Rules records define the rules for entity bulk operations. Each Rules record applies to a single field in the entity on which the bulk operation is based. For example, a rule may be created to update the credit status or limit for certain persons, or to update the area code for all persons in a certain region.

General Tab

Field Name (Required)

The Field Name field stores the name of the field on which the bulk operation rule applies. This field is a list of all fields for the entity the bulk operation is created for (if Type is set to Top Level).

If Type is set to Sub Type, then the system populates this drop-down list automatically using the fields from the sub-type that the user enters in the Sub Type Name field.

Comments

The comments field contains any additional details relevant to this Bulk Operation Rules record.

Type

Type indicates the type of record to be updated in the system.

• Top Level: Top Level bulk operations are created to update records stored in entities which are also services; for example, Persons, Orders, or Companies records.
• Sub Type: Sub Type bulk operations update record in entities which may only be accessed through other services. Prices records on the Products service is one example of a sub type. The Functions tab on a Persons record is another example.

Note that if you select the Sub Type option, the Sub Type Name and Sub Type Filter fields appear automatically at the bottom of the form.

Value Type

There are three value types available:

• Static: If Static is selected, a Value field appears in the Rules record. The field listed in the Field Name is updated with the value in the Value field for all selected records in the given view.
  
  
• Prompt: If Prompt is selected, the Default Value and Prompt Message fields appear in the Rules record. When the user runs the Entity Bulk Operation wizard, one of the steps in the Wizard prompts the user to enter values for all of the rules that have a Value Type of Prompt.
  
  
• Formula: If Formula is selected, a Formula field appear in the Rules record. The Formula field is a SQL string that the Entity Bulk Operation evaluates. The operation inserts the results of the formula into the entity field selected in Field Name.
  • For example, an Entity Bulk Operation to increase all Persons' Credit Limits by $500 (regardless of their current credit limits) has this formula: CONVERT(int, CreditLimit + 500)
  • The Entity Bulk Operation code takes this formula and updates the CreditLimit field in the records selected within a view.

Sub Type Name

If Type is set to Sub Type, then this field appears on the Rules form. It specifies the name of the sub-type entity that contains the field to modify. This should be a sub-type of the entity specified in the Entity field on the Entity Bulk Operations record's General tab.

Note that once the Sub Type Name field is populated, the set of fields from that sub-type entity automatically populate the Field Name drop-down list.

Sub Type Filter

Specifies a WHERE clause that reduces the number of sub-type records in the resultset to modify. Do not enter the word WHERE in the filter statement. The system appends this keyword automatically.