Soft References (or Filtering Helper) is a tool that eases form data entry and its validation in
Axional Terminal R2020.
It is useful when a form contains a field whose value must be previously recorded in a database table.
Therefore, it helps in field value selection and integrity checking.
1 Definition
The Soft reference is launched when:
- The data entered by the user does not exist.
- Does not correspond to a previously defined filter.
To define a soft reference, fill in the following fields
| Label | Description |
|---|---|
| exist_table | Name of the physical table from which the data originate. |
| exist_column | Name of the column from which the value is taken in the selection object. |
| exists_others | Name of the columns you want to show when the helper is displayed. |
| exists_filter | The filter condition, which restricts the records displayed in the selection object. |
In addition to the user and date of creation and update, the following fields are displayed
| Label | Description |
|---|---|
| exist_id | Soft reference identifier. This field is useful in order to associate it to a field. |
2 Apply a Soft Reference to a field
It is in the field definition ( Form field tab of RF Form) that the field is associated to the Soft Reference.
Specifically, it is the field_exists_if field where the Soft Reference identifier is informed. In that case, when the user enters a data that does not exist or does not comply with the defined filter, the Soft Reference will be triggered.
A single Soft Reference can be associated to one or more fields of different forms.
3 Example
An example of a soft relation is shown in the graph below.
The table to query in the database is reported, as well as the query field, the 3 columns to be displayed when displaying the Soft Reference, and the search condition is also shown.
Then, when the soft relation is triggered from the RF Term 2020, the display is:
