry. This entry is being used to group records of a different table only.

  

  Notes: Even though you cannot open the Table Edit form, you can still expand the tree view.

• Optional: ColumnsLinkingToParentNodes is used to link the table with the parent table. If this is a nested table, this attribute is used to specify a comma-separated list of the table’s field names used to retrieve values matching the parent table's values. The order of the nested nodes starts with the immediate parent and continues to the outmost parent. The list of field names is used when the nested table’s Table Edit form is displayed such that it only lists the points filtered by the parent.

  Example:

  1. In ADE, select View > Main.

  2. In the Main view, expand the tree view as follows:

     Area > Group > Remote > Analog

     

     The above structure shows that the 0analog record is linked to the remote table by the rtu and group columns, and that the 0remote record is linked to the group table by the group column:

     • 0remote record: ColumnLinkingToParentNodes="group"

     • 0analog record: ColumnLinkingToParentNodes="rtu,group"

• Optional: DatabaseName is the name of the database where the table resides. If this attribute is not defined, the system uses the database defined for the DBEdit drive type in the Data Access Layer (DAL) configuration file.

• Optional: DescriptionField is the description field in the RealTime database (RTDB) table.

• Optional: DisableExpandingToRows controls whether or not an Administrator can expand and collapse records for a table in the tree view. If set to true, clicking the arrowhead next to a table will not expand all the records for this table. It will, however, cause ADE to display the number of records within the table. Once clicked, the arrowhead is removed from view.

  

• Optional: DriverAlias is used to connect to a non-native data source (for example, PI Server, Historical Service). This identifies the driver name to use in the DAL configuration file. Each non-native data source must have an associated driver alias for connecting to the data source.

• Optional: ExtraFormOpeningCriteria allows you to add extra criteria to an SQL statement when retrieving data from an RTDB table. The format is a comma-separated field name and value with a semicolon separating additional field name and value pairs:

  fieldname,value[;fieldname,value;…]

  For example, the Flow Network (fnet) table is retrieving a record where the nested column has a value of no from the Flow Network table.

• Optional: FromClause is the table to query for the Table Edit form. You must use " to add a quote before and after a table name. For example, FROM "farms". If you required multiple tables for the query, use a comma-separated list. For example, FROM "group", "groupAreaJoin".

• Optional: IsVisible controls whether or not the table appears in the view type. When set to true, the table appears in the view type. When set to false, the table will not appear in the view type.

• Label is the name of the table to display on the ADE form.

• Optional: OtherKeyField identifies other columns besides the column defined in the PrimaryKeyField as a unique key to identify a record. Use a comma to separate columns if there is more than one column for the OtherKeyField attribute.

  For example, although the PrimaryKeyField attribute for the dataexchange table is a customer column, you can add other columns to uniquely identify this record. With the other key fields being customerTag, dataset, and pointPath, the attribute is as follows:

  'OtherkeyField="dataset,customerTag,pointPath"'

• PrimaryKeyField is the primary key of the RTDB table. Typically, name is used.

• TableName is the RTDB table name. This will be used as the table name by ADE to return the number of rows in that table.

• Type has the following options:

  • MachineList

  • Perspective

  • Table

  • UserList

  • WindowsGroups

• UseDistinct is set to true if the SQL Query against the RTDB requires a "distinct" keyword; otherwise, set it to false.

• Optional: WhereClause is added to the query when retrieving data from the database. The where clause can be empty—" "—or nested under another node or nodes. When a Tables element is nested under another Tables element, a ParentNumber is used to replace the name of the selected parent record, where:

  • 0 = The selected record name of the parent table.

  • 1 = The selected record name of the grandparent table.

    For example, WHERE "rtu"='{0}' AND "group"='{1}'. As per the following example, when the system retrieves the analog records, the query indicates that the analog.rtu column should be the same as the opened remote record, and that the analog.group column should be the same as the opened group record.