Aspect (Create Change Request)
Overview
An Aspect is a type of Characterization Class in the semantic model of the dictionary. Aspects collect Properties which describe the approach, method of approach, point of view of a product or service or a part of a product or service
- in relation to a given situation,
- from a certain point, from a certain direction
- or at a certain angle.
Aspects prevent the compilation of long lists of Properties that are difficult to search, use and maintain. Aspects help each part of the supply chain to quickly find and contribute with its own knowledge about the product.
General Information
The workspace area for the management of Aspects can be accessed via menu Content manger à Aspects. This workspace offers users different functionalities described in brief in the following table.
Figure 1: Content Manager Aspect
Search | Triggers a search in the available content, considering the search options set in the advanced search. |
Tree view | Allows navigation to the hierarchical view |
Compare | Allows the comparison of two or more Aspects |
Export | Allows the export of desired Aspects |
Create | Allows the creation of new Aspects. |
Change text | Allows editing the attributes of a selected Aspect |
Remove | Allows removal of selected Aspect |
Reactivate | Allows reactivation of a deprecated Aspect or Properties assigned to an Aspect. |
Assign | Allows assignment of dictionary elements (Block Reference, Property) to a selected Aspect. |
Withdraw | Allows withdrawal of dictionary elements (Block Reference, Property) from a selected Aspect. |
Search for an Aspect
First of all, the user can change the language of the content by navigating the mouse to the button "en" which is left to search field. Various languages can be selected.
Figure 2: Language of the Content
In the field Enter query it is possible to type in the ID or the preferred name of the aspect.
By clicking on "advanced search" (under search field), there are several search options available.
Figure 3: Advanced Search Field
The search options are explained via mouse over in the CDP. By clicking on the Search button without entering name or ID in the search field, all Aspects are displayed in the list view below.
Figure 4: List of Aspects
The user can select between the tabs Classes [number of existent Aspects] and Change requests [number of Change requests]. Note: Number of Change requests is only displayed after clicking on the tab.
On the far-right side, the option to display up to 100 entries is available. Here the Excel icon allows to directly export in an Excel file the entries that are displayed on the page:
Figure 5: Display entries
Details Page
In order to view more details related to an Aspect, users may open the Aspect in view mode by clicking on it from the list view. Note: opening an Aspect in view mode is also possible from the tree view of Aspects. The details page of an Aspect is subdivided into different tabs. Tabs which do not contain any information are grayed out. The following table gives an overview of the tabs available for an Aspect:
Figure 6: Overview of the available tabs for an Aspect
General (selected in screenshot) | Tab General displays the standard and extended Attributes of an Application Class. |
Admin | Tab Admin displays administrative information such as creation date, version date and creator of the selected Application Class. |
Attribute | Tab Attribute displays extended attributes of the selected Application Class. |
Change requests | Tab Change request displays the Change requests in connection with the selected Application Class. |
History | Tab History displays historical information on the selected AC. |
Release | Tab Release displays the release(s) the Application Class is part of. |
Aspect | Tab Aspect displays in a tabular view information related to the Aspects assigned to the selected Application Class. |
Keyword | Not available for aspects. |
Property | Tab Property displays in a tabular view information related to the Properties assigned to the selected Application Class. |
Reference | Tab Reference displays in a tabular view information related to the Classification Class(es) in which the selected Application Class is used. |
Mapping | Tab Mapping displays in a tabular view information related to the Mappings of the selected Application Class to other Application Classes. |
Template | Tab Template displays in a tabular view information related to the Templates of the selected Application Class. |
Constraints | Tab Constraints displays in a tabular view the Constraints existing for the selected Application Class. |
Relations |
|
Log | Tab Log contains logging information, structured in a clear, user-friendly manner, related to the selected Application Class and is visible only for users with administrator rights. |
Change Text
Select menu entry [Change Textual Information]. The system will display the list of all available Aspects as well as change requests.
In this list, users have the possibility to change the content language (in which Aspects will be displayed) and search after specific Aspects (structure elements or change requests).
Select an Aspect in the list by clicking it in order to create a CR for changing the textual information. The Change Textual Information dialog will open:
Create Aspect
When pressing the button “Create Aspect”, the system will display the Create Aspect dialog.
Fill in the fields, select aspect type and press button “Save”. The New Aspect will be created independently, meaning not assigned to an AC.
Attention: The fields Preferred Name, Aspect type and Reason are mandatory fields!!!
Create Aspect directly assigned to Application Class
When pressing the button “Create Aspect directly assigned to Application Class”, the system will display the hierarchical structure of elements.
Mark the Application Class to which the Aspect will be assigned and press button Select (this button will be active only after an AC has been marked within the hierarchy). The system displays the Create Aspect dialog.
Observation: If the user changes his mind and decides to create the Aspect independently (not assigned to the selected AC), he can do so by pressing button “Clear”, without having to go back to the “Create Aspect” function.
Fill in the fields, select aspect type and press button “Save”.
Attention: The fields Preferred Name, Aspect type and Reason are mandatory fields!!!
* According to requirements, the new created aspect can be assigned to one or more Application Classes under menu entry “Application Class”, function “Assign Aspect”.
Remove Aspect
According to decision of CRD, function is inactive.
Select menu entry [Remove Aspect]. The system displays a list containing all available aspects.
In this list, users have the possibility to change the content language (in which Aspects will be displayed) and search after specific Aspects (structure elements or change requests).
User selects an Aspect from the list – the system displays the Remove Aspect dialog:
Under the tab “Cross-References”, all instances where the Aspect is used are displayed, so that the user can evaluate the impact the operation “Remove Aspect” will have on the system.
Fill in the mandatory field “Reason*” and press save -> the CR for Removing the Aspect will be saved and can be viewed under “My Change Requests” or “List of Aspects”.
Reactivate
Assign Block Reference
Select menu entry [Assign Reference of Block]. All Aspects available in the system, as well as all existing Change Requests for new Aspects, will be displayed as list. In this list, users have the possibility to change the content language (in which Aspects will be displayed) and search after specific Aspects (structure elements or change requests).
Select one Aspect (SE or CR) in the list by clicking it.
In the next dialog, all Reference Properties available in the system, as well as all existing Change Requests for new Reference Properties, will be displayed as list. In this list, users have the possibility to change the content language (in which Reference Properties will be displayed) and search after specific Reference Properties (structure elements or change requests).
* No Blocks and Reference Properties SE are available in the ECLASS Portal.
To proceed, use one of the following approaches:
1. Select the Reference Properties/Properties (structure elements or change requests) to be assigned to the Aspect by checking the box in front of it/them and press button “Select”.
2. If several Reference Properties and/or Change Requests for New Reference Properties are to be assigned to the Aspect:
Select the Reference Properties (structure elements) to be assigned to the Aspect by checking the box in front of them and press button “Add to collection”. For structure elements, this button is located above the list of SE-Reference Properties.
Select the Change Requests for New Reference Properties to be assigned to the Aspect by checking the box in front of them and press button “Add to collection”. For change requests, the button is located under the header “Change Requests”.
*By adding Reference Properties SE or CR to collection, user will have an overview of all Reference Properties (SE or CR) to be assigned to the Aspect under “Collection of assignments”.
Reference Properties (SE or CR) can be removed from the Collection of assignments by pressing button “Remove selection” (only marked Reference Properties SE and CR will be removed) or “Remove all” (all Reference Properties SE or CR will be removed from the collection of assignments).
As next step, press button “Select”.
System opens the “Add existing property” dialog.
*By pressing Remove, the respective Reference Property SE or CR will be removed.
*By pressing Select, user can select another Aspect to which Reference Properties will be assigned /other Reference Properties to be assigned to the Aspect.
Fill in the field “Reason*” and press Save.
System displays message: Change request saved. The new created change requests will be displayed under My Change Request.
Withdraw Block Reference
According to decision of CRD, function is inactive.
Select menu entry [Withdraw Reference of Block]. System displays the hierarchical structure of elements.
Select the reference property you want to withdraw from the aspect and press button „Select“.
System opens the „Withdraw Property“ Dialog. Fill in the field “Reason*” and press Save.
System displays message: Change request saved. The new created change requests will be displayed under My Change Request.
Assign Property
Select menu entry [Assign Property]. All Aspects available in the system, as well as all existing Change Requests for new Aspects, will be displayed as list. In this list, users have the possibility to change the content language (in which Aspects will be displayed) and search after specific Aspects (structure elements or change requests).
Select one Aspect (SE or CR) in the list by clicking it.
In the next dialog, all Properties available in the system, as well as all existing Change Requests for new Properties, will be displayed as list. In this list, users have the possibility to change the content language (in which Properties will be displayed) and search after specific Property (structure elements or change requests).
To proceed, use one of the following approaches:
1. Select the Property/Properties (structure elements or change requests) to be assigned to the Aspect by checking the box in front of it/them and press button “Select”.
2. If several Properties and/or Change Requests for New Properties are to be assigned to the Aspect:
Select the Properties (structure elements) to be assigned to the Aspect by checking the box in front of them and press button “Add to collection”. For structure elements, this button is located above the list of SE-Properties.
Select the Change Requests for New Properties to be assigned to the Aspect by checking the box in front of them and press button “Add to collection”. For change requests, the button is located under the header “Change Requests”.
*By adding Properties SE or CR to collection, user will have an overview of all Properties (SE or CR) to be assigned to the Aspect under “Collection of assignments”.
Properties (SE or CR) can be removed from the Collection of assignments by pressing button “Remove selection” (only marked Properties SE and CR will be removed) or “Remove all” (all Properties SE or CR will be removed from the collection of assignments).
As next step, press button “Select”.
System opens the “Add existing property” dialog.
*By pressing Remove, the respective Property SE or CR will be removed.
*By pressing Select, user can select another Aspect to which Properties will be assigned / other Properties to be assigned to the Aspect.
Fill in the field “Reason*” and press Save.
System displays message: Change request saved. The new created change requests will be displayed under My Change Request.
Withdraw Property
According to decision of CRD, function is inactive.
Select menu entry [Withdraw Property]. System displays the hierarchical structure of elements.
Select the property you want to withdraw from the aspect and press button „Select“.
System opens the „Withdraw Property“ Dialog. Fill in the field “Reason*” and press Save.
System displays message: Change request saved. The new created change requests will be displayed under My Change Request.
Reactivate Deprecated Property
Aspect Types
Aspect Types can be managed only by users assigned to role “Office”.
Under “Office”, select menu entry “Manage Aspect Types”.
System displays the “Manage Aspect Types” Dialog.
In this dialog, user can:
- Create new Aspect Types
- Edit existing Aspect Types
- Withdraw existing Aspect Types
1. Create New Aspect Type
To create a new Aspect Type, press „Create Aspect Type“.
System opens the „Create Aspect Type“-Dialog.
Select the languages in which you want to create the new Aspect Type from the combo-box „Content language“. English is the default language.
Fill in the fields and press button Save.
Attention: Preferred name* is a mandatory field!!!
System will display the message „Aspect type saved“. The new created Aspect Type will be displayed in the list of available Aspect Types.
2. Edit Existing Aspect Type
All existing Aspect Types are displayed in the list of Aspect Types.
Aspect Types may be used or not used in Application Classes.
For Aspect Types which are used in Application Classes, the value „True“ will be displayed in column „Used?“.
For Aspect Types which are not used in Application Classes, the value „False“ will be displayed in column „Used?“.
2.1 EDIT-Function in case of Unused Aspect Types
Select Edit. System displays the Edit Aspect Type Dialog.
Select the languages in which changes are to be done, edit the content and press save.
System displays the message „Aspect type updated“. The updated Aspect Type will be displayed in the list of existing Aspect Types.
2.2 EDIT-Function in Case of Used Aspect
Select Edit. System displays the Edit Aspect Type Dialog.
Select the languages in which changes are to be done, edit the content and press save.
System displays the message „Aspect type is used and cannot be updated directly. A new aspect type was created instead.“
The Aspect Type created by editing the used Aspect Type will be displayed in the list of existing Aspect Types with the value „False“ (unused).
3. Withdraw Existing Aspect Type
*Withdraw of aspect type is possible only if aspect type is not used by any aspect (SE or CR). If aspect type was already released (part of current release) it will be marked as “deleted” in next release, and it will remain in the database as part of current and older releases. If aspect type was not released yet and it is not used by a CR, delete is allowed and this will permanently delete the aspect type.
All existing Aspect Types are displayed in the list of Aspect Types.
Aspect Types may be used or not used in Application Classes.
For Aspect Types which are used in Application Classes, the value „True“ will be displayed in column „Used?“.
For Aspect Types which are not used in Application Classes, the value „False“ will be displayed in column „Used?“.
3.1 Withdraw Unused Aspect Type
Select Withdraw. System displays the “Withdraw Aspect Type” Dialog.
If you are certain that you want to withdraw the Aspect Type, press button „Save“. The Aspect Type will be removed from the list of existing Aspect Types.
3.2 Withdraw Used Aspect Type
Select Withdraw. System displays the “Withdraw Aspect Type” Dialog.
If you are certain that you want to withdraw the Aspect Type, press button „Save“. The system displays the message: „Aspect type withdrawn (marked for delete in next version).“
This action can be revoked by simply pressing „Revoke withdraw“.