Using Valid Values

About Valid Values

In the Standard Search you have three methods for providing attribute values:
  • Manually enter the value
  • Use Valid Values to select a defined value for the attribute
  • Use Query Builder to create a complex queries to custom filter your search

Manually entering attribute values is time consuming and error-prone. The Valid Values option allows you to select one or more values from an existing list of known values for the attribute.

CES Valid Values includes support for the following data types:

  • Enumerated: a set of predefined values that are valid for a particular attribute. If an attribute is of the Enumerated type, then any value you enter for the attribute must belong to the set of values defined for that attribute.
  • Range: a range of values acceptable for a particular attribute. Range values are handled using the CATIA Literal Feature Layer and have a minimum and maximum value.

When obtaining a list of valid values, you can get three different types of lists:

  • Existing: set of values currently used for an attribute, in items of the category to be searched.
  • Qualified: set of possible existing values, given the values set for other attributes in the search criteria.
  • Valid: set of values for an attribute that is of the Enumerated or Range type. If an attribute is not of the Enumerated or Range type, this option is unavailable.

To access the Valid Values option, in the Sourcing Search window, right-click the Right Arrow button to the right of any of the attributes and select Valid Values. The following window appears:

For a description of each field and button in this window, refer to CES Valid Values Window at the end of this topic.

When Using Valid Values

  • Attribute type information is obtained from the metadata associated with the CES attribute. CES distinguishes between valid values for attributes that store magnitude data and those that store non-magnitude data. Valid attribute values are handled using:
    • CATIA Literal Feature Layer: Handles values for attributes that store magnitude type data.
    • CES Valid Values: Handles values for attributes that store non-magnitude type data.
  • Valid values implemented using CES Valid Values support the following:
    • Searching within a set of valid values
    • Sorting at the database level, either ascending or descending
    • Page count and Item count on demand, including paging through the results or jumping to a specific page
    • Retrieval of unique values
    • Selection of multiple values with the selected values combined using the OR operator for search purposes
    • Retrieval of values based on batch-size setting
    • Qualified Values
    • Existing Values
  • To get a list of Unique, Existing, or Qualified values, select the desired option and click the Search button. Just selecting the Unique, Existing, or Qualified option does not automatically update the list. You much click Search.
  • CATIA Literal Feature Layer may not be suitable if a CES attribute contains a large set of values
  • The CATIA Literal Feature Layer is used only for attributes of type Length.
  • When setting values for an attribute that contains magnitude data, a scroll box appears to the right of the text field. Right-click this scroll box to display the CATIA contextual menu. Actions invoked from this menu are handled as they are in CATIA. For more information about the actions invoked from this menu, refer to Advanced Meshing Tools : Accessing Knowledge Formulas and Parameters, or Human Measurements Editor: Entering New Values in the CATIA documentation.
  • The CES Valid Values window can only be used in the Standard Search.

How To Use Valid Values

This task explains how to access and use the Valid Values option:
  1. Start CATIA. Login to ENOVIA V5 VPM and CES. For more information on logging in, refer to Logging in to ENOVIA V5 VPM in CATIA and Accessing CES Functionality.

  2. Click the Search CES Database button. The Sourcing Search window appears. The top portion of the window contains the Sourcing Search Criteria and the Simple and Standard tabs. The bottom portion contains the Category Browser, a graphical representation of the categories of information that are available, on the Tree View tab, and the Attribute Based Category Search, on the List View tab. You can use the Category Browser to narrow your search by selecting one of the category nodes in which to search. For more information, refer to Category Browser. You can use the Attribute Base Category Search, located on the List View tab to locate categories based on attribute name and category name. For more information, refer to Attribute Base Category Search.




  3. Enter search criteria appropriate for your database in the Search From:, Type:, and Search Form: text fields. Right click the Right Arrow button to the right of any of the attributes and select Valid Values.

  4. The CES Valid Values window appears. The Available values pane contains the list of valid values for the attribute you selected. You can order this list in either ascending or descending order in the Sort section. In addition, you can have the list include only unique values or all values of the attribute used by all items. Listing all values will include duplicate values if more than one item uses that attribute value.

  5. To see the number of available values, click Item Count. This also shows you the number of pages.

  6. Select one or more available values and click the Right Arrow button to move the selected values into the Selected values pane.

  7. Click OK to set the attribute selected in the Sourcing Search window to the values you just selected in the CES Valid Values window.

  8. Notice that if you selected multiple values, those values are all included in the attribute text field and are combined using the OR operator.

  9. Back in the Sourcing Search window, select another attribute to set. Right-click on the Right Arrow button and select Valid Values. In the CES Valid Values window you will see a list of available values. Select Qualified in the Valid value type section. Place an asterisk (*) in the Search text box and click on Search. This gives you a list of available values for this attribute, given that you have already set the value for another attribute.

  10. The new list of available values may change, as in this example. Now, select one or more values in the Available values pane and click the Right Arrow button to move the values into the Selected values pane. Click OK to set the attribute value(s).

  11. In the Sourcing Search window click OK to perform the search. The Sourcing Search Results window appears.



How To Specify Magnitude Data

This task explains how to set attributes that contain magnitude data using the CATIA contextual menu:
  1. Start CATIA.

  2. Click the Search CES Database button. The Sourcing Search window appears. Using the Category Browser, select a node and click Apply until you find an attribute with a scroll box to the right of the text field.




  3. You can set the magnitude value of this attribute by clicking the Up and Down arrows until the desired value is found.

  4. Alternately, you can right click on the scroll box to display the CATIA contextual menu. This menu allows you to customize the acceptable value(s). Any action invoked from this menu is handled as it is in CATIA. For more information about the actions invoked from this menu, refer to Advanced Meshing Tools : Accessing Knowledge Formulas and Parameters, or Human Measurements Editor: Entering New Values in the CATIA documentation.

 

CES Valid Values Window

The CES Valid Values window lets you select the attribute value(s) to include in your search. You can select values from a list of all values currently used by the attribute in the category, or from a list of available values, given the current search criteria. The CES Valid Values window is described below:

This table describes the fields displayed in the CES - Valid Values window.

Fields Description
Search Enter search criteria to use for searching the list of available values.
Page Count Text box Enter the number of the page you want to display.


This table describes the buttons displayed in the CES - Valid Values window:

Button Description
Ascending Sort the list of available values in ascending order.
Descending Sort the list of available values in descending order.
Unique Include only unique values in the list of available values.
Existing List all values currently used by the attribute within the category.
Qualified List only the available values, given the current search criteria.
Valid List the values for an attribute that is of the Enumerated or Range type. If an attribute is not of the Enumerated or Range type, this option is unavailable.
Search Search the list of possible values using the criteria set in the Search text field.
Move the selected values in the Available values pane into the Selected values pane.
Move all values in the Available values pane into the Selected values pane.
Move all values in the Selected values pane out of the Selected values pane.
Move the selected values in the Selected values pane out of the Selected values pane.
Show the preceding page of available values.
Show the next page of available values.
Item Count Show the number of values present in the Available values list and the number of pages.
OK Set the attribute with the Selected values and close the window.
Cancel Close the window and do not set the attribute with any values.