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Creating Custom Messages

You can create custom messages to be displayed when custom validation rules are applied. Messages can include message arguments that display values contained in attributes from a context object. For example, to insert an employee’s name into the message, create a message argument that references the Employee name attribute from an employee.

If you have created a custom Indicator class and added a relationship that supports mass updates, you must also create an informational message on the related custom class. The message displays the value that will appear in the Values to Copy window of the Indicator Mass Update wizard. Use one or more message arguments to substitute the data from the related class. For example, the Indicator class’ Owns Many relationship with the Calculation Input class uses the message 22 - &1 - &2 (&3). This informational message is on the Calculation Input class. The message arguments reference the Input Name (&1), Input Description (&2), and Input Type (&3). In the Indicator Mass Update wizard, the value to be copied might appear as “Input1 - Last Reading of Indicator A (Based on readings)”.

You can create custom messages on the States and Validation view of a custom class, or while creating the validation rule. This topic explains how to create a message from the States and Validation view.

To Create a Custom Message

1.	Open the custom class and select the States and Validation view.

2.	Select the Messages tab and click New. The Message dialog appears.

3.	The system enters a default Message number, which you can change, if necessary.

4.	Select a Message type:

•	Error: the field being validated is red-lined when the rule is violated. The error message is displayed if the user tries to save or close the object. The user is prevented from performing the action until the error condition is corrected.

•	Warning: the field being validated is yellow-lined when the rule is violated. The warning message is displayed if the user tries to save or close the object. Warning messages provide Yes and No buttons, allowing the user to continue or to cancel the action.

•	Information: The system displays the information message when the rule is violated. The user can review the message and continue normally.

5.	Enter the text of the message.

6.	To display information about the context object or a related object, you can set up message arguments. The message argument will substitute the value of an attribute from a selected class into your message. For example, you might have a message that says:

&1 is not a Planner. Would you like to continue?

where “&1” refers to the first message argument, which substitutes the name of the employee into the message.

To create a message argument, click New. The Message Argument dialog appears.

7.	Enter the settings for the message argument:

Setting Name

Description

Argument number

By default, the system enters the next number, but you can change it, if necessary.

Join path starts at

Select Parent class to use an attribute from the class that you are customizing or from a related class. This is the option that you will use in most cases. If you are creating the message from a class that is an argument object without a relationship to the originating class (the class from which the method is run that calls the argument object), select the Context class option. You can then select the Context object from which you need to select an attribute or relationship.

Join path

If you need to select an attribute from a related class, click the join path icon . Select the relationship that you need, and click OK.

Attribute

Select the attribute that you want to use in the message argument. For example, to insert an employee’s name into the message, you would select the Employee name attribute.

8.	Click OK to save the argument.

9.	Repeat steps 6 to 8 for each argument that you need to create.

10.	Ensure that your message arguments match the argument code in your message text. For example, to use message argument number one, you need to enter “&1” in your message text.

11.	To save the message, click OK.