Contents of the New Code Structure Dialog Box

Use the fields and options to configure the New Code Structure dialog box.

Field	Description
Code Type	This field indicates whether the code file uses punctuated significant or fixed format significant codes. Punctuated Significant: Open Plan uses a punctuation character to separate the part of the code that corresponds to the different levels in the structure. Fixed Format Significant: The length of the code represents the structure level. Apart from the top-level code, each code is based on the name of its parent. If you attempt to replace one code type with the other code type you will receive an error message: "You cannot replace a code file of one structure with a code file of another structure."
Fixed Level Length	If you select the Fixed Format Significant code type, you must define the number of levels in the coding structure and the number of characters representing each level. The number of characters you assign to each level is cumulative: that is, it must be greater than the number of characters assigned to the previous level. For example, to use a 7-character code that represents three different hierarchical levels, you might enter the following information: Level: Level 1; Code Length: 2 (Example: DV) Level: Level 2; Code Length: 4 (Example: DV21) Level: Level 3: Code Length: 7 (Example: DV21535) Note that the code at Level 2 includes the code of its parent. Although the code length is defined as 4, only 2 new characters are added to the code. Similarly, the code at Level 3 includes the code of its parent. Although the code length is defined as 7, only 3 new characters are added to the code. Note: You can add levels later using the Structure tab of the Properties dialog box for the code file, but you cannot change existing levels. While Open Plan allows you to define up to 10 levels for the fixed level length, most planners find that 3 or 4 levels are all that they need.
Pad Character	If you select the Fixed Format Significant code type, you can assign a pad character to be appended as a suffix to codes less than the specified length. Common pad characters are blanks (the default) and zeros. The following example assumes that three levels have been defined in the code file and that the pad character is "0": Level: Level 1; Code Length: 2; Local Portion of Code: DV; Example: DV Level: Level 2; Code Length: 5; Local Portion of Code: 9; Example: DV900 Level: Level 3: Code Length: 6 Local Portion of Code: A; Example: DV900A Note that only a single character is entered in the local portion of the code at Level 2 but that the cumulative code length is defined as 5. Open Plan pads the code out to the required length by adding two 0s as a suffix to the local portion of the code. You can use any character (including a space) as a pad character.

Field

Description

Code Type

This field indicates whether the code file uses punctuated significant or fixed format significant codes.

Punctuated Significant: Open Plan uses a punctuation character to separate the part of the code that corresponds to the different levels in the structure.
Fixed Format Significant: The length of the code represents the structure level. Apart from the top-level code, each code is based on the name of its parent.

If you attempt to replace one code type with the other code type you will receive an error message: "You cannot replace a code file of one structure with a code file of another structure."

Fixed Level Length

If you select the Fixed Format Significant code type, you must define the number of levels in the coding structure and the number of characters representing each level. The number of characters you assign to each level is cumulative: that is, it must be greater than the number of characters assigned to the previous level. For example, to use a 7-character code that represents three different hierarchical levels, you might enter the following information:

Level: Level 1; Code Length: 2 (Example: DV)
Level: Level 2; Code Length: 4 (Example: DV21)
Level: Level 3: Code Length: 7 (Example: DV21535)

Note that the code at Level 2 includes the code of its parent. Although the code length is defined as 4, only 2 new characters are added to the code. Similarly, the code at Level 3 includes the code of its parent. Although the code length is defined as 7, only 3 new characters are added to the code.

Note: You can add levels later using the Structure tab of the Properties dialog box for the code file, but you cannot change existing levels.

While Open Plan allows you to define up to 10 levels for the fixed level length, most planners find that 3 or 4 levels are all that they need.

Pad Character

If you select the Fixed Format Significant code type, you can assign a pad character to be appended as a suffix to codes less than the specified length. Common pad characters are blanks (the default) and zeros.

The following example assumes that three levels have been defined in the code file and that the pad character is "0":

Level: Level 1; Code Length: 2; Local Portion of Code: DV; Example: DV
Level: Level 2; Code Length: 5; Local Portion of Code: 9; Example: DV900
Level: Level 3: Code Length: 6 Local Portion of Code: A; Example: DV900A

Note that only a single character is entered in the local portion of the code at Level 2 but that the cumulative code length is defined as 5. Open Plan pads the code out to the required length by adding two 0s as a suffix to the local portion of the code.

You can use any character (including a space) as a pad character.

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Contents of the New Code Structure Dialog Box

Contents