Creating a Custom Data Type

  1. On the Tools menu, click Custom Data Types.

    The Custom Data Types tab is displayed.

  2. To define a new data type, click New.

    The Custom Data Type dialog box is displayed.

  3. In the Data Type Name field, type a descriptive name for this user data type.
  4. In the SQL Data Type field, click Char and select the required data type.
  5. Depending on the data type selected, complete the following options when enabled:
    • Length - the maximum number of characters for the length of the column value.
    • Digits - the number of decimal digits in the column value.
    • Decimal Places - the number of decimal digits to the right of the decimal point in the column value.
  6. If required, in the Default Value field, specify the default column value.

    The default value is used for columns of this type when, for example, a column value is not specified in an SQL INSERT statement.

  7. In the Transform field, click <None> and select the required transform.

    The value <None> indicates that no column transform is desired, but an item transform may be associated with the data item upon which columns of this user data type are based.

  8. Select the Nullable tick-box if the user data type allows the column to be set to null.
  9. Select the Constrained tick-box if the user data type constrains the column value to one of the true values of an 88-level condition-name associated with the data item upon which the column is based.
  10. Click Accept to add the new user data type.
  11. Click Save to Catalog.
Note: To edit an existing data type, double-click the data type, edit the details as necessary, then click Accept. To delete an existing data type, right-click the entry on the Custom Data Types tab and click Delete. (Note that you can only delete a user type that is unused.)