Calculated “Title Attribute”

[zargron]

Currently this is a read-only template attribute. I would like for this attribute to be a user editable string. I want to be able to set a formula that will calculate the Item Title for all items that I create based on the selected template.

I imagine that this formula be of a similar ilk to that used in SQL to calculate field values. Initially I would like one function to be made available for participation in my formula. (At a later time I’d imagine a small set of string handling functions being made available.)

format(attributename, formatstr)
Return the value associated with attributename formatted according to formatstr. The focus of this function being to format date, time and numerical values.

For example, imagine I’ve derived my own Business Appointments template that uses the following key attributes: Begin Date, Begin Time, Company and Location. I’ve decided I would like to populate these attributes in my custom data entry form and have UR take care of their identification in the Data Explorer Pane. I therefore might establish a Title Attribute formula as follows:

format([Begin Date], "mm/dd/yy")+ " - "+ Format([Begin Time], "hh:mm")+ " - "+ [Company]+ " ("+ [Location]+ ")"

So, with values such as: 3/19/2007, 4:30pm, Kinook, Blue Oyster Bar
I’d end up with an automatically calculated item title of: 03/19/07 - 16:30 - Kinook (Blue Oyster Bar)

If the user inputs an incorrectly constructed formula, UR would revert to the existing "Item Title" behaviour.

As well as adding some string handling functions, I’d imagine that a second version of this enhancement would involve a high quality, (as is the nature of Kinook output), pretty little dialog box that helps the user with construction of their formula.

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^ ^ My contribution to the Road Map ^ ^

[quant]

well, there already is this feature for Contact template, so it shouldn't be that hard to generalize it to other templates as well, I personally wouldn't care that much about string formatting functions at all, simple comma separator would do for me

[zargron]

Originally posted by quant
well, there already is this feature for Contact template, so it shouldn't be that hard to generalize it to other templates as well, I personally wouldn't care that much about string formatting functions at all, simple comma separator would do for me

Yes (contacts template already has it).

Regards "simple comma separator" - with further reflection, I could simplify my suggestion to something like, for example:

[Begin Date] - [Begin Time] - [Company] ([Location])

So, with values such as: 3/19/2007, 4:30pm, Kinook, Blue Oyster Bar
Using UR style formatting, I’d end up with an automatically calculated item title of: 03/19/2007 - 4:30 PM - Kinook (Blue Oyster Bar)

In other words, clearly bracket attribute names, (which are obviously replaced with their respective values), whilst the text in between is rendered as is.

You mention elsewhere señor quant that there might be ... less forum responses from kinook lately? ... I haven't been 'round long, but had the same feeling. I might have a chat with them.

[ashwken]

Yes, any improvements that would allow for more control by the user of database functions would be welcome. It's good to see this in the roadmap.

Just wondering, is there any user demand for other types of Calculated fields?

Why confine calculated expressions to just the Item Title Attribute, isn't the next logical step user defined attributes that are based on calculated expressions - not just character and date functions, but math calculations?

Just some of the stuff that I miss when working in UR.

[zargron]

Yes x 3 to your comments ashwken - (or is that yes x 4?)

My initial thoughts were to raise what I hope is relatively easy for Kinook to introduce, and something that would deliver a high profile easy to comprehend feature for new uers.

In my suggestions journal I do have logged "calculated fields", (using more formal software development terminology ). And, I notice that I also have noted a suggestion for "aggregate fields", ie. sum of "Mileage", sum of "Work Actual". However, votes please specifically on suggestion that started this thread - calculated "Title Attribute" - need to give Kinook an idea of it's popularity or lack thereof.

[ashwken]

I was very impressed with Kinook's solution to Forms Creation.

Just seems to me that an Expression Builder option when creating Attributes is a natrual outgrowth.

And yes, "aggregate fields" would be nice - I'm assuming that you mean some type of Summary Total of a given field over a group of selected records.

[zargron]

Originally posted by ashwken
And yes, "aggregate fields" would be nice - I'm assuming that you mean some type of Summary Total of a given field over a group of selected records.

Haven't spec'd it out yet, but from memory:
(a) Aggregate field = sum of specified attribute for a specified item type.
(b) Include in summation only a parent's child items, (as linked in Data Explorer), that are of the specified item type.
(c) Total to be available for presentation in custom form.

Also got written down, sorry, typed up, the crazy notion of somehow showing aggregate field in a Footer or Header pane below/above Child Items pane aligned with respective attribute column.

[ashwken]

Yes, sounds like what I'm used to in other database management systems - which makes sense, seeing as how UR is based on an sql engine.

A database system is a database system, whether it's based on sql or dbase.