Cluster Attribute Definitions - PYUPCL

Warning: It is critically important to the integrity of BusinessPlus software that the system-defined clusters and attributes not be changed. Access to this page should be restricted through BusinessPlus security. Fields on this page should not be updated and should only be used by advanced users as a reference source for writing calc codes.

Overview

This page stores standard system-defined clusters/attributes. Information within the database must be organized into clusters. Within these clusters, the user must specify attributes.

Clusters are defined on the Cluster Definition form which holds client-specified clusters of information. Derived Clusters contain table-oriented information. The Derived Clusters are then associated with a PE Cluster. The PE Cluster will maintain information more specific to the actual data associated with the Derived Cluster. A cluster consists of a group of related attributes. For example, to keep track of address information, an address type, street, city, state, zip code, and phone number could be created in a cluster called "ADDR."

The Attribute Definition form is used to define attributes that are associated with a given cluster. Using the example of the address cluster developed earlier, separate attributes for the address type, street, city, state, zip, and phone number (i.e., six separate attributes). Each attribute in a given cluster must be defined.

Cluster Definition

Cluster Name: Enter four alphabetic characters which uniquely identify the cluster. This must match the four-character name used when designing the form.
Cluster Desc (Description): Up to 28 characters describing the cluster. This information appears on the data entry form when the user is entering information into this cluster and on the help screen whenever the user asks for information on cluster definitions.
Cluster Type: Three types of clusters are supported: summary, detail, and key:

1. Master — Master clusters contain information that is person/entity-specific. Each entry in a Master cluster for a given person/entity must have a different value in the Key Attribute field. For example, if a cluster is defined to contain address information and the Key Attribute is the address type code, then defining this cluster as a Master type will ensure that a person or entity may not have more than one of each type of address.
2. Detail — Detail clusters contain information that is person/entity-specific. Detail clusters may have multiple entries regardless of what they contain. For example, if a cluster is defined to contain skills information with a Key Attribute of skill category (e.g., foreign language), then defining this cluster as a Detail type will allow the user to make as many cluster entries as necessary to record all of the person skills in that category (e.g., French, Spanish, Russian, etc.).
3. Derived — Derived clusters contain information which is organization specific. Derived cluster entries must each have a unique Key Attribute value. Derived cluster information is linked to PE cluster information in one of three ways: as the default link defined when creating a cluster, through the SETKEY function of transaction code processing, and through the link function of the adhoc report writer. Derived clusters contain information that can be associated will all data in the database.

Key Attribute: Each cluster has only one data item which acts as the key. This item (i.e., attribute) should be the best estimate of the most frequently specified item when accessing the cluster. The Key Attribute is also used in determining entries in summary and detail types. Key Attributes must be defined as CH (character) types. Key Attribute values may not duplicate in Key Clusters. 
Browse Seq # (Sequence Number): The sequence is determined within the cluster type. Summary clusters will be sorted together by this number and will appear first followed by detail type clusters sorted together within this number. Browse numbers are always '1' for NAME and '0' for Key Clusters (Key Clusters are shown alphabetically). 
Log Eff Dt (Effective Date) Attribute: The Log Effective Date Attribute and the field which follows (Code) are used in conjunction with each other.
Code: Used in conjunction with Log Effective Date Attribute field.
Security Attribute: Indicates the security attribute associated with the Cluster and Attribute.
Double Enter in Browse?
Max Entries per ID: To limit the number of entries any one type of data may have of this cluster, enter the maximum number of entries allowed in this field. Leaving this field blank implies no limit.
Sort Date Attribute: Key attributes have a 24-byte field that is used as the Key Value. With the need for the Key clusters to be date sensitive, the actual key value on a Key cluster can be 24 in length. The value of the cluster name (4) the original key value (12) plus a date (8). This field is only used when date sensitive information is needed to be stored for identical key values in the 12 bytes following the cluster name. If a Sort Date Attribute is entered for a Key Cluster, this attribute must be a DT type and must exist. It may have any placement on the cluster (e.g., first, fifth, tenth, etc.).
Link Cluster/Attribute: Enter the PE "Cluster.Attribute" that links to this Key Cluster. This sets up the default link to the PE clusters. As a general rule, no link should be made to detail clusters. The SETKEY command in Transaction Code Processing and the link command in the Ad Hoc Report Writer allows this default to be overridden.
Value?: Check Y or N if the Link should validate from the Key Cluster.
Echo Attribute: Enter the Key Cluster Attribute to be echoed on the PE Cluster. An echo attribute must be defined. If no echoing is actually desired, do not provide space for the echo in the definition of the linked attribute.
Narrative 1-4: For notation purposes.

Attribute Definition

Attribute Name: Enter up to six characters which uniquely identify the attribute within the cluster.  
Description: Up to 24 characters describing the attribute. 
Help 1-4: Up to four, 70 character lines of help may be entered for each attribute defined.
Type: Enter the type of attribute. Currently supported codes are:

• CH - Alphanumeric (letters, numbers, and symbols)
• DT - Date edited as MM/DD/YY
• DU - Date edited as MM/DD/CCYY
• DV - Date edited as DD/MM/YY
• DW - Date edited as DD/MM/CCYY 
• DX - Date edited as YY/MM/DD
• DY - Date edited as CCYY/MM/DD
• PH - Phone number edited on-line as (xxx) xxx-xxxx Ext: xxxx (when Attribute length = 14 and number of fields = 4) Phone number edited on-line as (xxx) xxx-xxxx (when Attribute length = 10 and number of fields= 3)
• YN - One character, accepts a ©Y or ©N response
• SS - Social Security Number edited as xxx-xx-xxxx (stored as Length = 10)
• IN - Integer value between -9999 and 9999, inclusive
• N0 - Integer value between -999,999,999 and 999,999,999, inclusive
• N1 - Integer value between -99,999,999.9 and 99,999,999.9, inclusive
• N2 - Integer value between -9,999,999.99 and 9,999,999.99, inclusive
• N3 - Integer value between -999,999.999 and 999,999.999, inclusive
• N4 - Integer value between -99,999.9999 and 99,999.9999, inclusive
• N5 - Integer value between -9,999.99999 and 9,999.99999, inclusive L0 Integer value between -9,999,999,999,999 and 9,999,999,999,999, inclusive
• L1 - Integer value between -9,999,999,999,999.9 and 9,999,999,999,999.9, inclusive
• L2 - Integer value between -9,999,999,999,999.99 and 9,999,999,999,999.99, inclusive
• L3 - Integer value between -9,999,999,999,999.999 and 9,999,999,999,999.999, inclusive 
• L4 - Integer value between -9,999,999,999,999.9999 and 9,999,999,999,999.9999, inclusive
• L5 - Integer value between -9,999,999,999,999.99999 and 9,999,999,999,999.99999, inclusive

Order: Enter the relative location (order) of the attribute being defined. This is determined by numbering attributes on the data entry screen from the upper left and corner to the lower right-hand corner (do not count the echo fields). 
Num Fields: Enter the number of fields on the forms which are taken up by the attribute. This will normally be set to 1. Phone numbers are an example of multiple field attributes. Phone numbers consist of area codes, prefixes, numbers, and extensions; but they are considered to be only one Attribute.
Length: Enter the number of character positions that are to be taken up for the entry of the value of this attribute on the data entry screen. This must match the forms definition exactly. Coded attributes have a maximum length of 10 characters. 
Code Validation? If a Y is entered in this field, the value entered for the given attribute will be looked up in the codes part of the database. 
Cluster/Attrib (if different): Four options for validation are supported. 
Log Changes? If the cluster where this attribute resides is to be logged when the value in this attribute is changed or deleted, enter Y in this field. 
Code Echo? Entering a Y indicates that a field is designed into the data entry form in which the description of a given code value will be echoed to the user prior to the placement of the record in the database. For example, if the attribute is defining an address type code, then the data entry form could contain a field for entry of the address type code, followed immediately by a field for the echo of the address type code description. This is done for sight validation of coded data prior to final entry into the system. 
Echo Length: Enter the ECHO field length for the code; this may be from 1-30 characters long. 
Upshift? Check if the entered value of this attribute is to be automatically converted to upper case before placement in the database or validation against a code table.
Justify: A one-character code that indicates if the input data item is to be left-justified (L), right-justified (R), or center-justified (C) before being placed in the database. 
Search Key: Enter Y if this attribute is to be used as a Search Key and N if it is not. It is important to keep Search Keys to a minimum; otherwise, system performance could be affected. Search Keys are only used in INQUIRY.
Default: Enter up to 10 characters of data which are to be used as the value of the attribute if the user leaves the attribute blank when entering data in the cluster. 
Derive Cluster/Attrib from: If the default value of this attribute is to be taken from a different cluster.attribute, enter the name of that cluster and attribute. If more than one entry exists in the designated cluster, the value of the two key attributes will be compared in order to select the correct value. If the default value of this attribute is to be read from another database, place *ART in the first four character field. Please see the Attribute Read portion of this user guide for more information on Attribute Reads. This field is ignored for Key Clusters.
Inquiry Head 1-3: When using the INQUIRY program, the values entered in these fields will be used for the columnar format headings. Up to three, four-character headings may be defined. 
Special Edit:
Trans Code? If when this attribute is updated transaction code processing is to occur, check this box. 
Trans Code 2: Eight-character field is used to designate the transaction code to be processed. 
Report Heading: When using the Ad Hoc Report Writer, default headings may be used on columns. This field is to contain the heading which will be used when printing this attribute in reports. The Ad Hoc Report Writer will shorten or ©stack this heading as required.
Required by Type 1-10? Each entry type, as defined originally on the General Information form, will be shown on this form. For each entry type which is to require that this attribute be assigned a value (i.e., not optional), a Y should be placed in the field next to the displayed entry type. When defining a Key Cluster only the first field applies, the type is ignored. Key Attributes are always required. 

Listing of Clusters & Attributes

Clusters highlighted in BOLD can be used in Payroll Calc Codes.