Element (CB)
An element defines the maximum number of characters and the data type for an attribute value. It is required that an element is assigned to every attribute and that element must exist before you can define an attribute that uses that element.
An element can be Lawson-defined or user-defined. These are the types of elements that you can define:
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Alpha type (up to 32 characters)
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Numeric type (up to 18 characters)
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Date type (eight characters)
Note: Lawson-defined elements are pre-loaded, along with Lawson-defined attributes, using Attribute, Element Load (MX100).
Lawson-defined attributes have a one-to-one correspondence with Lawson-defined elements. For example, the Cash Code attribute is associated with an element called Cash Code. This table shows additional examples of Lawson-defined attributes and corresponding Lawson-defined elements:
| Attribute | Element | Type | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| CASH CODE | Cash Code | Alpha | 4 |
| BANK ACCT NO | Bank Acct Nbr | Alpha | 32 |
| CURR CODE | Currency | Alpha | 5 |
| BANK ENTITY | Bank Entity | Alpha | 15 |
| COMPANY | Company | Numeric | 4 |
You can also create user-defined elements within the data type and size restrictions listed in the table. User-defined elements can be more generic than Lawson-defined elements, and can be associated with more than one attribute. This table shows examples of user-defined attributes and user-defined elements:
| Attribute | Element | Type | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| MANAGER | Account Manager | Alpha | 15 |
| PETTY CASH | Petty Cash Account | Alpha | 10 |
| REGION | Geographic Region | Alpha | 15 |
| ACTIVATION | Activation Date | yyyymmdd | 8 |
You can also associate a Lawson-defined element with a user-defined attribute. For example, you might use the Bank Entity element (Lawson-defined, Alpha15) with the user-defined Region attribute.