Working with tables

Edit Tables

Action.NET uses tables for the inclusion and updating of most of a project's configuration data in the Edit menu environment, such as tags, alarms, users. In most tables, you can add and edit the information in the same standardized way.

To add a new table item (row):

• Click the first column of the insertion row.

• The insert row is the first row of the table and has a * next to it.

Open

• After clicking a column in the row, the * becomes a pencil icon, indicating that you are now editing that line.

Open

• Perform one of the following procedures in the column you clicked:

  • If the column is a text field, type the information.

  • If the column is a selection field, click again, then select the items from the drop-down list or pop-up window displayed.

• Press Tab to move the cursor between the columns of the row.

To edit an existing table row:

1. Click the cell of the row that you want to change.

2. Perform one of the following procedures in the cell you clicked:

   • If the column is a text field, type the new information. The system replaces the text that was in the field. To change part of the text, click again, and make the changes.

   • If the column is a selection field, click again, then select the items from the drop-down list or window that pop-up.

More than one user can edit a project at the same time. The system saves all changes to the project server and propagates the changes to other users. If two users modify the same configuration table or document, the changes you save later will override all previous changes.

Tips and Validation

In all sections of Action.NET, data fields and buttons have built-in "hints" that contain information about their function. Some of these tips also include an example that can help you. The system also validates the data that you enter in most fields, especially in tables. If a red outline appears around the cell of the table where a typing was made, this entry is not valid.

Sorting, filtering, and grouping

The information that exists in many tabs in Action.NET is displayed in tables whose rows can be sorted, filtered, and grouped. By default, the items in the table are listed in the order in which you created them.

To Filter by Name:

• In almost all tables there is a text box at the top right with the indication Filter by Name:, to be used as a quick filter;

• Just type the initial letters of searched content in the column Name;

• Automatically, and as you type the filtering, the lines with names started by those letters appear.

• You can use * before or after the typed letters to indicate that the filter accepts other letters before or after the typed letters.

To sort a table:

1. In any table, click the column header that you want to use to sort.

   • Items will now be sorted in ascending alphanumeric order based on this column.

2. Click the column header again to sort in descending alphanumeric order. An arrow over the column title shows whether the order is ascending, pointing up, or descending pointing downwards.

3. Click the column header again to return to standard mode.

To filter a table:

• In any table, hover over the column header that you want to use to filter.

  • An arrow for a drop-down list appears next to the column title.

• Click the arrow to see the list of distinct contents in this column, in all rows of the table.

• Select the items that you want to include in the filter.

• To remove the filter, click the drop-down list and click (Clear Filter).

To group items (rows) in a table:

• In any table, drag a column header to the area above the columns to group by that column.

• To remove the collation, drag the column name to the column headers area.

Adding and removing columns

Tables in Action.NET typically display a standard set of columns, most commonly used. Each table can have additional hidden columns that you can show, or you can request to hide. You can also change the order of the columns. For column definitions that are available in all tables, see "Description of common columns" on page 73.

To add or remove a column:

1. In any table, right-click the column header area.

   • A list of all available columns for this table is displayed. Column names with a check mark next to them are currently displayed in the table.

2. Check or uncheck the columns in the list.

3. Click off the list to close it.

4. To change the order of columns, drag a column header to a new location.

5. To return to the default screen, click "Home" to Restore the default grid settings.

Description of common columns

Most project tables have a set of columns that have the same functions. These columns are presented in the table below, so that they are not repeated in the description of each table in the following items.

Table 1: Descriptions of common columns

Copying and Pasting Lines

You can copy and paste rows to and from tables in Action.NET. Copy/paste functions allow you to copy rows from one table to another within the Engineering Workspace. For example, you can copy tags and paste them to the Historian tab or the Items tab in Alarms.

You can also copy and paste to and from a spreadsheet.

To copy lines to another tab:

1. In any table, select one or more rows.

2. Press the right mouse button and select Copy selected lines.

3. Go to the other recipient tab of the copy.

4. Click the right mouse button and select Paste Lines.

To copy rows from a spreadsheet:

1. In any table, select one or more rows.

2. Right-click and select Copy selected lines.

   • The copy automatically includes all available column titles for the tab you're in.

3. Go to a worksheet and select Paste rows.

To paste the rows of a spreadsheet:

1. Set up the columns in the worksheet by following the copy steps above.

2. Enter the information you want.

3. Copy the information, including titles, from the spreadsheet.

4. On the corresponding recipient table, right-click and select Paste rows.

   • The paste operation automatically places the data in the corresponding columns. All empty cells are ignored.

Importing Data

You can import a CSV file (commasseparated values) into any table. The titles of the worksheet columns must match those of the table to which you are importing the worksheet. The best way to ensure that column names match is to copy some rows of the table into a worksheet first, then edit the worksheet including including new rows that are needed, and then paste the worksheet over the table for information on how to copy rows, see "Copying and Pasting Lines" .

To import the data:

1. Create the data in a spreadsheet. If you are creating Tags or other objects, you can name the objects as needed. If you are filling in other columns, the data in the columns must match what the Action.NET expects.

2. Save the file as a CSV file.

3. From the corresponding table Action.NET, click import from a CSV file.

4. Navigate to the CSV file and click to select it.

5. Click Open.

   • The system will import the data into the table.

Changing multiple-line content

You often want to change the contents of one or more columns in a table, but you need to do this with multiple rows in the table. This facility is available in virtually all tables in the engineering interface.

To change content so many rows in a table:

1. Go to the table and multipleselect the rows you want to change.

   1. Press the key Shift and holding it down, left-click on the first line and after the on the last line of the block on which you want the changes. The lines change color to show that they are selected.

   2. Alternatively, if you want to select multiple noncontiguous lines, press the Ctrl and holding it down, left-click on each of the lines you want to make the changes to. Clicked lines change color to show that they are selected.

2. Once the selection is made, click the right mouse over the table. A sub menu will be shown. In it select the option Edit Combined rows.

3. The following will be shown a window with the columns of the table and the current and possible contents for each column. Then make the changes you want and then press the OK button.

Window for editing multiple lines

Intellisense and Name Change

In all input fields, whether in DataGrids or drawing tools, where you can use Tag names or object names, the facility that is called IntelliSense is available: In the data entry suggests valid names according to the letters you type.

The Intellisense feature presents a list of valid objects according to the letters you are typing and the valid entries for that particular input field. You can insert the selected item into the list by pressing "enter", space, the dot key, or other symbol keys.

The IntelliSense fields also have hints and validation built into it. Placing the mouse over a field will be displayed the expected and possible entries for that field. When you have an invalid entry, the field outline turns red and the hint gives information about the existing error.

Refactoring is called the process of changing the definition of tag names, names, or identifiers of any other objects (such as alarm groups, device nodes, and any other), after the symbolic name is already in use in the application.

Thanks to the SQL centralized configuration, Action.NET allows you to rename any object by simply typing the new name in the configuration table where the object is defined. Automatically all references to this object will be changed, using the new name, with no further actions required.

For example, to rename a tag that is already being used throughout the project, just go to Edit-Tags-Objects and change the name on the line on which it is defined. The same applies to Edit-Alarms-Groups, members of Templates or any other object name in the system.