Picture

The visual representation of a data item.

You can click the Attribute button to open the Picture dialog box. The default value is 0.

For an Alpha column, the minimum picture required is its length. In addition, you can enter other picture specifications as needed.

For a Numeric column, the minimum picture required is the number of its integer digits and, if needed, a decimal point and the number of decimal digits. You can add other picture specifications as needed.

For a Logic, Time, or Date column, you can accept the suggested picture or you can add other picture specifications as needed.

Blob items are binary objects stored, in Magic xpa, without any data interpretation. Therefore, Magic xpa cannot create a BLOB item picture.

Attribute

Displays the attribute of the column. You can select one of the Magic xpa data items in the Attribute column from the Attribute box or by pressing the item's accelerator key.

Range

You can set the range by entering the required range values, separated by commas. To specify a continuous range of valid values, type the minimum and maximum values, separated by a hyphen. You can also add Unicode characters.

The default value is 0.

Part Of DataView

Gives you the ability to update a Virtual variable or Parameter without it modifying the logical record.

When updating a Column variable, the current logical record is changed and the actions below are executed:

• The ViewMod function returns True.

• When the Locking strategy is defined as On Modify, the task is locked.

• The Record Suffix logic unit is executed (upon leaving the record).

Setting the Part Of DataView property to Yes will maintain the above behavior.

Setting this property to No will cause the Virtual variable or Parameter not to be part of the data view scope, so it will not effect the modification of the logical record. This means that it will not cause the actions detailed above.

Performing rollback on a task also rolls back the variables' value regardless of this property.

This property is only available for Parameters and Virtual variables. This property is not shown in Browser tasks.

This property is not supported in tasks that contain an RM Compatible logic unit.

See also:

Allow Empty Dataview

How Do I Prevent Record Suffix from Executing After Updating a Virtual Variable?

Display Name

You can enter a descriptive name for the variable. This name will be used for:

• The label (next to the variable) when dropping a variable on the form or using the APG utility.

• The default Hint property value (in Mobile Design mode) when a variable is dropped on the form with the Shift key pressed.

• The column Title value when dropping a variable on the table or using the APG utility.

• The control name in the Range, Locate, and Sort screens.

• The column name in the Print Data wizard (since version: 3.2a)

If you leave this property blank, the variable name will be used for these cases (as in previous versions).

You can use the VarDisplayName function to return the value of this property.

Since version: 3.1

Content

Defines the expected content of a BLOB field model. The available options are Ansi, Unicode, and Binary (default).

The Content type defines how Magic xpa treats the data in the BLOB variable:

Ansi – Magic xpa considers the data in the BLOB to be ANSI, meaning that the data may be converted into Unicode (and back to ANSI) if needed.

When updating the BLOB with Unicode data, automatic conversion will be made.

Unicode – Magic xpa considers the BLOB as a Unicode variable.

When updating the BLOB with ANSI data, automatic conversion will be made.

Binary – Magic xpa treats the BLOB data as is, meaning no casting will be done to Binary content BLOBs. Therefore, updating the Binary BLOB with ANSI data will store ANSI data in the BLOB and when updating the Binary BLOB with Unicode data, Unicode data will be stored in the BLOB. Note that string functions, such as Len() and Trim(), treat a Binary BLOB as an ANSI BLOB; therefore, if a Binary BLOB has Unicode data, these functions will not work properly.

When you modify the Content property, the Stored As property is automatically modified.

Cell Model

This appears in the Virtual properties.

When defining a vector, you need to specify what type of cells are in the vector. This is done by selecting another model to be the model of the vectors' cells.

You can zoom from the Cell Model property to open a selection table of field models.

This property is only available for vectors.

Notice that you can also define a cell model which is a vector, so you will have a vector of vectors. The Vector cell must be specified from a Magic xpa field model, as defined in the Model repository.