3.5.2 Creating Items based on existing Items

You can create a new Item based on the contents of an existing Item registered in JP1/Service Support. This approach is useful in the following circumstances:

You want to create an Item based on the contents of a similar Item

You can save time entering Item information by using the contents of an existing Item and changing only the parts that need changing.

You want to re-use an Item as a template

For example, you might register an Item whose Work status field contains the text shown below. By creating new Items based on this Item, you can avoid entering the same information each time, and keep the format consistent between Items.

Note:: The Item you prepare as a template is counted when compiling Item statistics. To exclude this kind of Item from statistics, create a dedicated process work board in which to register the Item.

You can change the Item information of an Item that provides a template without stopping operation. If you want to change the Item form, however, you need to register the Item as another Item.

Figure 3‒23: Example of registered Item to serve as template

Organization of this subsection

(1) Inheriting Item information
(2) Creating a new Item based on an existing Item

(1) Inheriting Item information

When you create a new Item based on the contents of an existing Item registered in JP1/Service Support, the new Item inherits the Item information of the original Item. Because Items in different processes have different display elements, the Item only inherits Item information for elements that appear in the Item forms of the source and destination processes. Item information is not inherited for the elements listed in the following table:

Table 3‒23: Elements for which Item information is not inherited
No.	Element	Description
1	Target system (`JIMSD_FORM_SYSTEM`)	The new Item is automatically assigned the system name set for the process work board in which the Item is being created.
2	Process (`JIMSD_FORM_PROCESS`)	The new Item is automatically assigned the process name set for the process work board in which the Item is being created.
3	Item ID (`JIMSD_FORM_ITEMID`)	Set automatically when the Item is registered in JP1/Service Support.
4	Inter-process ID (`JIMSD_FORM_PROCESSITEMID`)
5	Status (`JIMSD_FORM_ITEMSTATUSID`)	Set by the user who creates the new Item based on the existing Item.
6	Registrant (`JIMSD_FORM_REGISTRANT`)	The new Item is automatically assigned the name of the user who creates the Item.
7	Person in charge (`JIMSD_FORM_ASSIGNED`)
8	Registration date and time (`JIMSD_FORM_REGISTDATE`)	Set automatically when the new Item is registered in JP1/Service Support.
9	Update date and time (`JIMSD_FORM_LASTUPDATE`)
10	Serial number (`JIMSD_FORM_IMEVENTNO`)	Because this information is used to issue consolidated JP1 events for completed-action linkage, it is not set in the new Item.
11	JP1/IM - Manager host name (`JIMSD_FORM_IMHOSTNAME`)

The way in which Item information is inherited when the data type of the element differs at the source and destination processes depends on the element being inherited. The following table describes the inheritance of Item information when elements have different data types:

Table 3‒24: Item information inheritance when elements have different data types
No.	Element	Description
1	Additional element: Text (`JIMSD_FORM_USERTEXT01` to `JIMSD_FORM_USERTEXT20`)	When the data type is `textarea` in the Item form at the source process and `text` in the Item form at the destination process, the system ignores line breaks when inheriting the Item information.
2	Additional element: User (`JIMSD_FORM_USEREXTTYPE01` to `JIMSD_FORM_USEREXTTYPE05`)	When the data type (`user` or `userrole`) differs in the Item forms at the source and destination processes, Item information is not inherited for the element.
3	Additional element: Link (`JIMSD_FORM_REFINFO01` to `JIMSD_FORM_REFINFO05`)	When the data type (`aim`, `url`, or `item`) differs in the Item forms at the source and destination processes, Item information is not inherited for the element.

If the automatic input of Item settings is enabled for the target process work board, the automatically input information has priority. This means that the automatically input values are entered in the new Item instead of the Item information of the existing Item. For details on the automatic input of Item settings, see 5.4.3 Using automatic input of Item settings.

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(2) Creating a new Item based on an existing Item

You can create a new Item based on the contents of an existing Item in the following windows:

Main window (Item list)
View Item window^#

#: You cannot create a new Item based on an existing Item if you opened the View Item window from the History display window.

The existing Item must be selected from a process work board that is in Operating status.

For details on how to create a new Item based on the contents of an existing Item, see the JP1/Service Support Operator's Guide.

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