Manage fields¶

Fields are the basic building blocks in a CortexEngine. Various field types are available for mapping a wide range of use cases.

Fields are used in:

The reporter uses fields as a source for automatic calculations.

The following actions are possible for fields:

Field administration¶

The image shows the field administration: (1) navigation, (2) button Groups, (3) button Edit , (4) table with all fields, (5) button Add , (6) buttons with export and import options

The two buttons Edit and Add open the field properties for editing the field.

If the function *Groups is active, the fields can be organized into groups for simplified administration.

Attention

Changes in system settings often only take effect when a restart is carried out after closing the system settings (menu item under the button with the user name at the top right, see also introduction).

Important

Special rules apply to system fields.

Field editor¶

When adding and editing fields, the field editor opens with field properties open:

The image shows the field editor with open field properties: (1) field Field name, (2) selection Field type, (3) field Field length, (4) field Field description, (5) checkbox Repetition field, (6) checkbox Read only, (7) field Field synonym, (8) selection Subtype, (9) checkbox with list for history information, (10) checkbox Event field, (11) button Delete , (12) button Create as new template, (13) buttons for Cancel and Accept for the currently opened row, (14) field Filter, (15) button for Add field, (16) buttons for Cancel and Save to close the field editor

Table with all elements/field properties of the field editor

Name	Meaning	Permitted field types	Editable	Note
field Field name	(meaningful) name to identify the field	all	always	freely selectable free text, can consist of several words
select Field type	possible field types: character (C), multiline text field (M), date (D), time (T), integer (N), double (floating point number) (F), internal reference (I), file (B), field reference (L), JSON (J)	all	only if field is not used	more info on field types
field Field length	defines how long values in this field may be	characters (C), multiline text field (M)	always	the entries depend on the selected field type (2), further information under field types; if the field length is adjusted, this applies to future entries
enter decimal places	determines how many decimal places are displayed	numeric with decimal places (F)	always	the entries depend on the selected field type (2), further information under field types; if the number is adjusted, this applies to future entries
field Field description (optional)	if the field name is not self-explanatory, the description helps to fill the field correctly	all	always	is displayed in the field tooltip in the record input mask
checkbox repetition field	for entering information units that can occur more than once	all	only if field is not used	example: several telephone numbers in one recordcustomer
checkbox Read-only	prevents editing of the field content	all	only if field is not used	example: use for a field with automatically generated values that should not be changed manually
field Field synonym	3 -7 characters for the unique identification of the field	all	only if field is not used	permitted characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9 and _ (underscore); prohibited characters: * (asterisk), . (period), , (comma) and ;(semicolon)
selection Subtype	optional; defines which content is supported in the input mask	characters (C), multiline text field (M), field reference (L)	only if field is not used	depends on field type; further information under field types and subtypes
checkbox List for history information	historical and future values of a field are included in the field dictionary, in addition to the current value, and can thus be found using search mechanisms.	the following fields can be included in the search mechanisms: character (C), multiline text field (M), date (D), time (T), positive integer (N), double (floating point number) (F), internal reference (I), JSON (J)	only if field is not used	examples: address after a move, future regulation (reduction of a legal value from 2030). tip: changes are only saved from the point at which the history information is activated. tip: it may occur that search results do not seem to match the search. attention: requires significantly more server performance if checked
checkbox Event field	a value is always recorded and saved at a defined regular time (e.g. daily at 10 a.m., on the first day of each month, etc.)	all	only if field is not used	example: selection Event value: the account balance on the last day of each month. The values on the other days are not relevant for the event. If the account balance is selected as a historical value, the current daily value is queried.
button Delete field	the currently open field is deleted			a field cannot be deleted if it is used in a record type.
button Create as a new template	an existing field is used as a template for a new field to be created.			very useful if the new field to be created has a lot in common with the template field
buttons Accept / Cancel	the changes to the currently open field are saved or discarded
field Filter	search for fields that have the entered text in the field name
button Add field	add new field without leaving the editor
buttons Save / Cancel	all changes for one or more fields are accepted or discarded

Important

Not in all cases are all field properties available for all field types.

Field types¶

The CortexEngine recognizes various field types for imaging a wide range of use cases.

Table with all field types

Field type	Meaning	Subtypes	Note
character (C)	enter a single-line text	URL, email, phone/fax no.	example: typical text input field
multiline text field (M)		enter a multiline text	HTML code, simple HTML, JavaScript code, simple text, markdown code, JSON string , XML string
date (D)	enter a date		possibilities for entering: date picker, manual date entry, timestamp, relative date
time (T)	enter a timestamp		e.g. (log) entry, when something was newly created or last edited
positive integer (N)	enter an integer (max. 2.5 billion)
double (floating point number) (F)	enter a floating point number
internal reference with bidirectional selection (I@)	enter reference to another record type; contains source and target record ID for quick selections in both directions (from child record to parent record and vice versa)		Recommended for the internal reference. Only the field contents configured in the visualization of the target record type are displayed.
internal reference (I)	Enter reference to another record type. Only selection in the direction of the target is possible.		Only the field contents that have been configured in the visualization of the target record type are displayed.
file (B)	upload exactly one file		files permitted for upload must be defined in the file types.
field reference (L)	enter reference to the content of another field (in another record)	character (C), multiline text field (M), date (D), time (T), positive integer (N), double (floating point number) (F), file (B), JSON (J)	in contrast to an internal reference, the field reference displays the content of a single, concrete field of a record type.
JSON (J)	enter JSON content

Subtypes¶

Subtypes are dependent on the selected field type.

Table with the respective field type for all subtypes

Subtype	Available in field type
file (B)	field reference (L)
date (D)	field reference (L)
email	character (C)
HTML code	multiline text field (M)
JavaScript code	multiline text field (M)
JSON container field (J)	field reference (L)
JSON string	multiline text field (M)
markdown code	multiline text field (M)
multiline text field (M)	field reference (L)
double (floating point number) (F)	field reference (L)
positive integer (N)	field reference (L)
simple HTML	multiline text field (M)
simple Text	multiline text field (M)
phone- / fax-No.	character (C)
URL	character (C)
XML string	multiline text field (M)
character (C)	field reference (L)
time (T)	field reference (L)

System fields¶

As an example, the image shows two system fields

Notes on system fields

System fields are part of the Uniplex and cannot be edited or deleted.
The field synonym begins with # or !.
use of system fields:
- can not be included in layouts of record types
- can be used in reading contexts such as lists, searches and reporters
- can be used in the visualization of record types

Field synonym¶

The field synonym will identify a field

- synonym must be unique - field length: at least 3 characters, maximum 7 characters - first character must not be a digit - permitted characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9 and _ (underscore) - forbidden characters: * (asterisk), . (period), , (comma) and ;(semicolon)

Important

After the field has been created, the field synonym can only be edited as long as the field has not yet been used.

Synonyms for fields set by the system have a defined start character

Initial character	Description
!	system field via RemoteAdmin
#	system field
?	reporter field
~	partner field of another synonym, e.g. for files
+	partner field of another synonym, provides a field dictionary via history information
@	only for internal references, automatically creates a partner field with '=' at the beginning
=	partner field for @ with bidirectional reference
:	virtual field

Add a field¶

click the button Add

The field properties will open

Image with field editor

The image shows the field editor with open field properties: (1) field Field names, (2) Selection Field type, (3) field Field length, (4) field Field description, (5) field Field synonym, (6) selection Subtype, (7) checkbox Repetition field, (8) checkbox Read only, (9) checkbox with list entry for history information, (10) checkbox Event field, (11) buttons for Cancel and Accept for the currently open row, (12) button Add field, (13) buttons for Cancel and Save to close the editor
enter a meaningful name in the field Field name to identify the field

select the field type

Important

Once the field has been created, the field type can only be edited as long as the field has not yet been used.

Table with all field types

Field type	Meaning	Subtypes	Note
character (C)	enter a single-line text	URL, email, phone/fax no.	example: typical text input field
multiline text field (M)		enter a multiline text	HTML code, simple HTML, JavaScript code, simple text, markdown code, JSON string , XML string
date (D)	enter a date		possibilities for entering: date picker, manual date entry, timestamp, relative date
time (T)	enter a timestamp		e.g. (log) entry, when something was newly created or last edited
positive integer (N)	enter an integer (max. 2.5 billion)
double (floating point number) (F)	enter a floating point number
internal reference with bidirectional selection (I@)	enter reference to another record type; contains source and target record ID for quick selections in both directions (from child record to parent record and vice versa)		Recommended for the internal reference. Only the field contents configured in the visualization of the target record type are displayed.
internal reference (I)	Enter reference to another record type. Only selection in the direction of the target is possible.		Only the field contents that have been configured in the visualization of the target record type are displayed.
file (B)	upload exactly one file		files permitted for upload must be defined in the file types.
field reference (L)	enter reference to the content of another field (in another record)	character (C), multiline text field (M), date (D), time (T), positive integer (N), double (floating point number) (F), file (B), JSON (J)	in contrast to an internal reference, the field reference displays the content of a single, concrete field of a record type.
JSON (J)	enter JSON content

enter the field length in the field Field length or the decimal places, depending on the selected field type
optional: enter a field description in the field Field description

If the field name is not self-explanatory, the description will help you to correctly fill in the field. The field description will be displayed in the record input mask in the field tooltip.
enter the field synonym in the field Field synonym to uniquely identify the field

Rules for synonyms

- synonym must be unique - field length: at least 3 characters, maximum 7 characters - first character must not be a digit - permitted characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9 and _ (underscore) - forbidden characters: * (asterisk), . (period), , (comma) and ;(semicolon)

Important

After the field has been created, the field synonym can only be edited as long as the field has not yet been used.

optional: select a subtype

Only the field types character (C), multiline text field (M) and field reference (L) can contain a subtype

Table with all subtypes

Field type	Subtypes	Note
character (C)	URL, email, Phone- / Fax-No.
multiline text field (M)	HTML code, simple HTML, JavaScript code, simple text, markdown code, JSON string, XML string
field reference (L)	character (C), multiline text field (M), date (D), time (T), positive integer (N), double (floating point number) (F), file (B), JSON (J)	reference to the content of another field (in another record)

select additional attributes for Repetition field, Read only, With list entry for history information and Event field

Table with additional attributes

Attribute	Meaning	Note
checkbox Repetition field	to register information units that may occur more than once	Example: several telephone numbers in one record Customer
checkbox Read only	prevents the field content from being edited	example: Used for a field with automatically generated values that should not be changed manually.
checkbox with field content for history information	in addition to the current value, historical and future values of a field are included in the field dictionary and can therefore be found using search mechanisms.	examples: address after a relocation, future regulation (reduction of a fixed value from 2030). Tip: changes are only saved from the point at which the history information is activated. Tip: it may occur that search results do not appear to match the search. Attention: requires significantly more server performance if checked
checkbox Event field	always enter and save the value at a defined regular time (e.g. daily at 10 a.m., on the first day of each month, etc.)	example: selection event value: the account balance on the last day of each month. The values on the other days are not relevant for the event. If the account balance is selected as a historical value, the current daily value is queried.

click the button *Accept (or Cancel) to finish editing this field*

The field properties will close.
if you want to add another field, click the button Add field and repeat the instructions from step 2 onwards
if you want to edit or delete a field, click the row of the field and follow the respective instructions from action step 2 under edit or delete a field
click the button Save changes (or Cancel) to close the field editor as soon as you have finished editing all fields

The field editor will close and the updated list with all fields will be displayed again.

Edit a field¶

The following action steps relate to fields that are already used in at least one record type. Some field properties can be edited, the others are inactive.

Fields that are not currently used are processed like a newly added field.

click the button Edit

The field properties opens.

Image with field properties

The image shows the field editor with open field properties: (1) field Field name, (2) field Field description, (3) Selection Subtype, (4) button Create as a new template, (5) buttons for Cancel and Accept for the currently open row, (6) button FAdd field, (7) buttons for Cancel and Save to close the editor
if necessary, edit the field Field name and enter a meaningful name to identify the field
edit field Field description if required

If the field name is not self-explanatory, the description will help you to fill the field correctly. The field description is displayed in the record input mask in the field tooltip.

optional: select a subtype

Only the field types character (C), multiline text field (M) and field reference (L) can contain a subtype

Table with all subtypes

Field type	Subtypes	Note
character (C)	URL, email, Phone- / Fax-No.
multiline text field (M)	HTML code, simple HTML, JavaScript code, simple text, markdown code, JSON string, XML string
field reference (L)	character (C), multiline text field (M), date (D), time (T), positive integer (N), double (floating point number) (F), file (B), JSON (J)	reference to the content of another field (in another record)

if required, click the button Create as a new template
click the button Accept (or Cancel) to finish editing this field

The field properties will close.
if you want to edit or delete another field, click the corresponding row

The field properties will open for editing.
if you want to add a new field, click the button Add field and follow the instructions from step 2 under Add a field

The field properties will open for editing.The field properties will open for editing.
click the button Save changes (or Cancel) as soon as you have finished editing all fields

The field editor will close and the list with all fields will be displayed again.

Delete a field¶

A field can be deleted in the field properties.

Important

A field cannot be deleted in the following cases:

The field is used in a record type.
The field is a system field.

In these cases, the button Delete is inactive.

click the button Edit of the field you want to delete

The field properties opens.

Image with field properties
click the button Delete

The field properties will close and the field editor will be displayed again.

The field to be deleted is now highlighted in red:
if you want to edit or delete another field, click the corresponding row

The field properties will open for editing.
if you want to add a new field, click the button Add field and follow the instructions from step 2 under add a field

The field properties will open for editing.
click the button Save changes (or Cancel) as soon as you have finished editing all fields

The field editor will close and the updated list with all fields will be displayed again.

Create field properties as a new template¶

An existing field serves as a template for a new field to be created. This is particularly useful if the new field you are creating has a lot in common with the template field.

A template can be created in the field properties.

click the button Edit of the field you want to use as a template

The field properties opens.

Image with field properties
click the button Create as new template

All fields can be edited in the new field.

When you start editing, the fields contain the same information as in the template field:
If necessary, edit the field Field name and enter a meaningful name to identify the field

select a different field type if required

Important

Once the field has been created, the field type can only be edited as long as the field has not yet been used.

Table with all field types

Field type	Meaning	Subtypes	Note
character (C)	enter a single-line text	URL, email, phone/fax no.	example: typical text input field
multiline text field (M)		enter a multiline text	HTML code, simple HTML, JavaScript code, simple text, markdown code, JSON string , XML string
date (D)	enter a date		possibilities for entering: date picker, manual date entry, timestamp, relative date
time (T)	enter a timestamp		e.g. (log) entry, when something was newly created or last edited
positive integer (N)	enter an integer (max. 2.5 billion)
double (floating point number) (F)	enter a floating point number
internal reference with bidirectional selection (I@)	enter reference to another record type; contains source and target record ID for quick selections in both directions (from child record to parent record and vice versa)		Recommended for the internal reference. Only the field contents configured in the visualization of the target record type are displayed.
internal reference (I)	Enter reference to another record type. Only selection in the direction of the target is possible.		Only the field contents that have been configured in the visualization of the target record type are displayed.
file (B)	upload exactly one file		files permitted for upload must be defined in the file types.
field reference (L)	enter reference to the content of another field (in another record)	character (C), multiline text field (M), date (D), time (T), positive integer (N), double (floating point number) (F), file (B), JSON (J)	in contrast to an internal reference, the field reference displays the content of a single, concrete field of a record type.
JSON (J)	enter JSON content

if required, adjust the field length or the decimal places, depending on the selected field type
optional: edit the field description if required

If the field name is not self-explanatory, the description will help you to fill the field correctly. The field description is displayed in the record input mask in the field tooltip.
change the field synonym. The new synonym will identify the field

Rules for synonyms

- synonym must be unique - field length: at least 3 characters, maximum 7 characters - first character must not be a digit - permitted characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9 and _ (underscore) - forbidden characters: * (asterisk), . (period), , (comma) and ;(semicolon)

Important

After the field has been created, the field synonym can only be edited as long as the field has not yet been used.

optional: Select a subtype if required

Only the field types character (C), multiline text field (M) and field reference (L) can contain a subtype

Table with all subtypes

Field type	Subtypes	Note
character (C)	URL, email, Phone- / Fax-No.
multiline text field (M)	HTML code, simple HTML, JavaScript code, simple text, markdown code, JSON string, XML string
field reference (L)	character (C), multiline text field (M), date (D), time (T), positive integer (N), double (floating point number) (F), file (B), JSON (J)	reference to the content of another field (in another record)

if required, select the additional attributes for Repetition field, Read only, With list entry for history information and Event field

Table with further attributes

Attribute	Meaning	Note
checkbox Repetition field	to register information units that may occur more than once	Example: several telephone numbers in one record Customer
checkbox Read only	prevents the field content from being edited	example: Used for a field with automatically generated values that should not be changed manually.
checkbox with field content for history information	in addition to the current value, historical and future values of a field are included in the field dictionary and can therefore be found using search mechanisms.	examples: address after a relocation, future regulation (reduction of a fixed value from 2030). Tip: changes are only saved from the point at which the history information is activated. Tip: it may occur that search results do not appear to match the search. Attention: requires significantly more server performance if checked
checkbox Event field	always enter and save the value at a defined regular time (e.g. daily at 10 a.m., on the first day of each month, etc.)	example: selection event value: the account balance on the last day of each month. The values on the other days are not relevant for the event. If the account balance is selected as a historical value, the current daily value is queried.

click the button Accept (or Cancel) to finish editing this field

The field properties will close.
if you want to add a new field, click the button Add field and follow the instructions from step 2 under add a field
if you want to edit or delete a field, click the row of the field and follow the instructions from step 2 under edit a field or delete a field
click the button Save changes (or Cancel) to close the field editor as soon as you have finished editing all fields

The field editor will close and the updated list with all fields will be displayed again.

Organize fields into groups¶

If the function Groups is active, the record types can be organized into groups for simplified management.

The following actions are possible:

Note

The actions are shown using the example Field management.

The image shows the field administration with active groups: (1) button Activate groups, (2) button Add group , (3) button Assign selected entries to group , (4) fields from the currently active group

Kinds of fields¶

The table shows which kinds of fields are assigned to their own group:

Kind of field	Group	Meaning	Editable group?	Note
system fields	~System	fields are added to the group by the system	no	indicator: the field synonym begins with # or !
reporter fields	reporter fields	fields are created by the system and added to the group if a reporter definition has been created and initiated in the Remote Admin	no	indicator: the field synonym begins with ?
JsImport-fields	JsImport	group is created by the system as soon as an import has been carried out. However, the group is empty, fields are added manually.	yes	indicator: the original field name is preceded by a letter of the alphabet. This letter is also used in the synonym. For example, all fields that were imported together in a CSV file are preceded by A, the synonyms are then called A001, A002, .... Import fields are used in the same way as manually created standard fields.
standard fields	~Fields	manually added or imported fields are located in the ~Fields group	yes	can be added to all manually created groups, e.g. Ride

Notes on system fields

System fields are part of the Uniplex and cannot be edited or deleted.
The field synonym begins with # or !.
use of system fields:
- can not be included in layouts of record types
- can be used in reading contexts such as lists, searches and reporters
- can be used in the visualization of record types

A reporter field cannot be used in another reporter field, e.g. for calculations that are based on each other.

Create a user-defined group¶

The image shows the field administration with active groups

Create user-defined groups¶

click the button Add group

A new row will be added:
enter the name of the group (1)
click the button (2) Save

The list with the group names will be updated, the group has been sorted alphabetically.

The groups ~System and Reporter fields always remain at the end of the list.

Rename a group¶

click the group you want to edit

The button Edit will appear.

The image shows the group that can be edited:
click the button Edit

The element can be edited or deleted.

The image shows the edit possibilities of the group:
edit the group name
click the button (1) Save (or Cancel)

The list with the group names will be updated, the group has been sorted alphabetically.

The groups ~System and Reporter fields always remain at the end of the list.

Delete a group¶

click the group you intend to edit

The button Edit will appear.

The image shows the group that can be edited:
click the button Edit

The element can be edited.

The image shows the edit possibilities of the group:
click the button Delete

The following confirmation window opens:
click the button Yes (or No)

The group will be deleted and the list of groups will be updated.

Links of elements to this group are automatically deleted.

Add elements to a group¶

(1) selected group with selected elements you want to add to another group, (2) button Assign selected entries to the group to assign the selected elements to this group

select a group (1) from which you want to add elements to another group
select all the elements you want to add to the group
click the button (2) Assign selected items to group of the new group

The elements are added to the group.

An element can belong to several groups.

Remove elements from a group¶

(1) selected group with selected elements to be removed from the group, (2) button Remove selected entries from group to remove the selected elements from the group

click the group (1) from which you want to remove elements
select all the elements you want to remove from the group
click the button (2) Remove selected items from group of the group

The elements will be removed from the group.

Export and import field elements¶

The following exports and imports are possible in field management:

export field definition
export field names
import a field names

Each export is only carried out for selected rows in the field management.

Export a field definition¶

Exporting the field definition provides a quick overview of the configuration of the selected fields in a table.

Image with buttons for export and import

The image shows the export and import buttons: (1) checkbox to select row, (2) button Export field names , (3) button Import field names , (4) button Export field definitions

select the rows you want to export
click the button Export field definition.

The file will be downloaded in CSV format and saved in the download folder (or the folder that was set for this in the browser).

The file name will be generated automatically and will be called fieldnames.csv.

A list with the following information will be exported:

Column	Meaning	Note
syn	field synonym
name	field name
Com	field description
BTyp	with list entry for history information yes / no	0=no 3=yes
WFlag	repetition field yes / no	0=no 1=yes
FTyp	field type	C=character M=multiline text field D=date T=time N=positive integer F=numerical with decimal places I@=internal link with bidirectional selection I=internal link B=file L=field reference J=JSOn
FLen	permitted field length	number of characters or number of decimal places
FCode	subtype yes / no	0=no subtype 1-9 depend on the field type and the available subtypes
Attrib	read only yes / no event field yes / no	0=both no 1=read only 8=event field 9=both yes
group	groups the field is assigned to

Export field names¶

The functions Export field names and Import field names were developed to quickly replace German field names and the corresponding field descriptions with the corresponding entries in another language in the CortexEngine.

Image with buttons for export and import

The image shows the export and import buttons: (1) checkbox to select row, (2) button Export field names , (3) button Import field names , (4) button Export field definitions

select the rows you want to export
click the button Export field names.

The file will be downloaded in CSV format and saved in the download folder (or the folder that was set for this in the browser).

The file name will be generated automatically and will be called fieldnames.csv. If a field list already exists, a number will be added to the file name, e.g. fieldnames-2.csv.

A list with the following information will be exported

Column	Description	Note
field synonym	synonym of the field	not editable
field name	name of the field	editable
field description	description of the field to supplement the field name	editable

The field names and field descriptions in the CSV file can be edited before re-importing.

Important

The field synonyms must remain unchanged.

Import field names¶

The functions Export field names and Import field names were developed to quickly replace German field names and the corresponding field descriptions with the corresponding entries in another language in the CortexEngine.

Please check before importing whether the CSV file has already been edited in such a way that the required fields have been edited (e.g. with suitable translations).

Important

Only CSV files can be imported. The contents Field name and Field description of each Field synonym will be adapted if this synonym is contained in the CortexEngine.

Column	Intended content	Note
field synonym	synonym of the field	not editable
field name	name of the field	editable
field description	description of the field to supplement the field name	editable

Image with buttons for export and import

The image shows the export and import buttons: (1) checkbox to select row, (2) button Export field names , (3) button Import field names , (4) button Export field definitions

click the button Import field names.

The following window opens:
click the button Select file.

A window with a file folder opens.
select an appropriate CSV file and upload the file (columns included: Field synonym, Field name, Field description)

The following window opens:

The image shows the import settings: (1) file selection for import, (2) name of the file to be imported, (3) default selection, please do not change, (4) separator of the import CSV file, (5) button Import field names
keep the default selection unchanged
if necessary, change the separator used in the CSV file

The separator that was recognized is selected during import.

Supported are semicolon (;), comma (,) and tabulator.
click the button Import field names (or on the X button at the top right if you want to cancel)

A success message about the import and the number of updated field names opens.
click the button Ok

The list under Field management will be displayed again.
click on Field management in the navigation bar

The updated field names and field descriptions will now be displayed.