Relational Field Types

Relational fields are used to establish relationships between data in primary and auxiliary tables. Relational fields are created in SBM Composer.

There are three types of Relational fields:

• Multi-Relational Field – Multi-Relational fields allow users to select one or more items from a primary or auxiliary table as values for the field. For example, in a primary table used to manage customer support incidents, you could create a relationship to the Contacts table, allowing users to select one or more contacts in an incident. In this case, each incident could have many contacts. You can set up a Multi-Relational field that enables users to select multiple values from a drop-down list or a set of check boxes or to search for values using Value Find or Relational Field Value Search. Users who have privileges to view the Relational field item in the related table can click the pop-up icon that appears next to the Multi-Relational field when they view items. The related item opens in a pop-up window, and users can work with the item as their privileges allow.

• Single Relational Field – Single Relational fields allow users to select a single item from a primary or auxiliary table as a value for the field. For example, you could create a relationship in a primary table used to track defects to the Problems table. In this case, each defect could be associated with a problem in the Problems table. You can set up a Single Relational field that enables users to select a value from a drop-down list or to search for a value using the Value Find or Relational Field Value Search. Users who have privileges to view the Relational field item in the related table can click the pop-up icon that appears next to the Single-Relational field when they view items. The related item opens in a pop-up window, and users can work with the item as their privileges allow.

• Sub-Relational Field - Sub-Relational fields provide access to additional field value in a related primary or auxiliary table. Sub-Relational fields are tied to a Single-Relational field already in a table or workflow. For example, if your Incidents workflow contains a Single-Relational field to the Issues table, you can include a Sub-Relational field of Owner. This enables users to view the owner of a related issue within the incident.

The following information applies to Relational fields:

• Consider user privileges carefully when you use Relational fields across tables. Users who do not have privileges to view items in a Relational field table may be able to view those items as values in Relational fields in other tables. To prevent users from viewing Relational field values, move Relational fields to a section for which users do not have view privileges.

• The Item ID and value display format display as values for Single Relational and Multi-Relational fields. If an auxiliary table used for Relational fields does not contain an Item ID field, only the value display format appears as values. The Value Display Format is set in SBM Composer; you can view this setting on the Advanced tab of the Edit Table dialog box in SBM System Administrator.

• These rules apply to value sorting:
  • Relational field values based on primary tables cannot be sorted manually. Values are sorted by project and then Item ID.
  • Relational field values based on auxiliary tables are sorted by the table's value display format. To change the order in which values sort for the Relational field, modify the value display format for the auxiliary table.
• You can create relationships to fields in the Global Process App tables, but you cannot create relationships from tables in the Global Process App.