Manage Vertex Databases

General

• By default, Vertex G4 contains several databases, which are used to manage model archive, drawing archive and project archive as well as items.
  • If you are using both the design program Vertex G4 and the product data management program Vertex Flow, the Vertex databases have mostly been replaced by objects from Flow.
• Various auxiliary databases are connected to Vertex's databases, which are used to manage user IDs, customer data, item classifications, etc.
• The format of the Vertex databases can be modified: Fields can be added, deleted, and their lengths can be modified.
• Vertex databases are managed using the so-called format files and you can use auxiliary programs made with Vertex application development tool to assist in processing.

The function System | Databases | Maintenance includes the following features:

Edit

Edit the data in an existing database.

• Edit the Contents of a Vertex Database

List

List the contents of a database.

• List the Contents of a Database

Define Structure

Define the fields contained in a database and their types and lengths.

• You can also use this function to create a new database.
• Define the Structure of a Database

Default Form

Set a default format file for processing the database content.

1. Select System | Databases | Maintenance > Default Form.
2. Select the database for which you want to set the default format file.
3. Type the name of the default format file.
   • Note that the format file must exist in the ../vxg4*/system/forms or ../vxg4*/custom/forms folder.

List Structure

Lists the structure of the database, showing the field names, type and length.

• List the Structure of a Database

Update Structure

Update the database structure using another database.

• Update the Structure of a Database

Empty

Clear the contents of the database.

• Empty the Database

Update

Update the contents of the selected database field by field from another database.

• Update Database Contents

Compare

Compare the structures or contents of two databases.

• Compare Databases

Test Database Format

Test how the selected display, selection or list format looks in use.

1. Select System | Databases | Maintenance > Test Database Format.
2. Select the format file.
   • Custom format files are located in the ../vxg4*/custom/forms folder.
3. Remove the format file from the check mark in the upper right corner.
4. Repeat steps 2-3, if necessary.
5. Click Cancel to stop testing the format files.

Export to XML File

Export the contents of a database to an XML file.

• Export a Database to an XML File or Import an XML Database

Import From XML File

Import the contents of an XML file to a Vertex database.

• Export a Database to an XML File or Import an XML Database

New ODBC Table

ODBC tables are hardly used anymore.

• ODBC is a type of interface that has been used to connect an external database to the Vertex G4.
• Today, we aim for Vertex G4 and Vertex Flow to go "hand in hand" and for Vertex Flow to be connected to an external database, for example an ERP system.
• Instructions on the ODBC link can be found in the file ../vxg4*/system/setup/ODBCINIT.sam, which can be read with Notepad++ or the Notepad program, for example.

Transfer into ODBC Table

ODBC tables are hardly used anymore.

• See the previous section.

Update Attributes

Update the attributes of the active drawing to the default attributes of the system.

• Update Attributes