12.4.3 Inserting objects

(a) Textbox

A text box inserts a character string in the window, such as the name of an item to be specified.

The following shows an example of a text box.

From the Object menu, select Textbox. A text box is inserted in the editing area. Specify the desired character string in this text box.

For details about how to set the character style (such as color and font), see 12.4.3(2) Setting the style of an object.

(b) Image

You can insert an image in the window, such as a company logo or an eyecatcher.

The following shows an example of an image.

To insert an image:

1. From the Object menu, select Image.

   The Browse User Library dialog box appears.

2. Click the File/Folder name link to select the file that you wish to insert, and then click the OK button.

   The Browse User Library dialog box closes and the specified image is inserted in the editing area. Adjust the location and size of the image.

   For details about how to set the order of inserted images, see 12.4.3(2) Setting the style of an object.

   For details about how to use the Browse User Library dialog box, see 12.4.2(3) Image.

(c) Hyperlink

You can register a file to be set as a file attachment to the Item or a link to a specific website for referencing.

The following shows an example of a hyperlink.

From the Object menu, selecting Hyperlink inserts Hyperlink in the editing area. In the editing area, specify an applicable character string to the inserted Hyperlink. For details about how to set the character style (such as color and font), see 12.4.3(2) Setting the style of an object.

For details about how to set a URL as a hyperlink, see 12.4.3(3)(g) URL.

(d) Text field and text area

You can insert input fields to enable each worker to enter information in the Item window.

The following shows an example of a text field.

From the Object menu, selecting Text field or Text area inserts a text field or text area in the editing area. If necessary, resize the object in the editing area.

Because values entered in text fields and text areas are registered in the asset management database, you must also set object attributes.

For details about the object attributes required when text fields and text areas are inserted and how to set the object attributes, see 12.4.3(3) Setting object attributes.

(e) Table

You can insert input fields to enable each worker to enter multiple Items in the Item window.

The following shows an example of a table.

(f) Pulldown

You can insert an area from which a worker can select an item (drop-down list) in the Item window.

The following shows an example of a pulldown.

From the Object menu, selecting Pulldown inserts a drop-down list in the editing area. If necessary, resize the drop-down list.

Because values selected from drop-down lists are registered in the asset management database, you must also set object attributes.

For details about the object attributes required when Pulldown is inserted and how to set the object attributes, see 12.4.3(3) Setting object attributes.

(g) Button

You can insert in the Item window buttons for executing or canceling processing.

The following shows an example of a button.

From the Object menu, selecting Button displays an area where you can select a button. Choosing a desired button inserts it in the editing area.

The figure below shows the area for selecting a button.

The five types of buttons that can be inserted in the Item window are those that are used for executing activities defined in Flow Designer and those that are used for common purposes: Complete, Save, Reject, New item, and Close. Note that the Complete button can be used only for the node immediately before the completed activity.

If a button used to execute an activity is to update data in the asset management database when the button is clicked, you must use Activity Designer to define the nature of the processing (activity) to be performed by clicking the button.

If a button is used simply to check the contents and send them to the next worker or for common purposes, there is no need to define an activity.

The following describes the types of buttons that can be inserted:

• Buttons for executing activities

  These buttons have the activity names defined in Flow Designer. To assign a different name, insert the applicable button in the editing area and then change the name.

• Complete

  Completes the Item.

• Save

  Saves the Item in the Outbox without sending it to the next worker.

• Reject

  Rejects the Item and sends it back to the immediately preceding worker or to the first worker.

• New item

  Displays an Item window for creating a new Item.

• Close

  Closes the Item window.

(h) Defined object

You can insert in an Item an object defined for another node. This feature is used so that the Item window for a subsequent node can inherit items defined with Flow Designer in the Item window for a preceding intermediate node on the Item route.

For example, suppose that an intermediate worker clicked the Browse button to specify a device and then sent it to the next worker. In order to enable the next worker to determine the received device, you must insert a Defined object.

Choosing Defined object from the Object menu and then selecting the management name of the object to be inserted inserts the selected object in the editing area. For the inserted object, you can set the style and attributes in the same manner as for other objects.

(a) Copying style attributes

You can copy a set of style attributes specified for one object to another object. To use a uniform style for the items in the window, set the style, such as background color and font, for one object, copy the style attributes, and then paste them to the other objects. This saves time in setting the style for each item.

To copy and paste a style:

1. In the editing area, select the object whose style is to be copied, and from the Operation menu, click Copy attribute.

2. In the editing area, select the object to which you wish to paste the style, and from the Operation menu, click Paste attribute.

   The copied style attributes and size are pasted to the object selected in the editing area.

   You can select multiple objects to which you will paste a style.

(b) Setting the display order

To set the display order of an object that has been inserted in the editing area:

1. In the editing area, select the object whose display order you wish to change, and from the Operation menu, select Front or Back.

   The selected object moves to the front or back.

   You can select multiple objects.

   Note that display order cannot be set for Pulldown objects.

(a) Management name

When you define an item for entering a value (such as a text field) in the Item window, this attribute sets a management name for the entered value.

The management name set here is used to define the item. It is not the management item for another job menu. Therefore, you can set any name without having to know classes and properties.

To set a management name, select a text field, text area, or drop-down object in the editing area and, then click the Management name specification area. In the displayed dialog box, enter a management name, and then click the OK button.

For text fields and text areas, you can select an object and then directly enter a management name in the editing area.

Processing steps are defined in the Item window with Activity Designer on the basis of the management name specified here.

Notes

• All management names in the Item windows for the same Item must be unique except for objects that have been inherited from the Item creator's Item window or objects that have been inserted as Defined object.

• In the case of multiple objects with the same management name, you must ensure that they have identical object attributes.

(b) Data type

Data type sets the data type or item specification method for registration into the asset management database.

Data type can be set for Text field, Text area, and Pulldown object types.

The table below provides a cross-reference of data types and applicable object types.

For text fields and text areas that are specified directly, set the permitted data type.

For text fields that specify a group, location, user, file, device, software name, or software asset, set the data type for specifying applicable information using the Browse button.

The following describes the data types that are specified using the Browse button:

Group reference, Location reference, User reference, and File reference

When any of these types is set, the Browse button appears next to a text field. In the actual Item window, the user can specify applicable information from the dialog box that is displayed when this button is clicked.

Device reference

When this data type is set, the Browse button appears next to a text field. In the actual Item window, the user can search for and specify the applicable device managed by Asset Console from the dialog box that is displayed when this button is clicked.

The figure below shows the procedure for adding a device from the Reference Devices dialog box that is displayed when the Browse button is clicked.

Figure 12‒21: Procedure for adding a device from the Reference Devices dialog box

Selecting a desired device from the list of search results in the Selection dialog box and then clicking the OK button adds the device to the Reference Devices dialog box.

Browse Software

When this data type is set, the Browse button appears next to a text field. In the actual Item window, the user can specify a software name from the dialog box that is displayed when this button is clicked.

The figure below shows the Browse Software dialog box that is displayed when the Browse button is clicked.

Figure 12‒22: Browse Software dialog box

Reference Software

When this data type is set, the Browse button appears next to a text field. In the actual Item window, the user can specify a software asset from the dialog box that is displayed when this button is clicked.

The figure below shows the Reference Software dialog box that is displayed when the Browse button is clicked.

Figure 12‒23: Reference Software dialog box

When a software asset is specified in the Item window, the character string Selected appears in the specification field. To check the specified information, click the Browse button. In the displayed Reference Software dialog box, click the link for the asset number to the right of the Search button. The Software Details dialog box appears where you can check the specified software asset.

To check the software asset specified by the previous worker in the Item window, click the Browse button to display the Software Details dialog box, from where you can confirm the specified software asset.

Date (YYYYMMDD), Date (YYYYMM), and Date (MMDD)

When these data types are set, a button for displaying a calendar next to the text field is displayed. A numeric value entered in the field is treated as a date. You can select any of the three date formats.

(c) Maximum length, Maximum, and Minimum

These object attributes specify the maximum length for an item that is expressed as a character string, and the maximum and minimum values for an item that is expressed as a numeric value.

A maximum of 1,024 bytes of characters is permitted for Maximum length. The value range permitted for Maximum and Minimum is -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.

(d) Initial value

Initial value sets an initial value to be displayed in the Item window. The permitted initial value depends on the data type.

For data types Group reference, User reference, Date, and Time, you can set a user group name, user name, date, and time to their initial values when the Item is executed, according to the information displayed in the Item window.

For data type Code reference, you can set the initial value from selections. For other data types, you set a fixed character string.

For a text area, \n in a character string specified as an initial value is regarded as a linefeed.

(e) Reference range

Reference range selects either Reference the range of filtering or Reference all as the range of groups and users to be referenced.

If access is restricted by the organizational hierarchy, this attribute specifies whether the value is to be specifiable from within the restricted range (Reference the range of filtering) or from all organizational hierarchies (Reference all).

This attribute is applicable only to text fields whose data type is Group reference or User reference.

(f) Code

Code defines the selection items (contents of a drop-down list) that are displayed in a drop-down list in the Item window. Selection items in a drop-down list are selected by codes managed in the asset management database. For details about how to add code, see 16.8.1 Adding codes.

To define a selection item to be displayed in a drop-down list:

1. In the Code specification column, click the Edit button.

   The Edit Code dialog box appears.

2. Click the Add button.

   The Select Code dialog box appears.

3. In Managed class, click the link for the class that contains the code to be displayed.

   A list of codes is displayed.

4. Select the check box for the code that you wish to add, and then click the OK button.

   The Select Code dialog box closes and the specified code is displayed in the Edit Code dialog box.

   To delete a code, select the check box for the code that you wish to delete, and then click the Delete button.

5. Click the Close button.

   The Edit Code dialog box closes and the specified code is displayed in the Code drop-down list.

The figure below shows the Edit Code dialog box in which codes have been added.

(g) URL

URL sets the target of a hyperlink object.

Two types of targets are available:

• URL jump

  Specifies the URL of the target.

• File jump

  Specifies the management name of a target file. Select the management name from text field objects with the File reference data type that were defined in the previous worker's Item window.

  When the specified data type is File reference, only one file can be referenced.

(h) Required

Required sets an item whose specification in the Item window is mandatory.

To set a mandatory item, select the object, and then select its check box.

(i) Read-only

Read-only displays the applicable object as read-only in the Item window. Use this attribute when you wish to ensure that information entered by a previous worker will not be changed.

To set an object as read-only, select the object and then select its check box.

(j) Non-display

Non-display hides an object that is required as Item information but that you do not wish to display in an Item window. For example, suppose that the Item execution date is to be registered in the asset management database. If you insert a text field for entering the date, set the execution date as its initial value, and then hide the field. You can register the execution date and the worker can process the Item without having to know about it.

To hide an object, select the object, and then select its check box.

(k) Execution item

Execution item sets the Item to be displayed by the New item button. This attribute is applicable only to Items whose status is Exhibit.

If this setting is omitted, clicking the New item button displays the Select New Item dialog box for selecting an Item to be executed. If the set Item is no longer in Exhibit status, clicking this button also displays the Select New Item dialog box.

(l) Subject

Subject sets the item that is displayed as the subject of the Item in the Inbox, Outbox, and Execution Item Management windows. When multiple Items have the same name, the subject is useful for identifying each Item.

To set the subject, select the object and select the check box.

To display the subject of the Item in the Inbox, Outbox, and Execution Item Management windows:

1. Click the Customize Managed Items job menu and then in the displayed window, click the managed class VariousInfo link.

2. In the displayed window, click the managed class ValueText link.

3. In the displayed window, select the Show check box for the property Incident_Subject.

4. Click the Update button.

Only the Item applicant can set the subject. If the subject is changed by any other user, the change is not applied to the subject in the Inbox, Outbox, or Execution Item Management window.