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CHAPTER 4 Defining DataWindow Objects
DataWindow Designer User’s Guide 143
About the extended attribute system tables and DataWindow
objects
The extended attribute system tables are a set of tables maintained by the
Database painter. They contain information about database tables and columns.
Extended attribute information extends database definitions by recording
information that is relevant to using database data in screens and reports.
For example, labels and headings you defined for columns in the Database
painter are used in the generated DataWindow object. Similarly, if you
associated an edit style with a column in the Database painter, that edit style is
automatically used for the column in the DataWindow object.
When generating a DataWindow object, DataWindow Designer uses the
following information from the extended attribute system tables:
If there is no extended attribute information for the database tables and
columns you are using, you can set the text for headings and labels, the fonts,
and the display formats in the DataWindow painter. The difference is that you
have to do this individually for every DataWindow object that you create using
the data.
If you want to change something that came from the extended attribute system
tables, you can change it in the DataWindow painter. The changes you make in
the DataWindow painter apply only to the DataWindow object you are working
on.
The advantage of using the extended attribute system tables is that it saves time
and ensures consistency. You only have to specify the information once, in the
database. Since DataWindow Designer uses the information whenever anyone
creates a new DataWindow object with the data, it is more likely that the
appearance and labels of data items will be consistent.
For more information about the extended attribute system tables, see Chapter
3, “Managing the Database,” and Appendix B, “The Extended Attribute
System Tables.”
For DataWindow Designer uses
Tables Fonts specified for labels, headings, and data
Columns Text specified for labels and headings
Display formats
Validation rules
Edit styles