Step 4. Review What Has Been Built in the Repository
In this step, you will review the repository objects that were built earlier in the tutorial.
1. Go to the Repository browser of the main window.
Find all files whose name start with your iii initials. Remember, the file name is based on the physical file names you entered for each entity.
There should be 7 files displayed: Customer, Ordered Product, Order, Product, Manufactured Product, Supplied Product and Supplier.
2. Select the Customer file and review the list of fields shown in the right-hand list.
Note the following about the list of fields:
- Customer Number is the primary key of the file.
- Two sets of address fields have been created as the result of the Includes relationships you defined for Delivery and Billing addresses.
- The field names for the address fields have the computer names you specified in the Entity Elements window. This ensured that the field names are unique within the file. Note that without specifying unique field names, it would be impossible to create two sets of addresses by using the Includes relationship.
3. Review the Access Routes for the Customer file.
Note the following:
- An Access Route has been created linking the Customer file with the Order file, as a result of the Join relationship you defined between the two entities.
- The File Accessed parameter of the Access Route is a logical view of the Order file, which was also created as a result of the Join relationship you defined.
4. Display the Rules and Triggers window for the Customer file.
5. Review the rules for the Customer Number field.
Note the following:
- A referential integrity rule has been created between the Customer and Order files that says that a Customer cannot be deleted if Orders exists for it.
- Again, the actual file used by the rule is the logical file that was created as a result of the Join relationship between the two entities.
6. Review the rules for one of the Post Code fields.
Note that, because the Post Code field was defined by using a data type, the validation rules defined against that data type's field (STD_ZIP) have been inherited by Post Code. In this instance, the validation rule states that a value must be not be blank.
7. Find the iiiCUSNUM field in the Repository browser, where iii are your initials.
Review its help text.
Note that the notes you entered for the Customer Number element have become help text for the resultant field.
8. Select the Order file, iiiORDER.
Note that a Customer Number field has been created and assigned to the Order file as a result of the Join relationship with the Customer entity you created.
9. Review the Access Routes for the Order file.
Note that Access Routes have been created as a result of the Join with Customer and as a result of the Parent/Child relationship with Ordered Product.
10. Review the logical views for the Order file.
Note the following:
- A logical view has been created as the result of the Join relationship with Customer. It has the name iiiORDER01.
- A logical view has also been created from the User View you specified, sequenced by Order Status and Order Date. It has the name iiiORDST.
11. Select the Ordered Product file, iiiOPR.
Note that a logical view called iiiOPR01 has been created automatically by the modeler, and that it has Product Number as its sole key field. Remember, you did not specify this logical view name, but because Ordered Product's physical file name was only 6 characters in length, the modeler was able to use it, along with a sequential number, to create one for you.
12.Review other objects that have been created.
Pay close attention to:
- The help text of fields that has been created from the notes entered in the model.
- The primary keys of files, particularly those that have been influenced by Parent/Child relationships.
- Fields that have been inherited as the result of relationships with other entities. Note how the Prefix information of the relationship has been used.
- Access routes that have been created as the result of relationships.
- Logical files that have been created as the result of relationships and user views.