Working with Tuples

When the selected node in the Console Hierarchy tree is the Tuples node, the objects pane (top-right) is titled Tuples and the detail pane (bottom-right) is titled Tuple Detail.

The Tuples pane contains a grid with a list of the tuples defined for the MDM repository, where each tuple in the list corresponds to a child of the Tuples node.

T

P

The properties for each tuple are listed in Table 36, all of them directly editable in the Tuples pane.

Table 36. Tuple Properties

Property Description

Name The tuple name.

Code The unique code for the tuple.

Description The tuple description.

Display Fields¹ The tuple member fields whose values are used as the display value of the tuple field.

1 Every tuple must have at least one display field.

TIP ►► There is no explicit command to modify tuple properties. To modify a tuple’s properties, select it in the Tuples pane, move the focus into the Tuple Detail pane, and edit the properties.

A

D

T

An MDM repository can include any number of tuples. You can add and delete tuples in a repository as described in this section.

 To add a new tuple to an MDM repository:

1. In the Console Hierarchy tree, select the Tuple node.

2. Right-click in the Tuples pane and choose Add Tuple.

3. MDM adds a tuple named “New Tuple” at the end of the tuple list, and places you into the Tuple Detail pane to specify the properties of the new tuple.

4. Specify the applicable properties, as listed in Table 36.

5. To save the tuple, right-click on the Tuple Detail pane and choose Save from the context menu, or press Shift+Enter.

NOTE ►► When you first create a tuple, MDM automatically: (1) creates a Name member field of type Text; and (2) makes Name the Display Field for the tuple.

MDM Console Reference Guide 143 DATA INTEGRITY ►► Two tuples cannot have the same name or the same code. If a table named “New Tuple” already exists, MDM automatically names the new tuple “New Table (n)” (where ‘n’ is the first available numeric value that will avoid a conflict).

 To delete a tuple:

1. In the Console Hierarchy tree, select the Tuple node.

2. In the Tuples pane, right-click on the tuple you want to delete and choose Delete Tuple.

3. MDM deletes the tuple.

CAUTION ►► Deleting a tuple is not reversible.

DATA INTEGRITY ►► MDM does not allow you to delete a tuple that is in use elsewhere in the MDM repository.

W

T

M

F

To view or modify a tuple’s member fields, select the tuple from the Console hierarchy tree. The tuple’s member fields appear in the top-right pane, which is titled Member Fields. Select a field from the Member Fields pane to display its properties in the bottom-right pane, which is titled Member Field Detail.

The properties displayed in the Member Field Detail pane vary based on the member field’s type and are the same properties that appear for the field type in the Field Details pane (see “Field Properties” on page 129 for more information).

Adding and Deleting Tuple Member Fields

A tuple can contain any number of member fields. You can add and delete a tuple’s member fields as described in this section.

 To add a new member field to a tuple:

1. In the Console Hierarchy tree, select the desired tuple.

2. Right-click in the Member Fields pane and choose Add Member Field from the context menu, or click the Add Field toolbar button (shown at left).

3. MDM adds a field named “New Field” at the end of the field list, and places you into the Member Field Detail pane to specify the properties of the new field.

NOTE ►► Not all field types are supported in tuple definitions (see

“Supported Field Types” on page 101 for more information).

144 MDM Console Reference Guide

 To permanently delete a tuple member field:

1. In the Console Hierarchy tree, select the desired tuple.

2. In the Member Fields pane, right-click on the field to be deleted and choose Delete from the context menu, or select the field and click the Delete Field toolbar button (shown at left).

3. MDM prompts you to confirm that you really want to delete the field.

Click Yes to permanently delete the field from the table.

4. MDM deletes the field.

CAUTION ►► Deleting a tuple member field is not reversible.

NOTE ►► If MDM cannot delete the field for any reason, it will display an error message stating why the field could not be deleted.

Reordering Tuple Member Fields

It may be useful to change the position (i.e. the display order) of tuple member fields. The position of a member field in a tuple is shown in the Pos. column of the Member Fields pane, as shown in Figure 37.

Figure 39. Field position (display order)

 To change the display order of a tuple’s member fields:

1. In the Console Hierarchy tree, select the tuple whose member fields you want to reorder.

2. Right-click in the Member Fields grid and choose Reorder from the context menu, or choose Fields > Reorder from the main menu.

3. MDM opens the Reorder Field Positions dialog, as shown in Figure 38.

4. Select one or more fields and drag them to the desired positions in the list

5. Click OK to close the dialog.

145

PART 6: REPOSITORY ADMINISTRATION

This part of the reference guide presents guidelines for maintaining the integrity of your MDM repositories and using the various mechanisms for backing them up and restoring them.

MDM Console Reference Guide 147