Mask Assignment

The sub-list shows the masks in which the field selected in the header form is used. Just like in the mask data form, sub-list field-assignment, mask specific field attributes can be assigned for each mask-field relation. Mask- field assignments of existing default masks may not be changed, for they are internally required by DataView.

Mask Name name of the mask
Sequence position number of the field in the mask
Order sort identifier for queries on the field
Row row position of the field in a form
Column column position of the field in a form
Length visible row length or focus length
Width visible column width or focus width
Width/V (virtual width) virtual column width
Access field access in mask-edit state.
Insert Access field access in insert mode of mask-edit state
Update Access field access in update mode of mask-edit state
Query Access field access in query mode of the mask-edit state
Video color for field
Menu name of the selection tool at the field or name of the mask component
Type (menu type) type of the selection tool at the field
Pre Field Userexit name the userexit function at the Pre_Field trigger
Post Field Userexit name of the userexit function at the Post_Field trigger
Hyper Field Userexit opens the form for the field entry

Form opens marked record in the form mask data
Reconfigure updates the copy of the mask in main memory
Delete Mask deletes the mask in the database
Field Assignment opens the list of mask field relation
Field Default opens the list mask field default

Mask Name

A mask`s name

attribute master attribute for mask (T_MASK)
type, entry string, entry required
max. no. of characters 50
selection tool recursive widget (list with existing masks)
multilingual field no

The masks's name identifies it uniquely. You'll want to use consistent naming conventions, to differentiate between lists and forms.

Attention! Any default masks created when the model is defined are required internally by DataView, and cannot therefore be modified. If you want to use a default mask as a template, you need to copy the mask record and save it under a different name.

Sequence

A field's numerical position in a mask

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry Integer, entry required
max. no. of characters 5
selection tool no
multilingual field no

The numerical position of a field determines the sequence of fields in the a mask. An existing sequence in the database table is irrelevant. In lists, the fields appear in their logical order, in forms they can be placed arbitrarily.

Sorting

Sort type, for queries to the field

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry Integer, entry required
max. no. of characters 5
selection tool no
multilingual field no

The Sort type determines the order of the records returned after a query DataView sorts fields of type integer, real and money numerically, and string fields alphabetically.

Entry:

n
numerical or alphabetical sort in ascending order

-n
numerical or alphabetical sort in descending order

0
no sort

n determines the field's priority when sorting by more than one field. 1 has the highest priority.

Example: Field A: n = 1, Field B: n = -2 -> DataView sorts the records according to field A in ascending order. If there is more than one record where field A is identical, DataView sorts these records according to field B in descending order.

Note! Non-zero sort types can take a long time. For imprecise queries in particular, which yield a large number of records (> 0) as a result, you should rely on local sorting.

Note! There is a Sort Mask, where users can alter the sort type before a query. It can be opened for the active field with [Strg+O]. The setting overwrites the value in the Mask-Field relationship until the mask is closed.

Row

A field's vertical position in a form

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry Integer, entry required
max. no. of characters 5
selection tool no
multilingual field no

DataView ignores the entry for lists and fields.

For mask components in forms, the position is given by the value entered here plus the component's position.

More information: -> Field order and position

Column

A field's horizontal position in a form

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry Integer, entry required
max. no. of characters 5
selection tool no
multilingual field no

DataView ignores the entry for lists and fields.

For mask components in forms, the position is given by the value entered here plus the component's position.

More information: -> Field order and position

Length

Only for forms, the visible length for fields or focus length for check-boxes, in rows

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry Integer, entry required
max. no. of characters 5
selection tool no
multilingual field no

For lists, the length is always automatically 1, for forms, the value can be arbitrary, so that fields can occupy more than one line. The product of the length and the visible width provides the total visible size.

Attention! The total visible length may not exceed 255 characters (with the exception of BLOB- and calculation fields).

More information: -> Field size, -> Displaying logical fields

Width

Visible column width of a field or, in forms, the focus width of a check-box

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry Integer, entry required
max. no. of characters 5
selection tool no
multilingual field no

The value is the visible width actually displayed in the mask. The product of the length and the visible width provides the total visible size.

Attention! The total visible length may not exceed 255 characters (with the exception of BLOB- and calculation fields). Single-column lists must have a width of at least 5, otherwise they will not display properly.

More information: -> Field size, -> Displaying logical fields

Width/V (virtual width)

A field's virtual width in a mask

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry Integer, entry required
max. no. of characters 5
selection tool no
multilingual field no

The virtual width determines the maximum number of characters it can accept, and could therefore be termed the total virtual size of a field. It is always useful to set the total virtual size to more than the total size (length x width), if you want to display the field in abbreviated form, e.g. when the mask becomes full. Set Virtual Width = 0 to define no virtual width explicitly, i.e. total visible size = total virtual size.

For longtext fields you need to enter a virtual size of over 255 (generally ), for BLOB fields the value is irrelevant (usually set to 0).

Entry:

0
virtual width not explicitly defined

n
virtual width (max. characters) explicitly defined

More information: -> Field size

Access (access flag)

Access privileges to edit a mask field

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry string, entry optional
max. no. of characters 1
selection tool menu with all access Ids
multilingual field no

Field access determines how a user may edit a field's record. Access privileges apply to all editing, i.e. any of the standard functions Insert, Copy, Edit or Search.

If you want to define different privileges for Insert, Update and Query, you need to use action-specific access flags (Insert, Update and Query fields).

Entry:

m
mandatory -> data must be entered for the record to be saved

w
write -> data is optional (default)

r
read only-> field is visible but cannot be modified

(empty)
invisible field -> the field and its contents are not displayed

*
action-specific access -> must be defined in the Insert, Update and Query fields

More information: -> Field access

Insert Access (access flag)

Access privileges for Insert mode

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry string, entry optional
max. no. of characters 1
selection tool menu with all access Ids
multilingual field no

Insert Access determines a user's access privileges for Insert mode (Copy and Paste).

Entry:

m
mandatory -> data must be entered for the record to be saved

w
write -> data is optional (default)

r
read only-> field is visible but cannot be modified

More information: -> Field access

Update Access (access flag)

Access privileges for Update mode

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry string, entry optional
max. no. of characters 1
selection tool menu with all access Ids
multilingual field no

Update Access determines a user's access privileges after selecting Edit.

Entry:

m
mandatory -> data must be entered for the record to be saved

w
write -> data is optional (default)

r
read only-> field is visible but cannot be modified

More information: -> Field access

Query Access (access flag)

Access privileges for Query mode

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry string, entry optional
max. no. of characters 1
selection tool menu with all access-settings
multilingual field no

Query Access determines a user's access privileges after selecting Search.

Entry:

m
mandatory -> data must be entered for the record to be saved

w
write -> data is optional (default)

r
read only-> field is visible but cannot be modified

More information: -> Field access

Video

A field's foreground and background colors

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry two-digit integer, entry required
max. no. of characters 2
selection tool menu containing all video settings, colors are displayed
multilingual field no

This determines the field's color in the current mask. Colors can also be assigned globally using the Client Settings tool.

Entry:

first digit (0 ... 5)
foreground (field entry) color

second digit (0 ... 5)
background color

More information: -> Color settings for fields and field titles

Menu

Name of a field's selection tool or mask component

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry string, entry optional
max. no. of characters 20
selection tool menu with existing menus and button areas
multilingual field no
hyperlink opens the object in an own form, not useful for mask components


Selection tool

A selection tool is linked to the field. The tool is available while the user is editing the field. The selection tool's name depends on the type of tool.

Entry:

a menu name (type C = choice-box)

a mask name (type W = modal window)
L>mask name or mask name alone (output as list)
F>mask name (output as form)
no mask name (default list)

a radio button group's name (type B = radio buttons)

More information: -> Selection tools for fields


Mask component

You can only enter the name of a mask (component) if the field is a placeholder (Syntax: @MASKNAME in fieldname). The mask component is then placed in its parent mask. You'll only want to place form components into a parent form or list components into a parent list.

More information: -> Mask components

Type (menu type)

The type of a field's selection tool

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry string, no special characters, entry optional
max. no. of characters 1
selection tool menu with all selection tool types
multilingual field no

The type and name of the tool you attach to a field must match.

Entry:

C = choice-box
Adds a choice-box directly below the field. It can be opened with the pop-up arrow by the field. The choice-box is scrollable if the length of the menu is set below the number of menu items. (Menu Data form, Max. Length field)

W = modal window
Attaches a modal window to the field, which can be opened using the double arrow button by the field. The window's mask is opened in Search mode.

B = radio button group
If used in a form, the field is replaced by a radio button group. When the field is entered, the button group is highlighted, and one of the radio buttons can then be selected. The button's text is then entered into the field.

Note! Field selection tools of type M (menu) and L (List box) from DataView versions prior to 4.1 are automatically displayed as choice-boxes from version 4.1 onwards. The old M or L entries are retained, but are no longer supported in new records.

More information: -> Selection tools for fields

Pre/Field Userexit

Name of a userexit on the Pre_Field trigger

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry string, entry optional
max. no. of characters 2000
selection tool menu with all field userexit functions (separated for system- and user-library)
multilingual field no

The Pre_Field userexit is executed before a field is entered in an Edit state (only for Update and Insert modes, not Query or View).

Post/Field Userexit

Name of a userexit on the Post_Field trigger

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry string, entry optional
max. no. of characters 2000
selection tool menu with all field userexit- functions (separated for system- and user-library)
multilingual field no

The Post_Field userexit is executed before a field is entered in an Edit state (only for Update and Insert modes, not Query or View).

Hyper Field Userexit

A hyper-field trigger

attribute relation attribute for mask-field (T_MAS_FLD)
type, entry string, entry optional
max. no. of characters 2000
selection tool menu with all field userexit- functions (separated for system- and user-library)
multilingual field no

A hyper-field trigger enables functions to be executed by a simple mouseclick. If a Hyper_Field userexit is installed and the field is not empty, the field content will be displayed as underlined when the mouse pointer moves over it. The mouse pointer changes. A mouse click will then trigger the action.

Hyper_Field userexits are especially useful for default menu userexits (which are not available in the selection menu).

Form

Opens the marked record in the Mask Data form

Reconfigure

Updates the copy of the mask in main memory

A new or modified mask (its mask attributes, field assignments) must first be copied into main memory, before changes are visible in the user interface.


Mask component

When you create a mask component in local memory, DataView automatically updates all the masks in main memory to which the component belongs (even indirectly). Parent objects which are already in main memory need not be updated.

Delete Mask

Deletes the mask in the data base

Field Assignment (menu only)

Opens the list Mask Field Assignment

Field Default (menu only)

Opens the list Mask Default Assignment