Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Development:
Basic Database Tools

Table Validation

The Validation option in the Modify Table dialog box allows you to specify validation criteria and a message for record deletions.

Note: You should use table validation for backward compatibility for procedure-driven applications. For event-driven programs, use table delete triggers instead of table validation.

If you choose Validation, a dialog box similar to the one shown in Figure 9–2 appears.

Figure 9–2: Table Validation dialog box

The Table Validation dialog box contains the following fields:

Valmsg

Specifies the displayed message when a user tries an invalid deletion. There is no limit to the number of characters you can enter, but a message up to 63 characters long can fit onto the two message lines without scrolling.

Valexp

Specifies the criteria for valid deletions. For example, in the customer table, to restrict deleting customers to those customers who have no outstanding orders, enter the following criteria:

NOT (CAN-FIND(FIRST order OF customer))