Define the Structure of a Database

You can use this function to edit the structure of an existing database. You can add and delete fields, and define the type and length of fields. You can also create a new database.

For more information about Vertex database structure, see: Database Structure.

Define the database structure as follows:

  1. Select System | Databases | Maintenance > Define Structure.
  2. Select the database, and click Save.
    The program opens the database view Edit Database Format.
    • On the left is the current definition in the fields Old Field Name, Old Index and Old Type.
    • You can edit the fields New Field Name, New Index and New Type on the right.
  3. If necessary, add a new field to the database using the context-sensitive function:
    • Add row after or
    • Add row before or
    • Copy row.
  4. Enter the name in the field New Field Name.
    • When naming fields, please note that the allowed characters are the numbers (0-9), the letters (a-z, A-Z) and the underscore (_).
    • You can also rename an old field with a new name, but note that the view, selection, and search formats related to the database processing will not recognize the field unless they are edited.
  5. If necessary, select an index in the New Index field.
    • Select blank as the index for most of the fields so that database processing is not slowed down unnecessarily.
    • IND = Index the database based on this field.
    • UNIQUE = Defines the field as unique, meaning the field cannot have the same value in more than one row in the database.
  6. Define the field's Unicode type and length in the New Type field.
    • T = Text field, for example T15.
    • M = Alphanumeric field, for example M20.
    • N = Numeric field, for example N8.
    • The types A and B in the old installations should be replaced with the Unicode type fields T and M.
  7. To delete a field, activate the New Type column and select Delete Field from the list.
    Note: It is generally not a good idea to delete a field from a database. If you delete a field from a database, the data saved in the field in question on each database row will be lost.
  8. Confirm the database format by clicking OK.