Create user data contexts

This topic provides details on how to create and configure a user data context.

Overview of user data context

Although you cannot create a new user data type in PPM, you can create a user data context that is based on one of the following user data types:

  • Validation Value User Data. Create user data fields for a named drop-down validation. Typically, you create this new user data context in order to associate more data with values available for users to select.

    Example: Your PPM system has a US States drop-down list validation that has 50 validation values. Somewhere else in the system, you need to get the capital of the state that a user has selected. To do so, you create a new user data context for the US States list and add the Capital field to it.

    Then you open the US States drop-down list validation, and for each validation value (state), you complete the Capital field. Now, the system can detect which state a user has selected and pick up the capital.

  • Environment User Data

  • Package User Data

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Create user data contexts

You can create a new or edit an exiting user data context.

To create a new or edit an existing user data context:

  1. From the PPM menu bar, click Administration > Open Workbench.

  2. On the PPM Workbench shortcut bar, click Configuration > User Data.

  3. To create a new user data context, on the Query tab, click New User Data Context.

    To edit an exiting user data context, on the Results tab, select the user data context to edit and click Open.

  4. In the User Data Context: <User Data Context Name> window, complete the general information for the user data context:

    Field Name

    (*Required)

    Description

    *User Data Type

    User data type name. For global user data types, this field is automatically populated. If you are creating a context-sensitive user data context, select the type from the list.

    *Context Field

    For user data types and user data contexts that have context scope, this field is automatically populated with the name of the context-sensitive field.

    The Context Field auto-complete is only enabled for the Environment User Data and Package User Data user data types.

    *Context Value

    For context-sensitive user data types, this field displays the value for the context field. This field is disabled for user data types with global scope.

    You can only define one context value for the context field. For example, you cannot have two context-sensitive user data types with the same context field and context value (such as a field labeled Priority with a value of "Critical").

    Enabled

    Select Yes to enable the user data context or No to disable it.

    Scope

    Scope of the user data type. This field is automatically populated based on the user data type. The possible scopes for a user data type are:

    • Global. Standard user data type scope. If the scope is global, the User Data tab for every designated entity displays the defined field(s).

    • Context. Indicates that this is a context-sensitive user data type. If the user data type has the context scope, the User Data tab displays the defined field(s) only if the designated entities have the correct Context Field and Context Value definitions.

    *Meta Layer View

    Meta layer views relate information specific to PPM. For example, the reporting meta layer view MREQ_OPENED_CLOSED_BY_TYPE_D provides summary information for request submission and completion activity, broken down by request type and by calendar day.

  5. Use the Fields tab to create one or more user data fields for the user data context. For details, see Configure user data fields.

  6. Use the Layout tab to configure the layout of the user data fields. For details, see Configure user data layout .

  7. Click OK.

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Copy or delete a user data context

You can configure a user data context by copying an existing one. You can also delete a user data context.

To copy or delete a user data context:

  1. On the PPM Workbench shortcut bar, click Configuration > User Data.
  2. Click List to display all the user data contexts available.
  3. Click the Results tab.

  4. To copy the user data context:

    1. Select the user data context to copy.
    2. Click Copy.
    3. Provide a New Context Value and click OK.

  5. To delete the user data context:

    1. Select the user data context to delete.
    2. Click Delete.
    3. Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box.

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See also: