Column Access Modifier Registry entry

Modify the default Column Access values based on data found in the current record.

The Column Access Modifier Registry entry is used to modify the default Column Access values based on data found in the current record.

Usage

This Registry entry can be assigned to users and groups:

Key User User Group Group Group Group
Key 1 User User Group Group Group Group
Key 2 user user group group Default Default
Key 3 Table Table Table Table Table Table
Key 4 table Default table Default table Default
Key 5 Column Access Modifier
Key 6 column
Key 7 value
Value settings
User user Table table Column Access Modifier column value settings
User user Table Default Column Access Modifier column value settings
Group group Table table Column Access Modifier column value settings
Group group Table Default Column Access Modifier column value settings
Group Default Table table Column Access Modifier column value settings
Group Default Table Default Column Access Modifier column value settings

where:

column

is the back-end name for a field to be consulted to look for a matching value.

value

is a case insensitive match (i.e. patterns / wildcards are not allowed, unlike with the Security|Update Registry entry). The value is checked against the complete contents of column. If column is a table of values, each entry in the table is tested. If one matches, the Registry entry applies. Values of NULL and NOT NULL may be used to represent empty and non-empty values respectively.
settings

is a semicolon separated list of assignments to columns that is applied if there is a match of the data in column with the value query.

The format of settings is:

column=[+/-]perm:[+/-]perm:...;column=[+/-]perm:...

where:
column is the name of the column to be modified.

perm

is the permission to be adjusted.

  • A leading plus sign is used to add a permission.
  • A leading minus sign removes a permission.
  • If no sign is supplied, the current permissions are replaced (as for the Security Update entry).

The list of possible values for perm is:
dvDisplay see column while viewing a record.
dvEdit see column while modifying a record.
dvInsert see column while inserting a record.
dvQuery see column while searching for a record.
duEdit change column while modifying a record.
duInsert change column while inserting a record.
duQuery change column while searching for a record.
duReplace use column in a global replace command.

When using -dv permissions (-dvDisplay, -dvEdit, -dvInsert and -dvQuery) to hide columns in the Vitalware client, be aware that hiding the first column in a Group box will hide all fields in the group. Consider the Person Details group of fields in the Parties module:

  • Title: (Person Details)
  • First: (Person Details)
  • Middle: (Person Details)
  • Last: (Person Details)
  • Suffix: (Person Details)
  • Other Names: (Person Details)

    ex_person_details.gif

Applying -dvDisplay to Title: (Person Details) will hide all fields in the Person Details group of fields.

Note: Setting -duReplace on a column does not guarantee that users are unable to perform a Global Replace on that column, and in some circumstances a -duReplace permission set on a column in a record will be ignored when a Global Replace is performed.

Permissions assigned by the Column Access Modifier Registry entry affect operations in the Windows client but Global Replace is a server-side operation and the Texpress server is ignorant of column level permissions set in the client.

When defining a Global Replace, a list of fields is presented to the user in the Substitution box: the list of fields that displays in the Substitution box depends on whether the -duReplace permission has been set on a column in the current record. In other words, the Windows client determines which fields will display in the list based on the permissions set on columns in the current record:

  • If the -duReplace permission has been set on a column in the current record, the field will not display in the list of fields on which a substitution can be performed and it will not therefore be possible to perform a substitution on that column in any record.
  • If the -duReplace permission has not been set on a column in the current record, the field will display in the list of fields on which a substitution can be performed and it will be possible to perform a substitution on that column. However, as has been noted, Global Replace is a server-side operation and the Texpress server is ignorant of column level permissions set in the client: this means that the substitution will be performed on the column in every record even if the -duReplace permission has been set on it.

Examples

For this example, we want to ensure the Stock Number field cannot be updated for issued certificates, i.e. we want to remove the duEdit permission where the Verified field is Y. A suitable entry is:

Key Setting
Key 1 Group
Key 2 Default
Key 3 Table
Key 4 ecertificates
Key 5 Column Access Modifier
Key 6 StoVerified
Key 7 Y
Value StoStockNumberText=-duEdit

Now when certificate records are displayed, the Stock Number field will be greyed out (indicating that it cannot be modified). To restrict the above entry to users in group Print only, you would need to change Key 2 to Print.

Unlike the Security|Update Registry entry, where changes are applied when a record is saved, Column Access Modifier entries are applied immediately. If the content of a column is changed and it matches an entry, the entry is applied at once. Also, after applying any Column Access Modifier entries, any column affected by previous changes but not updated with the current changes will be reset to its default setting (as defined by the Column Access Registry setting).

In this next example, we want group Call Centre to be able to change the Notes field for POS records that are not cancelled. In order to provide this setting the default Column Access settings must have duEdit enabled for group Call Centre. The Registry entries required are:

Key Setting
Key 1 Group
Key 2 Call Centre
Key 3 Table
Key 4 epos
Key 5 Column Access
Key 6 NotNotes
Value dvQuery;dvDisplay;dvEdit;duEdit;duQuery
Key Setting
Key 1 Group
Key 2 Call Centre
Key 3 Table
Key 4 epos
Key 5 Column Access Modifier
Key 6 RecOrdStatus
Key 7 cancelled
Value NotNotes=-duEdit

The first entry sets the default permissions for the column NotNotes. Notice that duEdit is enabled by default. This allows users in group Call Centre to change the contents of the field.

The second entry modifies the default settings to turn off duEdit where the record is cancelled.

The above entries show how the Column Access Modifier Registry entry may be used with the Column Access Registry entry to provide a predicable set of permissions for all record status values.

In this last example we disable editing for all users in group Registrations of the AKA Name field until a value is entered into the Surname field. The restriction is to apply when creating records as well as modifying records. The following entry could be used:

Key Setting
Key 1 Group
Key 2 Registrations
Key 3 Table
Key 4 edeaths
Key 5 Column Access Modifier
Key 6 DeceasedSurname
Key 7 NULL
Value DeceasedAlternateName=-duEdit:-duInsert

You may have been tempted to use the following entries:

Key Setting
Key 1 Group
Key 2 Registrations
Key 3 Table
Key 4 edeaths
Key 5 Column Access Modifier
Key 6 DeceasedSurname
Key 7 NULL
Value DeceasedAlternateName=-duEdit:-duInsert
Key Setting
Key 1 Group
Key 2 Registrations
Key 3 Table
Key 4 edeaths
Key 5 Column Access Modifier
Key 6 DeceasedSurname
Key 7 NOT NULL
Value DeceasedAlternateName=+duEdit:+duInsert

to ensure that users can edit the AKA Name field if the surname is filled. The second Registry entry forces the edit and insert privileges to be enabled even if the default Column Access settings do not allow it. It may be your intention to have this behaviour, however the original brief only stipulated that edit and insert permissions should be disabled for AKA Name if the surname is empty. It is not expressed what the permissions should be if the main title is filled. Another way of writing the second set of Registry entries is:

Key Setting
Key 1 Group
Key 2 Registrations
Key 3 Table
Key 4 edeaths
Key 5 Column Access
Key 6 DeceasedAlternateName
Value dvQuery;dvDisplay;dvEdit;dvInsert;duEdit;duInsert;duQuery;duReplace
Key Setting
Key 1 Group
Key 2 Registrations
Key 3 Table
Key 4 edeaths
Key 5 Column Access Modifier
Key 6 DeceasedSurname
Key 7 NULL
Value DeceasedAlternateName=-duEdit:-duInsert

In this case the default column permissions enable edit and insert privileges, while the second Registry entry disables edit and insert if surname is empty. If the AKA Name is filled, the default permissions are applied, hence enabling edit and insert privileges.