Creating Views › Create Views in the Local View Subset

Create Views in the Local View Subset

You can perform the same types of activities when you create views in the local view subset as when you create views in the import view subset:

• Create local group views
  • Add local group views
  • Detail local group views
  • Describe local group views
  • Specify cardinality of local group views
• Create local entity views
  • Add local entity views
  • Detail local entity views
  • Describe local entity views
• Create local work views
  • Add local work views
  • Detail local work views
  • Describe local work views

The activities in the previous list require the same steps as those for adding import views, with the following exceptions:

• To define views for the local view subset, use the Action Diagram, Structure Chart, or Action Block Usage tools. The Activity Hierarchy Diagram, Activity Dependency Diagram, Dialog Design, and Screen Design tools do not permit you to create views in the local view subset during view maintenance.
• When you add local views, select the view subset called Local Views. Keep this in mind when referring to other sections in this chapter.
• Since the naming conventions for local views and import views are different, name the view using the appropriate convention as recommended in this section.
• When you detail a group view, entity view, or work view in the local view subset, you cannot specify optionality. Optionality is available only for import views.

A local view is a view of an entity type and some or all of its attributes. The sole purpose of a local view is the temporary storage and checking of attribute values.

You use local views primarily in Design. Unlike import and export views, a local view can neither receive data nor present data to screens or calling processes, Procedure Steps, or action blocks except in the context of a USE statement. You cannot use a local view to communicate with the underlying Data Model as you can with entity action views.

As an example of why work views are used, consider the task of locating among all products known to the business, the product with the highest price under $100. A local view of the entity PRODUCT can be used to achieve this. As each PRODUCT is READ into an entity action view, its price is compared with that in the local view.

To distinguish local views from those views being imported and exported or used as entity action views, you may want to use names such as LOCAL or TEMP. For example, local views for the entity types EMPLOYEE and COST CENTER can be named LOCAL EMPLOYEE and LOCAL COST CENTER. This naming convention is useful when you want to know at a glance from a long list of views the information you are using solely within the process, Procedure Step, or action block.