The Field Settings dialog is a feature that enables control over which fields are in which objects. For an overview of the different varieties of fields in IRM, see section Custom data fields. When a given Field is added to an object via the Field Settings dialog, the assigned field is added to its list of non-semantic fields. The Field Definition subdialog which enables both definition and editing of custom fields is also accessible from this dialog, see section Field Definitions and related advanced field topics.
The Field Settings dialog enables unified handling of both semantic and non-semantic field definitions:
semantic (core system fields e.g. Name, Type Name, etc) and
non-semantic (any user definable fields e.g. Asset Number, Order Number, etc)
This means that both semantic and user-added non-semantic fields can be:
Displayed in the object grid
Used to sort object grid entries
Used to filter object grid entries.
Including in Data Export Templates
Included in Report Templates
This capability allows each IRM instance to be tailored to match the data management needs of each customer and provides the flexibility required to meet any specific or unique client data management requirements.
The main concept of Field Settings and Field Definition is the association of non-semantic fields with most of the main object types, including Equipment, Equipment Types, Categories, and Cables. Each Super Category has its own set of associated fields, but note that Typed Objects and their corresponding object types share the same set of Field definitions - for example, Equipment and Equipment Type share the Equipment field list. Category objects use Field Definitions from whichever Super Category they are in. In that sense a Category object in the Equipment hierarchy is fundamentally different from a Category object in the Cable hierarchy. For example, if a Field Definition is added to a Category object called User Equipment, that object, a type of Category, gets a new non-semantic field.
The following screenshot and text explains the main parts of the Field Settings dialog, which displays all Assigned Fields and the additional Available Fields that are available for assignment for the selected Equipment Category, User Equipment in this case.
Select the Object Category / Type from the Object Class tree menu
The Object Tree is same as in the main application screen, whereby it is organized by Super Category at the accordion level and then by Category and Type. The main purpose of this tree menu is to enable specifying at which level in the tree a field is assigned, and specifically to which object. For fields that are assigned at the Category level, any fields additionally assigned or defined will be assigned to all types and instances within that Category.
Changing the selection to a different Super Category also changes the contents of both the Assigned Fields and Available Fields grids, while selection of an Object Category or Type changes the title of the Object Tree to Object Class - Super Category name.
This list differentiates row entries based upon whether they correspond to user-defined (non-semantic) or built-in (semantic) fields.
This is identified by using a locked or unlocked icon under the second column of the grid:
a field with a locked icon is a semantic field and cannot be changed by the user.
a field with an unlocked icon is a user-defined field which can be changed by the user with the relevant administrative privileges.
Another type of fields are to be noticed in this dialog - fields added from the Library, which the Irm User should not delete or alter. To indicate this, the Field Settings Editor draws those fields with in a stylized way - in a light blue or dark blue color, depending on the selected theme.
These fields are NOT allowed for the user to edit or delete:
Also, in editors like the Equipment Type Properties dialog, the field is considered to be owned by the Library and is considered to be read-only for all Irm Users.
View all Field Definitions available for assignment
This grid lists all fields available for assignment for the selected Super Category, including the following properties:
Field - the name of the built-in or user defined field
Type - the type of data held by the field, which drives how the entered data is validated
Format - additional data specified for certain types, which controls the appearance of the field
Default - the current default value associated with the field
Note: if a field has been assigned to the currently selected object, it no longer appears on this list.
In addition, the Available Fields grid enables managing the list of user-defined fields by adding, editing, copying and removing row entries using Action buttons:
- Add new Field Definition - enables creating a new user defined field definition within the selected Super Category. Click on this button starts the field definition process by opening the Field Definition sub-dialog with the default properties specified for the selected Super Category. Click on the following sub-topic for a detailed coverage of Field Definitions feature - Field Definitions and related advanced field topics.
- Edit Field Definition - enables editing a Field Definition. Clicking on this button opens the Field Definition sub-dialog with all Field Definition parameters displayed and enabled for editing. Click on the following sub-topic for a detailed coverage of Field Definitions feature - Field Definitions and related advanced field topics.
- Delete Field Definition - enables deleting a user-defined Field Definition entry. This action needs to be confirmed by clicking an additional button in a confirmation pop-out dialog that warns the user about the possible loss of data caused by removing the Field Definition.
- Copy Field Definition - enables duplication of the currently selected Field Definition. Click on this button opens the Field Definition sub-dialog with a copy of the original, selected Field Definition. In case of copying a semantic field, the copy automatically becomes non-semantic.
The arrow buttons positioned between the two grids enable easy assignment and un-assignment of Field Definitions simply by selecting the appropriate row entry and click on one of the buttons:
User-defined fields are assigned to the list of Field Definitions for the selected Super Category by selecting the appropriate Field Definition's row entry from the Available Fields grid and click on the Left arrow button.
User-defined fields are un-assigned for the selected Super Category by selecting the appropriate Field Definition's row entry from the Assigned Fields grid and clicking the Right arrow button.
System Fields cannot be selected or un-assigned as they are core object properties required by the system.
- Add new Field Definition - enables creating a new user defined field definition within the selected Super Category. Click on this button starts the field definition process by opening the Field Definition sub-dialog with the default properties specified for the selected Super Category. Click on the following sub-topic for a detailed coverage of Field Definitions feature - 
- Edit Field Definition - enables editing a Field Definition. Clicking on this button opens the Field Definition sub-dialog with all Field Definition parameters displayed and enabled for editing. Click on the following sub-topic for a detailed coverage of Field Definitions feature - 
- Delete Field Definition - enables deleting a user-defined Field Definition entry. This action needs to be confirmed by clicking an additional button in a confirmation pop-out dialog that warns the user about the possible loss of data caused by removing the Field Definition.
- Copy Field Definition - enables duplication of the currently selected Field Definition. Click on this button opens the Field Definition sub-dialog with a copy of the original, selected Field Definition. In case of copying a semantic field, the copy automatically becomes non-semantic. 
