Difference between revisions of "Record Locators"

Latest revision as of 23:45, 31 August 2012

Designer > Objects > {object} > [Record Locators]

The Record Locator option (available for Custom Objects only) provides the ability to define three types of fields by which you can locate records in objects.

Lookup and Search Results Fields
Record Identifier Fields
Search Fields

As a good practice, Record Locator fields should always have a value; they should never be empty.

Kinds of Record Locators

Lookup and Search Results Fields

The fields selected in this option appear as columns in a Lookup Window when the user is selecting a record, and in a grid display of Search results. In both cases, they help the user to select the record(s) of interest.

This value is also returned as a record's "displayValue" attribute in REST APIs.

Record Identifier Fields

Designer > Objects > {object} > [Record Locators] > Record Identifier Fields

A Record Identifier (also known as a "record name") consists of one or more fields that are displayed when a record has been selected. (When multiple fields are specified, their values are separated by hyphens and displayed as the value of a Lookup field.)

About Record Identifiers

Ideally, a Record Identifier unique label that distinguishes one record from another (although it need not be). These labels can be seen in Views and Records. If the App Center is not enabled, then the record_id field is the only field used for a Record Identifier. Otherwise:

When a new object is created, the first three fields defined in the object are used to form the default Record Identifier. The Record Identifier can be changed at any time.

Tip: To ensure that the record identifier is unique, use it to define a Unique Key Index.

Example

In this example, the Customer object specifies the customer_name field as the Record Identifier. When the customer has been selected in a Lookup, the customer_name field is displayed to indicate which record was chosen.

Eligible Record Identifier Fields

In general, fields that are available for use as record identifiers resolve to a single alphanumeric value of moderate size.

One Lookup field may be specified.

These fields cannot be used:

File
Image
Text Area

Custom Control
Url
Rich Text Area

Search Fields

This option defines the field(s) in a record that are used by the search process. When choosing fields as search fields, it is good practice to choose fields likely to contain unique information and to exclude large text fields, which can slow the process.

The first 1024 characters of the concatenated field value(s) are used when searching for a match. For example, if a Text field of 30 characters and a Text Area field of 2000 characters are designated, the search examines the concatenation of 30 characters from the Text field and the first 994 characters from the Text Area.

Search Field Example

For example, in a Parts Inventory object, the most likely fields to search are:

part number
part name

With that specification, even though fields part_description and price exist, they would not be "searchable".

Eligible Search Fields

In general, fields that can be used as record identifiers resolve to a single alphanumeric value.

One Lookup field may be specified.

These fields cannot be used:

File
Image
Checkbox

Custom Control
Rollup Summary

Updating Record Locators

To update an object's record locators:

Click Designer > Objects > {object}
Click the [Record Locators] button
Select the fields you want to use as Lookup and Search Results Fields in the Available column, and click the right-arrow button to move the field(s) into the Selected list. Use the up- and down-arrow buttons to arrange the order in which they appear in the Lookup window (from left to right). These are the columns that will appear in the Lookup window. The name field appears as the default column, which you can keep or remove.
Select the fields(s) you want to serve as Record Identifier Fields, and move them to the Selected list. These are the fields through which you can link objects together. You can keep or remove the default field.
Select the field(s) you want to use as Search fields, and move them to the Selected list. You can keep or remove the default field.
Click [Save].
The fields you selected are shown.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Designer > Data > Objects > {object} > [Record Locators]'''
+'''Designer > Objects > {object} > [Record Locators]'''
-The Record Locator option provides the ability to define three types of fields by which you can locate records in objects.
+The Record Locator option (available for {{type|}}s only) provides the ability to define three types of fields by which you can locate records in objects.
-*[[#Lookup and Search Results Fields|Lookup and Search Results Fields]]
+:*[[#Lookup and Search Results Fields|Lookup and Search Results Fields]]
-*[[#Record Identifier Fields|Record Identifier Fields]]
+:*[[#Record Identifier Fields|Record Identifier Fields]]
-*[[#Search Fields|Search Fields]]
+:*[[#Search Fields|Search Fields]]
 As a good practice, Record Locator fields should always have a value; they should never be empty.
-== Lookup and Search Results Fields ==
+== Kinds of Record Locators ==
+=== Lookup and Search Results Fields ===
-The fields selected in this option define the columns that will appear in the [[Lookup Window]], or in [[Search]] results.
+The fields selected in this option appear as columns in a [[Lookup Window]] when the user is selecting a record, and in a grid display of [[Search]] results. In both cases, they help the user to select the record(s) of interest.
-== Record Identifier Fields ==
+This value is also returned as a record's "displayValue" attribute in [[REST API]]s.
-Record identifiers form a unique label which assists in differentiating one record from another. These labels can be seen in [[Views]] and [[Records]].
-When a new object is created, the first three fields defined in the object are used to form the default Record Identifier. The Record Identifier can be changed at any time.
+=== Record Identifier Fields ===
+{{:Record Identifier}}
-=== Use of Record Identifiers===
+=== Search Fields ===
-#In this example, the Customer Name and Telephone are selected as the Record Identifier Fields via the Record Locator tab.
-#:[[Image:Recordlocator-choosefields.gif|none|thumb]]
-#As a result of this Record Identifier Field choice, the fields are combined and listed in the Customer Record.
-#:[[Image:Customer-recordlocator.gif|none|thumb]]
-#The Customer '''View''' displays the Record Identifier Fields for each record. This link is clickable, and will open the customer record when clicked.
-#:[[Image:Recordlocator-customertele.gif|none|thumb]]
-== Search Fields ==
+This option defines the field(s) in a record that are used by the search process. When choosing fields as search fields, it is good practice to choose fields likely to contain unique information and to exclude large text fields, which can slow the process.
-This option defines the field(s) in a record that are used for search. When choosing fields as search fields, it is good practice to choose fields likely to contain unique information and to exclude large text fields, which can slow the process.
+The first 1024 characters of the concatenated field value(s) are used when searching for a match. For example, if a Text field of 30 characters and a Text Area field of 2000 characters are designated, the search examines the concatenation of 30 characters from the Text field and the first 994 characters from the Text Area.
+==== Search Field Example ====
 For example, in a ''Parts Inventory'' object, the most likely fields to search are:
-*part number
+:* <tt>part number</tt>
-*part name
+:* <tt>part name</tt>
+With that specification, even though fields <tt>part_description</tt> and <tt>price</tt> exist, they would not be "searchable".
+==== Eligible Search Fields ====
+In general, fields that can be used as record identifiers resolve to a single alphanumeric value.
+One [[Lookup]] field may be specified.
-Although other fields are available, these fields, for example, would not be "searchable":
+These fields cannot be used:
-*part description
+{|
-*quantity
+|
-*price
+:* File
+:* Image
+:* Checkbox
+|
+:* Custom Control
+:* Rollup Summary
+|}
-The value(s) in the search field(s) will be used for a maximum of 1024 characters when searching for a match. For example, if two fields are designated as search fields, a Text field of 30 characters and a Text Area field of 2000 characters, the values used in the search will be the concatenation of the 30 characters from the Text field with the first 994 characters in the Text Area field.
+==Updating Record Locators==
-==Add or Update Record Locators==
+To update an object's record locators:
-To add record locators to an object:
-#Click '''Designer > Data > Objects > {object}'''
+#Click '''Designer > Objects > {object}'''
-#Click the Record Locators tab, and click the Edit button
+#Click the '''[Record Locators]''' button
-#*Certain fields are selected by default. In the Lookup and Search Results fields are Date Modified and Modify by. The default Record Identifier and Search fields are the object name.
 #Select the fields you want to use as Lookup and Search Results Fields in the Available column, and click the right-arrow button to move the field(s) into the Selected list. Use the up- and down-arrow buttons to arrange the order in which they appear in the Lookup window (from left to right). These are the columns that will appear in the Lookup window. The name field appears as the default column, which you can keep or remove.
 #Select the fields(s) you want to serve as Record Identifier Fields, and move them to the Selected list. These are the fields through which you can link objects together. You can keep or remove the default field.
 #Select the field(s) you want to use as Search fields, and move them to the Selected list. You can keep or remove the default field.
-#Click the Save button. The fields you selected are listed in the Record Locators tab.
+#Click '''[Save]'''.<br> The fields you selected are shown.
-[[Image:Recordlocators-edit.gif|none|thumb]]
+:[[Image:Recordlocators-edit.gif|none|thumb]]
+<noinclude>
 [[Category:Objects| 5]]
-<noinclude>[[Category:{{features}}]]</noinclude>
+[[Category:{{features}}]]
 [[Category:Glossary]]
+</noinclude>

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