Short description

Each object can be represented by a short description that is automatically formed based on short description definition in the particular class. Short descriptions can be subsequently used in the views (list, form, detailed list) or in exports. Short descriptions are also displayed in the columns referring to another class and represent referred objects. Short descriptions are saved in the system column Short description and can be defined in the class properties settings.

The short description formula may contain:

• Text strings
• Values from columns of the given class
• Values from inherited columns or child class columns
• Class name, names of parent and child classes
• Shortdescriptions of child classes

 

Short descriptions are automatically updated after change of values in columns that are included in the short description definition.

Variability of short description definition can be used in case of class inheritance, when other classes are referring either to particular child or parent classes (see also inheritance).

 

Examples:

1. We have a class for keeping records of hardware and a short description defined in it:

{{column.vendor}} {{column.model}} ({{column.type}})

Shortdescription then will be formed by the vendor name, space, model name, space and device type in parenthesis:

IBM x3550 (server)

Hitachi AMS 2300 (disk storage)

 

2. We have class 'configuration items', from which many other classes inherit. Since some classes refer to the class configuration items, that is uniting all the inheriting classes, it will be suitable to form the short description of this class from the child class name and child class short description. In this way we will have a clear idea about records to which we will refer. Short description then may look like this:

{{lastchild.class.name}}: {{lastchild.column.shortdescription}}

Short description in the parent class 'configuration items' will then be composed of the name of the last child class, colon, space and short description of the last child class:

Hardware: IBM x3550 (server)

Hardware: Hitachi AMS 2300 (disk storage)

Application: SAP R/3

Database: Customer

Document: DRP SAP R/3

AD user: novak

AD group: architects

3. Within class inheritance hierarchy it is possible to refer to the last child or to the last parent (lastchild, firstparent) or x-th child and x-th parent:

child.child...child.class.name

child.child...child.column.columnname

parent.parent...parent.class.name

parent.parent...parent. column. columnname

lastchild.class.name

lastchild. column. columnname

firstparent.class.name

firstparent. column. columnname

 

If there is not any short description defined in the class, there is <xxx-yyy> displayed in columns that are referring to the class, where xxx is class Id and yyy is record Id.