Checking Dictionary Usages
One of the powerful features of BRFplus is its ability to let you build up a data model that is based on the original data objects as defined for the calling application in the Data Dictionary of the backend system. With this tool, you can analyze all of the usages of Dictionary objects in the given scope.
Prerequisites
You are running the BRFplus workbench in Expert mode.
Features
Selection
There are several different approaches to control both the scope of objects where the tool searches for potential usages (search domain) as well as the scope of objects that are actually bound to Dictionary elements:
Search Domain
When you start the tool from the Tools
menu, all entry fields available for scope reduction are empty. Starting the search with this setting would yield the results of a search throughout the entire system. This would be by far too time-consuming. The system therefore
requires that you enter a Dictionary type or a BRFplus application as a search domain (or both).
In addition, you can further restrict the search domain to a particular application component. If you decide to do so, the tool yields only those Dictionary usages that are found in BRFplus applications that are assigned to the given application component.
Note
Both for entries in the Dictionary Type
as well as Application
field, you must use distinct names. Wildcards are not supported here.
Object Scope
Dictionary elements can only be bound to BRFplus data objects. However, you can define if the tool shall yield a list of usages across all kinds of data objects, or if you want to restrict the result list to contain only elementary data objects, structures, tables, or any combination of these.
Result
Once you have defined the selection criteria and click Start Search
, the system determines all data objects matching the criteria and populates the result list with these matches. For each entry in the list, the system displays the name of the BRFplus data object,
its type (element, structure, or table), the Dictionary type to which is it bound, and the BRFplus application to which it belongs. Both the data object name as well as the application name are rendered as links, so that you can navigate to the respective object by clicking the link.
Updating the Data Binding
In the Binding
column, the system uses a traffic light icon to indicate whether the binding between the data object and the Dictionary element is still up-to-date or not. If the traffic light is red, you need to check the data object and refresh the binding. To
do so, proceed as follows:
Click the name of the data object.
The system displays the details screen for the data object.
Choose
Edit
.Choose
Refresh Data Binding
.The system updates the data object according to the current status of the Dictionary element to which it is bound.
Choose
Activate
to save and activate the updated data object.Choose
Close
to return to the Dictionary Usages tool.
Note
Depending on the root cause for the fact that a binding relationship is flagged as out of date, the steps listed above may not necessarily be successful. For example, if the bound Dictionary element has been deleted after the binding has been set up, it is of course not possible
to update the data object by simply clicking on Refresh Data Binding
. In such a case, you have to investigate what has happened to the Dictionary element and either set up a new Dictionary element with the same structure or establish a binding relationship to another Dictionary
element that may have replaced the original element.
Even if refreshing the data binding is successful and after activating the data object, there is no guarantee whatsoever that the rules using the data object work as before. This is because BRFplus cannot keep track of the changes to the properties and the structure of bound Dictionary elements. The reason for an out-of-date binding may be a change in the short text of a data element, but it may as well be the elimination of 10 fields from a Dictionary structure. It is up to you to analyze the nature and the consequences of the change that has taken place.