The term "Symbol" groups the configurator questions and variables (work fields necessary for intermediate calculations). These symbols can be created by the users or the configurator itself.

A symbol can be used in :

  • the selections,
  • a scenario.

In the condition formulas it is possible to make reference to a question or a variable by prefixing its name with a "S_".

For instance

Question

Title

Response

Colour

Exterior colour

W (white)

To refer to the answer,  S_COULEUR (B) will be used.
To refer to the title of the question, T_COULEUR (external color) will be used.
To refer to the title of the answer, L_COULEUR (white) will be used.

SEEINFO It should be noted that the maximum number of symbols in the configurator is 2500.

Prerequisite

SEEREFERTTO Refer to documentation Implementation

Screen management

The entry screen for a symbol consists of the entry of its characteristics and to associate it with a type of control.

Entry screen

The entry screen for a question is presented in the following way:

Symbol: Name of the question or the variable over 8 characters.

Screen title: Title of the generated windows over 20 characters.

Symbol type : System or user, the origin of the symbol is automatically fixed. On deleting a system variable, it is automatically recreated with its titles and original values.

Image: It is possible to attach an image file in "jpg" format to this field. The image of the question symbol is stored in the configurator symbols table (CFGQST) in a BLOB type field (CQUPIC). The image can then be viewed using the right button when the corresponding question is posed in a script or selection. It is necessary to revalidate the scripts or selections that call this symbol if an image is associated with the symbol at a later date.

Type of symbol: Question or variable. The question gives the text that will be presented to the user so that a response can be given. The variable is an item of information destined to be saved for later processes or selections. For instance: a calculated surface.

History: If this tick box is ticked, the value of the symbol loaded at the time of a configuration is stored in the history.

Search criterion: If this field is ticked, the searches can be carried out on this symbol at the time of a configuration.

Value by default: Pre-loaded value.

Evaluated value by default : Value by default calculated from a formula.

Sequence number counter: This field is accessible for the variable type symbols. It is necessary to specify the sequence number counter code that will be used to initialize the variable.

For instance:

The use of a "variable" type symbol assigned to an X3 sequence number counter implies that the product code can make reference to this variable. During the setup of the script, it is therefore necessary to recall the variable assigned to the sequence number counter in the "Parent prod creat." and to associate it with the product master.

Product master

ITMREF

S_CPT1

In this case, the product code is calculated by the sequence number counter specified on the symbol. This variable will be evaluated a single time at the moment of the configuration validation. If several sequence number counter values are required, it is necessary to use several symbols using the same X3 sequence number counter.

For occasional use, the sequence type in the counter is of less importance. On the other hand, it must be defined as "grouped" sequence type if the usage is more intensive to avoid long waiting times.

Character: This field determines the case type authorized for use in a question response. The three possible values are: lowercase, uppercase or lowercase/uppercase.

Help key word: It is possible to associate a help text in the standard X3 format with the symbols of the type question. These files must be coded X+symbol code, or Y+symbol code or Z+symbol code and must be stored in the same location as the field help files for the folder.

Value type: Expected response for the saved questions or values for the variables, the type can be alphanumeric (30 characters), numeric (20 characters), date, Boolean or text.

It is possible to create text type variables, this allows the management of character strings up to a maximum of 250 characters for the creation of texts in the "rtf" format. For the questions of the text type, a window opens automatically on a multi-line entry during script execution.

A text type symbol can neither be controlled nor used as a search criterion. On the other hand, it can be saved in the history.

Control type: It can take four values:

 No control

 List of values (this type of control is not accessible from a date type symbol)

 Table

 Value range

Responses table : This field is accessible if the type of control is carried out on a list of values. It contains the code for the responses table.

The control by list of values can be dynamic. The list of values - authorized or prohibited - can be managed by the script.

In order to set up a list of authorized values, it is necessary to create a variable coded "table name+ON ".

In order to set up a list of prohibited values, it is necessary to create a variable coded "table name+OFF".

Then load one or the other of these variables with the line numbers corresponding to the authorized or prohibited responses.

For instance: The colours for the line numbers 1, 3, and 4 in the responses table COU are prohibited if the response to the quantity is > 99 

Variable: COUOFF

Condition: S_QUANTITY > 99

Expression: ' 1,3,4 '

The contents of these variables must be loaded before the entry of the corresponding question.  The presence of the variable COUON has priority over the presence of the variable COUOFF.

Start and end range: If a check on the value ranges is planned, it is necessary to enter a start and end range.

Table code : Accessible if the control type is carried out on a table. It contains the name of the X3 table.

Response field: For the controlled questions in the X3 table, it is possible to define the key field to be loaded as a response where the key is made up of several fields. The authorized accesses are:

 a single field

 a field + the site

 the site + a field

In order to only display and to accept a selection of records for a controlled question with an X3 table, there is the following choice,

Or:

Define a filter formula on the table as shown below: filter with the catalogued formula TLO

Or:

 Before the question, load the system variable FILTER (S_FILTER)

 Set the question

 Delete the filter if another controlled question for the filtered table is set later.

Filter formula: for the questions controlled in X3 table, it is possible to define a filter formula to obtain only a sub-group selection of the records from the table. This filter can not be subject to conditions.

Remark 1

The modification of the control type or the responses table for a symbol leads to the de-activation of the scripts and the shapes and patterns that use this symbol. A message indicates the list of scripts, shapes and patterns to be reactivated, then to be revalidated.

Remark 2

It is only be possible to modify the Title and History fields in a system variable. A deleted system variable will be automatically recreated along with its original titles and values.

Note 3: The system variables

Certain system variables are used by the scripts.

Variable

Title

Viewable

Modifiable 

Observations

BPRNUM

BP number

Yes

Yes

 

BPRREF

BP reference

Yes

Yes

 

CMPSEL

Selected parent product grid

Yes

No

 

CST

Cost interface

Yes

Yes

 

CSTMAT

Material cost

Yes

No

 

CSTMAC

Machine cost

Yes

No

 

CSTLAB

Labour cost

Yes

No

 

CSTSCO

Sub-contractor cost

Yes

No

 

CSTOVE

Overhead cost

 

 

Not active

CSTTOT

Total cost

Yes

No

 

CUR

Valuation currency

Yes

Yes

(1)

CURITM

Current parent product

Yes

No

(2)

CURROU

Current routing

Yes

No

 

FCY

Site

Yes

No

 

IPTDAT

Reference date

Yes

Yes

 

ITMQTY

Parent product quantity

Yes

Yes

(3)

ITMSEL

Component grid

Yes

No

 

NOHIS

Deletion placed in history

Yes

Yes

(4)

LNKOK

Return link with table status

Yes

No

(8)

RNDVAR

Variable calculation rounding

(number of decimals)

Yes

Yes

(9)

PURDAT

Planned date for data purging

Yes

Yes

(5)

TRAFLG

Log generation flag

Yes

Yes

(6)

ITMREF

Product number

Yes

Yes

Work variable (7)

ITMDES

Product description

Yes

Yes

Work variable (7)

CFGLIN

Product line

Yes

Yes

Work variable (7)

CFGALP1 to

CFGALP6

Alphanumeric fields 1 to 6

Product line

Yes

Yes

Work variable (7)

CFGNUM1 to

CFGNUM6

Numeric fields 1 to 6

Product line

Yes

Yes

Work variable (7)

 

UPDLEV

Update level

No

No

Reserved by system

FILTER

Filter for a symbol controlled with an X3 table

No

Yes

(10)

RPAR

Load a product number to modify the reference parent product

Yes

Yes

 

RCMPn

Load a product code to modify the reference component for the BOM sequence n

Yes

Yes

(11)

GENDES1

"Product 1 description" text for the processing of the generic products

Yes

Yes

 

GENDES2

Identical for "product 2 description"

Yes

Yes

 

GENDES3

Identical for "product 3 description"

Yes

Yes

 

DYNMAT

Amount dynamically displayed in the top of the script window

Yes

Yes

Display currency

DYNABQ

Dynamic selection of a calculation table

Yes

Yes

Enter the name of the calculation table to be executed by the next script line using a calculation table.

(1) To be initialized at the start of the script for the valuation coherence.

(2) The parent product number will not be known if using automatic numbering.

(3) This variable must be loaded with the response to a question if a quantity other than 1 is required.

(4) The setting of a value other than zero causes the deletion of the update of the "Configuration history" tables.

(5) The initialization of a date in this variable can be used to define the purge date for the created data, if not the purge date will be 31/12/2999.

(6) The initialization of this variable is used according to the values to generate a log used for problem resolution.

(7) These non-initialized variable are pre-defined in a sufficient format for free usage by the user.

(8) This Boolean variable takes the value 1 if the link has been found and 0 if it is not found.

(9) The default value is 6. It can be changed by modifying the default value for the symbol. Modification is also possible by modifying the variable by script whilst the default value remains unchanged.

For instance: The ARTNUM symbol, the choice of a product in the ITMMASTER table

(10) To have the products of the product line "MIR", the script will load in this text type variable (250 characters) the filter before the question line and delete it after the question line.

Variable           FILTER           expression = " [F]CFGLIN=’MIR’ "

Question         ARTNUM        

Variable           FILTER                       expression ""

(11) These variables must be created with one variable per BOM sequence number.

For instance: RCMP10 to load the reference component for the links to BOM number 10.

(12) This variable is used to save, even after the generation of the data, the responses entered for a script, a given business partner and a given document number.

(13) Do not forget to delete the contents of this variable after the line using the calculation table. 

Symbol usage

By right-click on the symbol field, it is possible to access the function is very useful before carrying out the deletion of a symbol.

It is possible to have up to five levels present for a single symbol.

Reports

By default, the following reports are associated with this function :

  PRTSCR : Screen print

This can be changed using a different setup.

Specific Buttons

Generation

This is used to manually start the generation of the configurator processes.

Copy

Error messages

In addition to the generic error messages, the following messages can appear during the entry :

Deletion prohibited: symbol used in the script XXXXX!

Blocking message prohibiting the deletion of a question or a variable if it is present in a script.

Tables used

SEEREFERTTO Refer to documentation Implementation