This topic outlines the multiple base view functionality updates in Aptify version 5.5.2. This functionality was introduced in Aptify version 5.5.1, and it allows organizations to configure additional base views on top-level entities, streamlining the way users access information in Aptify, and improving view and find performance. Multiple base views can be configured to include fields from other entities, including sub-types, so that users can access information in one view. In addition, multiple base views can use many of the features that an entity's standard base view uses including the Report wizard, messaging, and views (all view types are supported). Multiple base views are similar to virtual entities, but have several advantages:

• You do not need to create an additional entity to view information across multiple entities. With multiple base views, you simply select the particular base view you want to return information from when running views or finds.
• You do not have to configure redirect information to open an appropriate form. The service form in which the base view is configured is opened automatically.
• With virtual entities, you cannot use many of the features that are part of the entity, for example, messaging, mail merge, etc. These features are available with multiple base views. Also, since the base view is configured directly on the entity, you have access to reports without additional configuration.
• Less Advanced SQL is required for selecting fields across entities. If the base view is configured with the appropriate entities/fields, the fields are already included. Note that additional steps are required when adding fields from entities that do not have a direct relationship to the current entity. See Best Practices for Adding Fields from Entities with Non-Direct Relationships for information.
• Multiple base views can be used not only with Aptify's viewing functionality, but Aptify's find functionality as well. In addition, an administrator can configure different default base views to be used with view and find operations on a global, group or per user basis.

As of Aptify 5.5.1, several sample base views are included in both the Orders and Persons services that an organization can use as is or as a starting point.  

The sample base views included with versions 5.5.1 and 5.5.2 are:

• Persons With Committees: Returns information based on a person's Committees involvement.
• Persons With Order Meeting Details: Returns information based on a person's meeting registration activity.
• Orders and OrderMeetingDetail Information: Returns order details related to meeting registrations placed on a given order.
• Orders and OrderLines Information: Returns order line details for a given order.

The use of multiple base views is described in the following topics:

Creating Base Views in Aptify 5.5.2

Aptify 5.5.2 adds the ability to create base views using the Base Views wizard. Follow the steps below to create additional base views in Aptify 5.5.2:

1. Log in as an administrative user.
2. Go to Framework > Entities and click the New Base View Wizard icon () to launch the wizard. You can access the wizard using one of the following methods:  
   • Running a view of Entities and clicking the icon from the view’s toolbar. If you select the record of a top-level entity before launching the wizard, the name of the entity will be automatically populated in the Entity field.
   • Clicking the icon from the Entity’s entity browser. In this case, you will need to manually enter the name of the entity in which you want to create the base view.
3. If not already populated, enter the name of the entity in which you want to create the base view in the Entity field.

4. In the Name field, enter a name for the base view.
   
   

   Note

   The base view name must be unique (It should not be the same as another base view in the system) and cannot contain spaces.

5. In the Base View field, enter a name for the base view that will be generated. This is typically the plural name of the Base View with vw as the prefix.
6. In the Display Name field, enter a name for the base view that will be displayed.
7. If you are using localization, enter a culture string in the Display Name Culture String field.
8. If you want to display a description when using this base view with finds and views, enter this information in the Description field.
9. If you want a localized version of the description, enter this information in the Description Culture String field.
   
   
   
   
10. Click Next. The Fields Info window of the wizard displays, showing a grid that lists the available fields for the selected entity, and a grid that will list the fields selected for this view.
    
    
    
    
11. Select the fields that you want to include in your base view from the first grid, and click Add to add it to the second grid.

12. If you want to add fields from another entity to your base view, select another entity from the Entity drop-down menu, and repeat Step 11. 
    
    

    Note

    The entities in the drop-down menu are listed in order of their relevance to the originally selected entity, with those entities with a direct relationship with the originally selected entity being listed first. See Best Practices for Adding Fields from Entities with Non-Direct Relationships for more details about the steps needed to add fields that do not have direct relationships to the current entity. 

    
    
    
    

13. Click Next and the new base view is created. 
    
    
    
    
14. Click Finish to close the wizard.

You can review and make changes to the base view by going to the Base Views tab of the entity in which you created the alternate base view. You can also:

• Configure the base view as the default base view to use when running a find for a particular service or when creating new views. See Creating a Default Base View for more details.
• Add fields to that base view that are from entities that do not have a direct relationship from the current entity. See Best Practices for Adding Fields from Entities with Non-Direct Relationships for more details.

Creating Base Views in Aptify 5.5.1

Follow the steps below to create additional base views in Aptify 5.5.1:

1. Log in as an administrative user.
2. Go to Framework > Entities and open the top-level entity in which you want to create another base view.
3. Go to Base Views tab and open a new Base Views record.

4. On the General tab, enter a Name for the base view.
   
   

   Note

   The base view name must be unique (It should not be the same as another base view on the entity) and cannot contain spaces.

5. Enter a Display Name for the base view.
6. If using localization, enter a culture string in the Display Name Culture String field.
7. Enter a name for the base view that will be generated. 
   • This is typically the plural name of the Base View with vw as the prefix. 
     
     
     
     

8. If you want to specify permissions for this base view that is different from the permission for the entity itself, check the Base View Security option. Then use the Group Permissions and/or User Permissions tabs to configure the appropriate permissions.
   
   

   Note

    If you check this option without specifying information on the User and/or Group Permissions tabs, the base view will be disabled for all users.

9. If you want to display a description when using this base view with finds and views, go to the Description tab and enter a short Description and, if desired, a localized version in the Description Culture String. 
   
   
   
   

10. Go to the Fields tab and open a new Fields record.
    
    

    Note

    Make sure the Is Name field for the current entity is added as a field. This ensures that operations like executing a find from a link box work as expected.

11. Enter a Name for the field.
    
    Just like entity fields, the name for the base view field cannot contain spaces.
    
    

    Note

    Once the Fields record is saved, the name of the base view field cannot be modified and the field is disabled.

     

12. Enter a Display Name for the field.
13. If using localization, enter a culture string in the Display Name Culture String field.
14. If you are adding a field that is part of the current entity or another entity, select the Entity from the drop-down. If specifying a calculated field, leave the Entity field drop-down blank and select Calculated from the Field Type drop-down field.
    • If the field you are adding is from the current entity, the Field Type field is populated with Entity.
    • If the field you are adding is from another entity, the Field Type field is populated with Joined.

    • Entities that have a direct relationship to the current entity are listed first in the Entity drop-down.
      
      

      Important Note

      If there is no direct relationship from the current entity to the entity with the field in which you want to add, prerequisite steps are required. Attempting to save the base view without performing these steps will cause the save to fail. See Best Practices for Adding Fields from Entities with Non-Direct Relationships for more information.

        

15. Select the name of the field from the Entity Field drop-down.
    
    The characteristic(s) for the field (SQL Data Type, SQL Field Size, SQL Allow Null, Default In View, Show in Find and Width) populate automatically via flow down.
    
    

    Note

    You can modify accordingly, however, keep in mind that certain changes may have undesirable affects (for example, reducing the field size). Aptify recommends using the default field characteristics whenever possible.

    
    
    
    

16. If you specified a field from another entity, the Field Type field is populated with Joined and the Joined tab is enabled. Select the Joined tab and specify the appropriate Join Foreign Key and Join Type.
17. If you specified Calculated as the Field Type, the Calculated tab is enabled. Select the Calculated tab and specify the appropriate Calculated Field Expression.
18. If you want the field to be specified in Select Fields list of a view by default, select the Default In View option.
19. If you want the field to be part of find results by default, select the Show In Find option.
20. Click OK to save the Fields record.
21. Follow Steps 10 through 18 above to add additional fields as necessary.
22. Once all the appropriate fields have been added, you can add filters to further define the results that are returned with the base view. To do so, select the Filters tab on the Base Views record and add the appropriate filters.
    • Creating filter rules for Base Views records is similar to creating filters for views. See Defining View Filters for more details.
    • Once a filter is applied, the logic is displayed on the General tab as a disabled field.
23. Click OK to save the Base Views record.
24. Save the Entities records.
    • The base view is generated and is ready for use for find and view operations for the particular entity.

Configuring a Default Base View

In Aptify 5.5.1 and up, you can configure default base views to use when running a find for a particular service or when creating new views. This allows an organization to streamline what fields users has access to when running finds and/or views. Follow the steps below to configure default base views for an entity.

1. Log in as an administrative user.
2. Go to Framework > Entities and open the top-level entity in which you want to create another base view.
3. Go to Base Views tab and open a new Default Base Views record.
4. Select the Base View you want to set as the default from the drop-down.
5. Select the Default Type, options are as follows:
   • Global – View will be default for all users
   • User – View will be default for a particular user, user must be specified in the User field
   • Group – View will be default for a particular group, group must be specified in the Group field
6. If you want to specify this base view as the default view that is selected when creating views, select the Applies To Viewing Systems option.
7. If you want to specify this base view as the default view that is selected when running finds, select the Applies To Find option. 
   
   
   
   
8. Click OK to save and close the Default Base Views records.
9. Repeat the steps above for additional Default Base Views records as needed. When creating additional Default Base Views, keep the following in mind:
   • Note that if no default base view applies to the views or finds, the entity's standard base view is used as the default.
   • If more than one Default Base Views record is specified with the same permissions but for different base view, the top most record take precedence.

Best Practices for Adding Fields from Entities with Non-Direct Relationships

This section outlines the steps required when adding fields to a base view that are from entities that do not have a direct relationship from the current entity. This include sub-types that do not have a first level relationship with the current entity (i.e., second and third level sub-types). This procedure can be used in Aptify version 5.5.1 and up.

1. Create the base view as described above for the fields that you want to include that do have direct relationships or are part of the current entity.
2. Save the Base Views record and the base view's entity to generate the base view.

3. Open the base view Database Objects record and add the appropriate SQL (joins, fields, etc.) to specify the additional fields that do not have direct relationship.
   
   

   Note

   The Database Objects record must be non-generated.

4. Save the record.
5. To ensure the metadata is created for the new fields, go back into the Base Views record and create Fields records for the fields that you manually added to the Database Object.
6. Click OK to save Base Views record.
7. Save the Entities record.

See the Persons With Committees sample base view on the Persons entity for an example of an base view that has fields linked to non-direct entities.

Using Multiple Base Views with Finds

In Aptify 5.5.1 and up, once an additional base view has been created, users who have appropriate permissions can run find queries against the alternate base view. When using the Basic Find dialog from a view's toolbar, entity browser, or any other location in the Aptify application, a user can specify which base view to use from the drop-down shown below.

When using the Advanced Find dialog, a user specifies the base view to use from the Base View drop-down. In addition, you can view a description of the base view by hovering over the information icon shown below.

Creating Views with Multiple Base View

In Aptify 5.5.1 and up, once an additional base view has been created, users with appropriate permissions can create views based on the alternate base view. When creating a view, a user selects the appropriate Base View from the Base View drop-down list and configures the view as desired. If a default base view is configured, it is automatically selected.
 

After selecting a particular base view, the fields defined in that view are available for selection on the Filters and Fields tabs of the Create Views dialog.