Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Development:
Progress Dynamics Administration

Dynamic lookup mapped fields

By default, the dynamic lookup uses its own query-management and data-retrieval mechanism, instead of using SmartDataObjects. Using this mechanism the dynamic lookup requires a separate AppServer request to retrieve lookup data as part of rendering a container and displaying the current record.

To minimize the need for the AppServer request, the dynamic lookup can check if the fields required to display the lookup values for the current record are also available in the viewer SDO. If corresponding SDO fields are available, the dynamic lookup can use these fields instead of making a separate and duplicate AppServer request. If the fields are not available in the SDO, the lookup must make its own AppServer request to populate it with data.

In cases where the fields used on the viewer for a dynamic lookup are not the actual fields contained in the SDO, the affected lookup must make its own AppServer request. To solve this issue and to provide a more specific way to map the lookup fields used on the viewer to the fields in the SDO that contain their data (if applicable), the concept of field mapping was introduced.

To allow dynamic lookups to check the SDO for the required fields, Progress Dynamics supports a field mapping mechanism for use by dynamic lookups on both static and dynamic viewers. Field mapping provides an ability to explicitly state what fields on a viewer are linked to specified fields in an SDO. The need for you to explicitly map the fields is only required if the fields on the viewer do not directly map to the fields in the SDO based on their names.