Custom Table Master

1Step by step #

A custom table defines company-specific extra fields — an inspection checklist, a vehicle detail block — without code changes.

1. Press Add (F3) , name the table and add one row per field: its name, type and options.
2. Point the consumer at it — the voucher type or master that should collect the fields.
3. Press Save (F5) and confirm; entry screens for the target now show the custom block.

2Header — field details #

• Table Name: the physical table name — mandatory, set on Add and fixed afterwards.
• Display Name: a friendly title shown to users.
• Description: free text describing the table's purpose.
• Applicable To: None , Masters , or General Transaction . Choosing a value reveals the object link fields below (fixed after create).
• Applicable Object / Entry Mode / Related Key Column / Data Filter: which object the table attaches to, how rows are entered, the column relating a row to its parent, and an optional SQL WHERE filter.

3Fields grid — column details #

• Field Name: the column name (editable only while the field is new — existing columns keep their name).
• Data Type: the SQL type. User-defined types are excluded.
• Length: enabled for string types (e.g. varchar ).
• Primary: include the column in the primary key. Primary columns are automatically not null .
• Allow Null: whether the column accepts NULL (off and disabled for primary-key columns).
• Identity / Seed / Increment: auto-numbering for a numeric column (seed + increment enabled when Identity is on).
• Order: the display position of the field on the Data Entry form.
• Prompt Text: the label shown for the field on the Data Entry form (falls back to the field name).

4Integrity rules (why a save / delete is refused) #

• Required header: Table Name, Display Name and Applicable To must be filled; if Applicable To is Masters or General Transaction you must also pick the applicable object.
• At least one field , and every field needs a data type .
• Field names must be unique within the table — a repeated name is rejected.
• One identity (auto-number) column at most.
• String length limits: a string field's length must be 1–4000 for Unicode types ( nchar / nvarchar ) and 1–8000 for the others.
• Primary-key columns are forced not-null automatically.
• Live schema: Save runs the real create/alter — creating a brand-new table whose name already exists in the database will fail, and a schema-affecting column change rebuilds that column.
• Delete is permanent — it drops the physical table and every row of data in it, then removes the definition.

5Data Entry screen #

With a table loaded (View mode), click Data Entry to open a record-style form over its rows. It works like Product Master — one record at a time, View / Add / Modify — and opens ready in Add mode so you can key the first record immediately.

• Control per field is automatic: a field with Lookup SQL → searchable combo; bit → on/off switch; date types → date picker; numeric types → number box; long text (length > 255 or MAX) → multiline; otherwise a single-line text box. Identity / computed columns are read-only. Required (not-null) fields show a red *.
• Find (F2): search existing rows in a lookup dialog and load one.
• Add (F3): start a new blank record (cursor moves to the first field).
• Modify (F4): edit the loaded record.
• Save (F5): commit the add / modify. The saved record stays on screen and focus parks on Add so you can enter the next one.
• Delete: remove the current record (needs a primary key / single identity).
• Cancel (Esc): discard changes and return to view; in view, Esc closes the screen.
• Enter / Tab move to the next field; on the last field focus lands on Save. A table without a key can add rows but not edit/delete in place.

6Working in this page (keyboard) #

• Add (F3): define a new table; the cursor moves to Table Name .
• Modify (F4): edit the loaded table's definition.
• Save (F5): persist the definition and run the schema changes.
• Cancel (Esc): discard changes and return to view.
• Enter / Tab move field-to-field; tabbing off the last field row adds a new field row.
• Several copies of this page can be open at once — each keeps its own keyboard focus.

7If something does not work #