Object Families

Object families are the basis of the ODM linking mechanism. Object families consist of a family owner and family members. The family owner and the family members are object types. One of the functions of families is to determine which object types can be attached to other object types. A family owner can be linked to all of the owner’ s members.

Most family data is supplied as part of LN set-up data, and is only modified or added to as part of system customization. This customization includes data that determines the structure of libraries, and data that determines the information that the Object Explorer displays in various circumstances. However, the system administrator can determine which object types can be linked to other object types with the addition or removal of members to existing families. The system administrator can also set up new families that must be used to determine folder content profiles.

To create object families for folder content profiles

While creating a folder, the users select a content profile from a list of defined content profiles. The content profile determines the object types that the folder must contain. The content profile is the name of a family with specific family attributes. The object types that the folder contains are the family members.

To define a new content profile, the system administrator must set up a new family with the correct attributes for a content profile family, and then add the required members.

Note

To ensure that any new family you define has the correct attributes to function as a content profile, you must only copy the supplied content profile family FFLDR_RSDNT to create new families.

To define a new content profile family

To define a new content profile family, take the following steps:

  1. On the Object Data Management menu, double-click ODM Configuration > Object Types > Object Families.

    The Object Families (dmsys1512m000) overview session starts, which includes a list of all object families already defined:
    [...]

  2. On the Edit menu, double-click FFLDR_RSDNT, and click Duplicate. The related actions described in the appendix must be available for the role to create, duplicate or delete the object family.

    If the authorizations exist, the Object Families (dmsys1512m000) details session opens in edit mode:
    [...]
  3. Change the family name to the name you want to use as the new content profile and change the family description.
  4. Save the information and close the session to return to the Object Families (dmsys1512m000) overview session.
  5. Add members to the family as described in the instructions in the following section.
  6. To create a new Family, click New in the Object Families session, as long as you have the required authorizations.
To define object family members

If users request to link objects, the request is presented with a list of the object types that are members of the relevant family. For example, if a user selects the Linked Entities in the Folders (dmfmg0522m000) session, the user is presented with a list of the object types that are members of the FFLDR_LNK_OBJ (Folder Attachment Objects) family.

The system administrator can add members to families and remove members. However, you must make sure that you add members to the correct family.

To add members to a family, or remove family members

To add members to a family, take the following steps:

  1. Start the Object Families (dmsys1512m000) overview session: on the Object Data Management menu, double-click ODM Configuration > Object Types > Object Families.
  2. Select the family for which you want to maintain members.

  3. Click Family Members on the appropriate menu to start the Family Members (dmsys0113m000) session, which includes a list of object types that are already members of the family.

    [...]
  4. Choose New from the File menu. A new record appears.
  5. Type in a unique sequence number.
  6. Use the browse arrow to select the object type from the Objects (dmsys1511m000) session.

To remove a member from the family, take the following steps:

  1. Complete Steps 1, 2, and 3, as described in the previous procedure.
  2. Select the object type to be removed, and on the Edit menu, click Delete.