USER-DEFINED LABELS

Use this screen to set up and define the labels for user-defined data that can be optionally added to the Maintain Asset Master Info and/or the Maintain Asset Template Info screens.

The user-defined labels in this screen are company-specific and will be available for use only by your company of login. If you have set up multiple companies in Costpoint, you can enter labels in this screen for each company only by using the separate company login for each.

You can enter, edit, view, or use the labels in this screen only for your login company. If you have multiple companies, you cannot view, enter, edit, or use the labels from this screen for any company other than your company of login.

You can use these fields to record additional information that may be specific to your company but for which there are no system-defined standard fields with the desired labels.

You can enter, edit, or view user-defined data for the labels established in this screen in one of three ways:

If you have selected checkboxes in the Asset/Template Change Settings screen for any user-defined fields, the change details for changes to user-defined fields made in the Asset Master UDF Info Global Changes screen and/or the Template UDF Info Global Changes screen will be captured and stored in audit log tables. You can view and/or print change details using inquiry screens and reports.

You can establish three types of labels in this screen: Date, Numeric, or Text. If you specify a Text label, you can enter non-validated user-defined data or you can use the Validated Text subtask. For Validated Text Labels, you can enter the allowable (validated) data by selecting the Validated Text pushbutton. Alternately, you can select data from an existing Costpoint table as the source for validation. The primary advantage in using validated text data lies in the consistency of the entry format and the subsequent ability to print reports that use this consistent data format.

Although you can set up labels and validated text data at any time, you must establish this information before you can enter the corresponding user-defined data in an Asset Master record or an Asset Template record. To achieve consistency throughout your records, however, you should plan for and establish as much as possible of this setup data during your initialization procedures.

Note:  As with all dependent data tables within Costpoint, you cannot delete a label for a row in this table window if user-defined data for this label currently exists in an Asset Master or Asset Template record.

Table Window

In this optional table, you can initialize the label information, including the label type, the label name, the sequence number that controls the order of the label display, a short description for the label, and whether data entry for the label should be required in the Maintain Asset Template Info and Maintain Asset Master Info screens.

You can also optionally designate whether validated text should be used for the label or whether validation should be made against existing Costpoint tables. If you have selected the validated text option for the label, you must also set up the data against which it is to be validated in the Validated Text subtask (select the Validated Text pushbutton).

Warning:  Technically, in this version of Costpoint, you can use the standard Windows Find and Replace functionalities at any child table window screen (including this screen). You can safely use Find because its sole purpose is to help you locate specified data within the table window.
The Replace function, although powerful when used in the proper circumstances, can also be extremely dangerous. The Replace function will change the specified data when you save the table window and will NOT create an audit trail. In addition, dependent data rules within Costpoint can complicate the Replace functionality.
We recommend that you NEVER use the Replace functionality in this screen because this function is inappropriate for the data contained in this table window. For more information about Find and Replace, please see the Basic Functions documentation.

Seq No

Enter the sequence in which you wish the labels to display in the Maintain Asset User-Defined Info and Maintain Asset Template User-Defined Info screens. You must indicate the order for the label display using a unique identifier, such as "1," "2," "3," and so on. Note that this field is required for functionality, even if you have set up only one label.

For a new row, the system automatically assigns the sequence number in increments of "10," which can be edited if needed.

Data Type

Enter one of three data types in this required column or select one from the three data types that automatically display in the drop-down box. You can select "D" (Date), "N" (Numeric), or "T" (Text) in this column to define the data type for the label.

Label

Enter up to 15 alphanumeric characters in this required column to define a label for the user-defined field. This label will automatically display when you access the Maintain Asset User-Defined Info and Maintain Asset Template User-Defined Info screens.

Short Help Description

Enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters in this optional column to create an "instructional" message of your choice. This help description will automatically display at the bottom of the screen for the user at this label row during the entry of user-defined information in the Maintain Asset User-Defined Info and Maintain Asset Template User-Defined Info screens.

Costpoint Validation Field

This field is optional. If you want the system to validate user-defined field data against data in existing Costpoint tables, you can use Lookup to view an extensive selection of available fields, along with the field and table names, from selected Costpoint tables. Select the desired field name from the Case label column displayed during Lookup. (The system uses terminology for this column from Costpoint Workflow; the Case label column refers to the field name against which validation will take place from the displayed Lookup table column.)

The field name you select during Lookup will display in this column for the label. When you enter data in the Maintain Asset User-Defined Info and Maintain Asset Template User-Defined Info screens and access Lookup, Costpoint displays the available data choices for the label.

If you decide to create a label to be validated against existing system data, you must first invoke Lookup in this column for the label row and then select the field against which to validate from the Case label column in Lookup. If you decide to validate against the account, for example, you should highlight the Lookup row that displays "Case label = Account, Lookup table = ACCT, Lookup column = ACCT_ID." When you select this row, "Account" displays in the Costpoint Validation Field column for this label. When you are ready to enter data for this label in the Maintain Asset User-Defined Info and Maintain Asset Template User-Defined Info screens and use Lookup, all the available accounts (from the ACCT_ID field in the ACCT table for this example) automatically display and you can select one for validation use.

Validated Text

If you have designated a label as "T" (Text) in the Data Type column, you may decide that the allowable data should be validated against values you enter rather than against existing system data.

To enable the use of validated text for a label, enter "Y" (Yes) in this column. Then select the Validated Text pushbutton to enter the desired validated text. (In the Validated Text subtask, you can enter up to 20 alphanumeric characters of validated text and up to 30 alphanumeric characters for the description of the validated text.)

If you do not want validated text associated with this label, enter "N" (No) in this column. The Validated Text pushbutton will not be available in this circumstance.

Required

Enter "Y" (Yes) in this required column to require data entry for this label in the Maintain Asset User-Defined Info and/or Maintain Asset Template User-Defined Info screens. If you enter "Y, " Asset Master and Asset Template records cannot be saved if user-defined data has not been entered.

Enter "N" (No) in this column if user-defined data entry should not be required for this label in the Maintain Asset User-Defined Info and Maintain Asset Template User-Defined Info screens.

Validated Text

Select this pushbutton to open the Validated Text subtask.

Table Information

The system stores the label data entered in this screen in the UDEF_LBL (User-Defined Labels) table.

The system stores user-defined validated text data entered in this screen in the UDEF_VALID_VALUES (User-Defined Valid Values) table.