AX2188
If you want a file group to allow creating plan files "on demand," the file group properties must be configured as follows.
Plan code table
The plan code tableThe table that contains the list of plan codes for a file group. Generally, each code in the table will have a plan file for developing plan data. for the file group must be an identity table, meaning a table where the key column uses the Identity data type. When selecting the plan code table, identity tables are indicated in the drop-down list with a special icon 
. Once an identity table is selected, the file group is automatically flagged as an on-demand file group.
Identity columns allow for the automatic generation of plan codes in a sequence. When a new plan file is created, a new record is created in the plan code table and the next number for the identity column is automatically generated. The sequence always starts at 1 and then increments using whole numbers. When using an identity column, you cannot manually define plan codes.
NOTE: With standard file groups, the same reference table may be the plan code table for several file groups, such as the DEPT table. However, with on-demand file groups, each file group should have its own dedicated identity table. It is not recommended to re-use the same identity table for multiple file groups.
When using an identity table, it is common to also maintain an "alternate code" column in the plan code table. For example, you might generate a more meaningful code for each plan file, such as 43000_2019_16 (Dept_Year_Identity), and store this in a column called RequestID. If you want this alternate code to be the primary code that displays to end users (instead of the less meaningful identity value), then there are a number of settings that you can adjust in the file group properties to do this:
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On the File Group tab, you can change the Tab Column to be the alternate code column instead of the identity column. This means that the alternate code will display on file tabs for open plan files.
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On the Display Columns tab, you can edit the Sorting columns to remove the identity column and instead sort by the alternate code column. This means that lists of plan files will sort using the alternate code instead of the identity value.
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On the Display Columns tab, you can edit the Display Columns to add the alternate code column and place it at the top of the list, so that it will be the first value that users see when viewing lists of plan files. You can choose to remove the identity column so that it does not display to users at all, or you can move it to an appropriate location in the display columns so that it presents as "additional information" to users (like other grouping columns that may be displayed).
Keep in mind that all of these optional adjustments only affect the display of plan files. The identity value is still the official plan code for each plan file, if you need to reference that value in any system features such as the GetPlanFilePath function.
On-demand options
Once the file group has been flagged as an on-demand file group through selection of the plan code table, a set of on-demand options becomes available in the file group properties. Most of these options are located on the Options tab, in the On Demand Options section. These options should be completed as follows:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
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Disable Clone Existing Plan Files |
Optional. Select this check box if you do not want to allow users to create new plan files by cloning existing plan files. By default this option is not selected, which means that the "clone existing" feature is enabled and available. If this option is selected, then the Clone selected item command is hidden in the Open Plan Files dialog. NOTE: This option is located in the Plan File Options section instead of the On Demand Options section. However, it only displays for on-demand file groups. |
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Plan File Process |
Specify a plan file process for the file group. You can select any plan file process definition located in the Processes folder for the file group. Standard process definitions cannot be used. This option is required if you want to use a plan file process with the on-demand file group. This designated process is used as follows:
For more information on using plan file processes with on-demand file groups, see Using plan file processes with on-demand file groups. NOTE: This option is located in the Process Options section instead of the On Demand Options section, because standard file groups can also use this option for the Process Summary component. |
| Add File Message |
Enter the text that you want to display to users to create a new plan file, such as "Add new file" or "Add new capital request". This text will display in the top right-hand corner of the Open Plan Files dialog in the Excel Client and the Windows Client. This text is required, even if end users will not be using this option to create plan files (for example, if all end users will use the Web Client). |
| Add File Form |
Optional. Specify an Axiom form to use as the "input form" to collect starting values for the plan code table when creating a new plan file. You can select any form-enabled file stored in the Utilities folder for the file group (recommended), or in the Reports Library. This form is used when a user clicks the "add file" option for the on-demand file group within the Axiom Software Excel Client or Windows Client. For more information on using this option, see Using an Axiom form as an "add file" dialog for an on-demand file group. This option has no effect on the Web Client. If your users will be using the Web Client to create new plan files, then you must still create a form to facilitate plan file creation, but there is no built-in programmatic way to launch that particular form from the Web Client. It is assumed that users will either manually open the necessary form, or you will provide links to the necessary form, such as from a home page. |
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Clone File Form |
Optional. Specify an Axiom form to use as the "input form" to collect starting values for the plan code table when cloning an existing plan file. You can select any form-enabled file stored in the Utilities folder for the file group (recommended), or in the Reports Library. This form is used when a user clicks the Clone selected item option for the on-demand file group within the Axiom Software Excel Client or Windows Client. For more information on using this option, see Using an Axiom form as an "add file" dialog for an on-demand file group. NOTE: If Disable Clone Existing Plan Files is selected (see below), then the Clone File Form setting is disabled. |
Other file group settings
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You can use a Default Template and/or a Template Column. If you use a template column, then you must pass the name of the appropriate template to the plan code table when the new plan file is created. For more information, see Template options for on-demand file groups.
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In most cases, the Allow Generation of Plan Files from Templates option should remain unchecked. This option is unchecked by default when the file group is flagged as an on-demand file group. This option controls access to the Create Plan Files utility, which is normally not used for on-demand file groups.
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The file group can optionally use a Show On List Column. If defined, the Show On List column is automatically set to True when new plan files are created. For more information, see Using a Show On List column.
