Attribute Data Carrying Through to Other Objects

[Marianne Wyatt]

I have a Business Space where I need to have data carry to other Business Objects. Here is an example (I hope it's not confusing!):

I have a project with a customer and project name. For the customer, there is an attribute set up which looks to the customer object. Then I have a shortcut where I pull in a customer ID from that. The project name is just a text box that gets a name typed into it.

I have an inspection next where I need the customer name and project to carry over to. I can set up an attribute where I set up a "Matching Attribute" for both and it pulls this information into the inspection. But the problem is that I cannot use this in any query to show the user so I need a shortcut. BUT, I cannot do a shortcut in the inspection to the project because I cannot make a shortcut to a shortcut.

I then have another object called Corrective Action under inspection that needs this information.

I then have another object called Actions Completed under Corrective Action that needs this information.

So basically, I have 5-6 layers that drill down that I need this information put on automatically (without having to pick it each time). Am I doing this the wrong way? I also do not want to make these things "Parents" or "Owned By" each other because we cannot afford to lose all the data that we would lose if someone made a mistake a deleted something.

[aware_support]

I'm not sure I understood this correctly, but I'll try to reply anyway.

For the customer, there is an attribute set up which looks to the customer object. Then I have a shortcut where I pull in a customer ID from that. The project name is just a text box that gets a name typed into it.

Was this supposed to say "For the PROJECT, there is an attribute set up..."?

So the customer refers to the project through a reference, e.g. Customer.Project and the Inspection refers to the Customer, e.g. Inspection.Customer and CorrectiveAction refers to Inspection, e.g. CorrectiveAction.Inspection. Is that right?

You need to get to the Project from, say, CorrectiveAction in order to display project name for the results of some query. Is that right?

If this is indeed the problem, then you can define a shortcut in CorrectiveAction with the following shortcut path (specify this path when definining a shortcut attribute in CorrectiveAction):
Inspection.Customer.Project.ProjectName

Then show this shortcut in query results. Note that you do not need to define shortcut to shortcut - instead, you define a complex path to the attribute you want.

For all other objects this is similar.

Hope this answers your question.

Best Regards

[aware_support2]

So you model is like this (correct me if I am wrong):

Customer - Project - Inspection - Corrective Action - Completed Action

As long as the relationships are many-to-one or one-to-one going right-to-left, you can have a shortcut that refers to data in objects to the left in this chain. For example, you can have a shortcut attribute CustomerName on CompletedAction with a shortcut path set to:

CorrectiveAction.Inspection.Project.Customer.Name

Similarly, you can have a shortcut attribute ProjectTitle on CompletedAction with a shortcut path set to:

CorrectiveAction.Inspection.Project.Title

You do not need to make a shortcut to a shortcut. Instead, the shortcut path may contain a chain of several reference attributes - as long as all attributes in the path are non-multiple-allowed attributes.

[Marianne Wyatt]

Yes, you understand my model. But there are multiples allowed.

Customer - Project - Inspection - Corrective Action - Completed Action

There can be many completed actions for a corrective action.
There can be many corrective actons for an inspection.
There can be many inspectons for a project.
There can be many projects for a customer.

But, each instance of the completed action, for example, only refers to one corrective action. And, likewise, each instance of the corrective action only refers to one inspection, (and similar with inspection to project).

Can I still do it the way you said?

[aware_support2]

Yes. As long as each object in the chain refers to only one object on its left (like a completed action only refers to one corrective action) you can have a shortcut with a path from Completed Action all the way to Customer.

If you are not sure you can always get the system to help you. Click inside the Path box of the attribute dialog for the shortcut attribute and press F3 button. This should bring up the context assistant window displayed under the Path box. This window will dynamically suggest available attribute names as you type or select from the suggested list.

Let me know if it does not work.

[Marianne Wyatt]

I've got it figured out. I think what was throwing me off was that when you pick an attribute (using F3) it sometimes puts the period in for you and sometimes doesn't. And sometimes it changes what you have in there. I think that's where I was messing up. I figured out that I had to actually hit the period key sometimes to get it to work right.