Edit

In the Table Editor, tools are available to help you:

• Manage the data display.
• Display related data from multiple tables.
• Specify criteria for each table.
• Commit changes and remove or “Undo” changes.

Edit tracks your activities in the Table Editor and stores this information in an Edit Definition. The Edit Definition contains the parameters you specified to display data and information about the set of tables in the Table Editor.

After you name and save an Edit Definition, it is stored in the Optim™ Directory and can be reused and made available to other users. An Edit Definition provides a quick and consistent method to access a set of data.

The fully qualified name of an Edit Definition consists of: identifier.name.

identifier

Identifier that serves as the prefix for the Edit Definition name (1 to 8 characters).

name

Name assigned to the Edit Definition (1 to 12 characters).

When you name an Edit Definition, it is helpful to use a logical set of naming conventions to organize definitions for easy identification.

The information about the set of data is stored in an Access Definition. Edit automatically creates and modifies the Access Definition as you browse and edit data. The Access Definition contains the name of the table you start with and the names of all subsequently joined tables. It also includes the selection criteria for each table and the relationship used for joining. An Access Definition can be saved in the Optim Directory for reuse and to make it available to other users, or stored in the Edit Definition.

When you open the Table Editor with a new Edit Definition, you can name a database table or a stored Access Definition to start the data display.

• If you begin with a database table, you create a “local” Access Definition. The Access Definition is stored as part of the Edit Definition and is only available to that definition.
• If you begin with an Access Definition, you specify a “named” Access Definition. The Access Definition is stored in the Optim Directory and is available to other Actions and other users.

While using the Table Editor, you can change an Access Definition from local to named or named to local. When you finish browsing and editing, Edit prompts you to save or discard changes to the Access Definition. At this time you can save a local Access Definition as a named Access Definition. If you discard the changes to a named Access Definition, they are not available when you use the Edit Definition again. However, changes to a local Access Definition are automatically saved when you save the Edit Definition.

This section explains how to browse and edit data, including how to create and retrieve an Edit Definition, manipulate the display, and perform the following tasks:

• Create a new Edit Definition beginning with a single table or an Access Definition.
• Open an existing Edit Definition.
• Use the components of the Table Editor.
• Browse data, including changing the display using grid facilities and other Table Editor tools, such as joining tables.
• Edit data, including committing and restoring changes.
• Save an Edit Definition.