Table to View

The table select view is used to select which table will be the current table and be displayed in the data grid and can be edited. 

You may select one table at a time.  Tables that exist in the current file will have an active button or appear in the drop down list. If a button is grayed then that table does not exist in the current file. All of the standard tables have a button here. User defined tables (those with non-standard names) can be selected in a drop down and you must also select the button. Only tables that contain ITS registry data will be shown; other tables in the file will not.

The rule used for deciding if a table is ITS compliant, and any converting that may occur if you open it, is to compare the fields found in the table with those found in the ASN_Fields table (found in the MEdit_Settings.mdb file) and if these fields exist, to presume the table is a valid one for Mini-Edit use. When such a table is opened, any missing fields (determined by the Registry_Name_Mappings table), are also added to its structure.

The outdated two-table system of DEs and MSGs is supported as well as the newer system of five named tables. Automatic process rules in the file open section will give the user the opportunity to convert to the newer table section. However, because the older tables still remain, they often provide a handy reference to compare older entries.

Aside: The current practice is to create all the standard named tables in every file as a working convention, even if these tables are empty, so as a rule only older files will have missing tables.  Mini-Edit will add such tables when they are found missing as part of the overall open process.

A brief description of the tables and their typical content is provided below.

 

Keep in mind that regardless of the name of the table, every table can contain every type of record.

Local Entries button Used to hold local table entries, typically local stub extensions in a standard and local work for a deployment. [Top]

Data Elements button Used to hold data element entries, typically the atomic entries of a standard. [Top]

Data Frames button Used to hold data frame entries, typically of a standard. A data frame is a structured collection of other data frames or data elements. [Top]

Messages button Used to hold message entries, typically of a standard. A message is a structured collection of other data frames or data elements which represents the top level of some application and which can be exchanged as a stand alone entity (typically in a Dialog of some sort). [Top]

Dialogs (WSDL) button Used to hold Dialog s entries, typically of a standard or for a local deployment. A Dialog is a structured exchange of one or more messages which perform a function in some application. [Top]

Foreign Elements button Used to hold table entries from other standards, data elements, data frames, and messages. In most standards this table is used to point to the data concepts developed in other standards upon which the subject standard depends for data concepts. A current and authoritative record from the database of that standard is typically copied to this table. Practices vary regarding including all other related data concepts that this record may point to. Most standards import the first level of such linkages but not all the subsequent underlying ones. This may leave some work to be done by the end deployment in order to construct a full and complete schema system. [Top]

Depreciated button Used to hold data concepts which have been retired from active use. This is different from deleted where a record has been removed. Most standards provide some form of depreciated entries as a graceful way to remove outdated concepts from future editions of the work. [Aside: The deleted table, a table which holds any data concepts you delete, can be selected from the items listed in the table-select drop down.] [Top]

Select a Table button The select a table button allow you to pick from the tables shown on the drop down list. All valid tables without a button of their own are displayed here. Any user created table will be listed here. [Top]

DEs (old style) button Used to hold data element entries in the old table style; typically the atomic entries of a standard. [Top]

MSGs (old style) button Used to hold messages and data frame entries in the old style of tables, typically of a standard. [Top]

Temporary Table button The temporary table is not yet released for use. It will be used as a working scratch pad to gather sets of entries from the other tables resulting from searches and representing a collected sub-set of data for a user. [Top]

Sort By Controls The sort-by control allow you to select the order in which the table is displayed in the grid and in the view-edit window. You can check one or both of the buttons. The first button sorts by alpha order on the descriptive name field. The second uses the ASN name field. If both are checked the sorting order is descriptive name followed by ASN name. [Top]