Best Practices for Customizing the Catalog Database

You can customize the catalog database by adding tables, adding records, editing records, and renaming column labels. But, some changes can stop the program from using the catalog database. When that happens you see this alert.

Follow these guidelines to make sure your changes do not stop the program from using the catalog database.

Best Practices

• Add a category catalog table. Use Add Table to Catalog Database to add a blank catalog table. Find
• Add _PINLIST table. Use the edit mode of the Catalog Browser to add a blank pinlist table. When you enter a manufacturer value in a record, the _PINLIST table for that manufacturer is created if necessary.
• Add _TERMPROPS table. Use the edit mode of the Catalog Browser to edit the TRMS table. When you enter a manufacturer value in a record, the _TERMPROPS table for that manufacturer is created if necessary.
• Add records. Use the edit mode of the Catalog Browser to add records.
• Add pinlist values. Use the edit mode of the Catalog Browser to add pinlist values.
• Add terminal properties. Use the edit mode of the Catalog Browser to edit the TRMS table and add terminal properties.
• Remove a table. Use a database program, like Microsoft ®Access, to remove tables.
• Rename a table. Use a database program, like Microsoft ®Access, to rename tables. Make sure to follow the catalog table naming conventions.
• Add a column. Use a database program, like Microsoft ®Access, to add columns in a catalog table. Add columns right after the RECNUM column. If there is no RECNUM column, add new columns at the end of the table.
  Note: Data in the added columns is not assigned to components or included in reports.

Prohibitions

• _FAMILY_DESCRIPTION table. Do not remove this table.
• Column Order. Do not change the column order.
• Column Labels. Do not change the column labels.
• RECNUM column. Do not remove the RECNUM column.
• _PINLIST and _TERMPROPS tables. Do not add columns to these tables.
• Data Type. Do not change the data type; Text, Memo, AutoNumber, for existing columns.
• Field Size. Do not change the field size for existing columns.
• Allow Zero Length. Do not change the setting for existing columns. The value must be No, do not allow zero length values.