Creating or modifying regular record definitions

A regular record definition is an entity that can store the information for your business processes. For example, if you have an on-boarding process for new hires, you require employee details such as first name, last name, employee ID, and so on in the process. These details are stores a regular record definition. 

You can create a new record definition or edit an existing record definition. 

Before you begin

Ensure that you have created a project and deployed it in BMC Helix Innovation Studio. For more information, see Creating a Project using Maven and the Archetype.

To add fields to a record definition

1. Click New field and select the required datatype for the field.
2. In the Details section, enter the field name and provide additional details for the field, such as the following information:
   1. Name: Enter the name of the record field.
   2. Description: Provide the description for the record field.
   3. Required: Select to mark the field as required for the record definition.

   4. Allow anyone to submit: Select to allow any user to submit new requests.

      Notes

      When you add a text field, you must provide the field length in characters and not in bytes. The default length is 254 characters.

      Text fields with more than 1000 characters in a record definition are converted into Character Large Object (CLOB) field after saving the record definition for Oracle.

      In BMC Helix Innovation Studio, all field lengths for record definitions have the same magnitude but with character units instead of byte units, except for the following fields which remain byte semantics:

      • • 1 = field ID CORE_ENTRY_ID

        • 179 = GUID

        • 379 = RECORD_ID

      • Field ID range specifies the limit for values that you can assign (or is assigned automatically if you do not assign any value) to the Field ID. You can assign the value to Field ID within the Field ID range. You cannot assign the lower limit value of the Field ID Range to a field. For example, if Field ID Range is 1000:2000, the minimum value that you can assign to a Field ID is 1001. 

      If you create a new field whose ID is not in the range defined in Field ID Range, the new field is still created with a warning message:
      

      WARNING (471): Field ID given by the user is not within the specified range.
      

      To resolve this issue, delete the field and create a new field whose field ID is within the range specified in Field ID Range.

3. Click Save. 

To update the existing fields in the record definition

1. Select the field in the record definition.
2. In the Details section, modify the field details.
3. Save the changes. 

To add permissions to a record definition

By default, a record definition is visible only to the administrator users. To make a record available for other users, you must provide the permissions to a specific group or a role to access the record. You can also restrict any field in a record by assigning permissions to the record field.

1. To add permission for a record, perform the following steps:
   1. In the Details section, click Edit beside the Permissions field.

      The Edit Permissions window is displayed.

   2. Click Add Permission.
   3. From the Type list, select whether you want to provide permission to a specific group or to a specific role.
   4. From the Group (or Role) list, select the group to which you want to provide permission.

      The field will be displayed only to those users who belong to that group or role.

   5. Click Save to save the permission settings.
2. To add permission for a specific record field, perform the following steps:
   1. Select the record field to which you want to add permission.

   2. From the Details section, click Edit beside the Permissions field.

      The Edit Permissions window is displayed.

   3. Click Add Permission.
   4. From the Type list, select whether you want to provide permission to a specific group or to a specific role.
   5. From the Group (or Role) list, select the group to which you want to provide permission.

      The field will be displayed only to those users who belong to that group (or role). 

   6. To assign view-only permission, select the View check box or select the Change check box to assign permission to modify the record.
   7. Click Save to save the permission settings.
3. Save the record definition.

To add indexes for record definitions

1. In the Indexes section, click Add Index.
2. If you want each index to return only a unique search result, select the Each index to resolve a unique result check box.
3. From the Available Fields list, select the fields that you want to index and then click the Move side button.
4. To arrange the fields in decreasing priority order, use the Move Up or Move Down buttons and click Save.
    If a composite index exists on fields F1 and F2, the record are sorted first by F1 and then by F2.
   

By default, a record contains an index for the GUID field and you cannot modify or delete the index. You can modify the indexes for the other fields.

To define the scope for a record definition

1. In the Details section, click Scope/Customization Options.
2. From Definition Scope, select the scope for a record definition.
   You can select any of the following options: 
   • Application/Library (default)—Limits the use of the record definition within the same application or library. 
   • Public—Enables the record definition to be used by all the applications or libraries. Additionally, users can customize the record definition properties, such as properties, fields, permissions, and search indexes.
     To enable users to customize the record definition, perform the following tasks:
     1. From the Customization Options area, select the Allow future customization to this record definition check box. 
     2. In the Allow future customizations to: section, select whether you want to enable users to customize the record definition's properties, fields, permissions, or search indexes.
     3. From the list of available record definition fields, select whether you want to enable users to customize the field's properties or permissions or both.
3. Click Save.

To export record data with a bundle

You can automatically export the record data when the library or application is packed in a bundle for deployment.

1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio and navigate to the Workspace tab. 
2. Select the application for which you want to export record data.
3. On the Records tab, click the record name you want to use.
4. In the Details section, click .
5. Select the Should Export Data check box.

To associate and display field values for record definitions

Associate fields to record definitions, so that during runtime the associated field values are displayed instead of GUID values. This configuration enables you to make the record definitions readable, as it is difficult to read and understand the information just from the GUID values.

To associate fields to record definitions, perform the following steps:

1. Select the record definition.

   The record definition details are displayed.

2. In the Display Value section, click Associated Display Value list and select the field that you want to associate with the record definition.

If you do not associate any field value for a record definition, the record definition displays GUID values for the field. For example, in a Approval application, the Leave Request record definition displays the Requester as GUID value AGGAA5V0FMWPEAOZPNJAOYTJICQIRY.

If you associate field value with a record definition, the record definition displays the associated field value and not the GUID value. For example, in a Approval application, the Leave Request record definition displays the Requester as Britney.

To copy fields in a record definition

You can copy custom fields from a regular record to the same record.

1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio, navigate to the Workspace tab, and select the application.
2. On the Records tab, click the Regular type record name in which you want to copy fields. 
3. Select the custom field on the record definition that you want to copy. 

4. Select Copy. 

   Note

   The Copy button is enabled when you select one custom field.

   The Copy button is disabled if you select multiple custom fields or core fields.

5. A copy of the selected field is created as Copy of <selected field name>.

For example, you have a person record definition that has a field Official email address. You want to add another field for an alternate email address. You can copy the Official email address field and rename it to Alternate email address.

Copying fields is not applicable for the following fields and record definitions:

• Core fields
• Inherited fields
• Join records
• Audit records 

The following properties of the field are not copied:

• id
• name
• customId
• developerId
• lastChangedBy
• lastUpdateTime
• optionLabelsById
• overlayDescriptor
• overlayGroupId
• owner
• version