Rules for Set operations with line items

Be aware of the following rules for Set operations with line items.  (For example, you might have a complex document, such as a purchase order with three line items.  You submit an XML document containing two line items for a Purchase Order that already exists in the system. The server compares the Line IDs of the existing three line items with the Line IDs of the two new line items.)

• If there are matching Line IDs, the server updates the line item in the database with the contents of the XML elements inside the corresponding line item in the input document. Fields for which the XML elements are missing are left untouched.
• If a new Line ID does not exist in the database, the server creates a record in the line item form.
• If there is a missing Line ID — that is, if a line item exists in the server but not in the input request — the server deletes the line item from the server or ignores it, depending on the option you select in BMC Remedy Developer Studio on the Set Operation panel.
  • If you select Full from the Composite Options list, the server deletes missing line items.
  • If you select Partial from the Composite Options list, the server ignores missing line items. As a consequence of these rules, a modify operation for a complex document can result in create and delete actions.

Make sure that each Line ID is unique within the scope of one document. The server cannot distinguish between duplicate Line IDs when performing a modify action. The use of duplicate Line IDs might cause unexpected results.