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The following screens are standard. No
programming was necessary. RoAccess automatically
queries your RIM and Rochade internal metadata to get everything about
your data needed to build the screens, including validations, at run-time
and automatically generates each screen.
Merely install RoAccess, and you get instant WEB enablement!Below shows a split screen in Edit mode. On the left is the name of the Item selected. On the right are all the fields that can receive values. Rochade Repositories have Text, Value and Blob attributes. However, Rochade Repositories have no concept of Data Type. For example, Rochade and ASG's Web Access does not allow you to specify that an attribute is numeric with a display PIC of F10.2. You cannot specify that a Text attribute, such as ADDRESS, should be limited to 40 columns and 5 lines maximum. However, RoAccess and only RoAccess solves this problem. RoAccess has added Extended Metadata to allow "data typing", so you can declare the TYPE of data being stored, such as INTEGER, CHARACTER or FLOAT. Below, the NAME Text attribute was declared to be 1 line max and 60 columns max. SEX, is a value attribute, that has a list of allowable values. You select one from the popup list. Blob attribute PERSON_PICTURE can handle any file type, but will probably be uploaded with a .gif, .jpg or .tiff file which is the picture of the person. For graphics that are stored in Blobs, you can also decide if you want the graphics to AUTO_DISPLAY. That is, you can have that person's picture, or any other graphic, be displayed when the Item is displayed. The other option is to only display an Icon indicating that there is a file, and the user must click on the Icon to display or download the file. Note that RoAccess remembers the file name and the one-line description of the file, whereas Autopilot does not. Blobs can also be used to store any kind of electronic document, allowing RoAccess to do complete document storage and dissemination systems with ease. Text attribute PERSON_WEIGHT is defined as Integer, with a PIC of I3 and a range of 1 to 450, which will be enforced at data entry time. That is, you will be told of the violation before you attempt to save the form if you enter an out-of-range value. Note that the field to receive the number is only 3 characters wide, because the PIC was I3. With Autopilot, you get a multi-line, 80 column wide text editor, which is not very appropriate for an I3 Integer. Value attribute AGE was defined to be integer with a pic of I3 and a validation range of 1 to 150. Note that both Text and Value attributes can be given Types and display PICs. Text attribute EMAIL_ADDRESS was defined to be CHAR(40) wide and 2 lines
max. Note how any type of URL can be embedded within a text
attribute. This can be hyperlinks to other programs, pop up pre-addressed
email, ftp file transfers and more. Again, this is a RoAccess capability,
not a Rochade capability.
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| The above shows Item FAUSAK_GREG was selected in Edit mode.
The various value and text attributes have been defined as integer or character
by the RoAccess Extended Metadata. This allow an entry field to be
just the correct width and/or number of lines showing.
Attributes Sex and Name are Mandatory as evidenced by the M next to their name. Attribute Email_Address is INFO only, as shown by the I. Even though this is Edit mode, this user has only INFO access to this particular attribute, so the value of EMAIL_ADDRESS is merely displayed, and editing is not allowed for this user. The last three optional fields: Item Owned By, Item Last Updated, and Item Last Updated by Client are optional. You can specify on an Item Type by Item Type basis which Item Types will have these three or any combination display. In some cases the last update date or the Item owner may be very important. Then you would have them appear on that Item Type displays. This is a site configuration file option. Lastly, at the bottom of every Item display is a list of all the other Items that reference it via their link attributes. So you can see the Item, what it links to and what links to it. So you are viewing all your metadata in context. By clicking these links, you can quickly do data mining.
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