Fields
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Records in a database are made up of fields. In each field, specific data of the record is stored, such as a title or an author, for a record which holds the data for a single book for example. The primary identifier of a field is a tag which consists of a maximum of two characters; without a tag there is no field. Fields can also have a name: a field name is language specific and is a more convenient and a sometimes required way of identifying a field. Through the database setup you can define fields by their properties. By specifying fields this way, you define what's called a data dictionary: a collection of the field definitions in a database.
For Axiell Collections, a complete data dicionary is mandatory: you are not allowed to specify fields on screens or in adapls only (as was allowed for Adlib for Windows).
A field and its contents are stored in the appropriate database. The only exception are data dictionary fields of the Temporary Data type: fields of this type are typically temporary compound fields that are filled by an adapl and used for (read-only) display only.
The content of individual fields in a newly created record is normally empty, but a field can also be preset with a fixed text, a time or date, or user name, or can be generated automatically (like sequential object numbers). In the relevant data dictionary field definition in the database setup, you can specify such default values or automatic numbering.
See also