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A database topic displays some topic text and beneath it, the data in the record as a list of topic properties. |
You create a database topic on your map by running a query, and then choosing data to add to the map from the records listed as Results in the Databases task pane .
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A database topic displays some topic text and beneath it, the data in the record as a list of topic properties. |
If you have configured the connection to specify which fields to include in the topic text, and which fields to show as properties, these settings are used to display the topic data. Otherwise, the topics show the fields you have chosen to show in the Database task pane.
You can edit the topic text without affecting the data, but your changes will be lost if you refresh the topic.
The topic contains all the data in the record as its properties. By default only the properties you choose to display are shown, but you can choose to show all the properties.
You can change which data fields in this table are displayed as topic text and basic properties: for the current topic only, for the entire map, or for every map created using this connection.
Right click the topic's database topic
icon 
.
Click Configure Visible Fields.
Specify the visible fields:
In the Topic Text field, enter the names of the fields you want to display as the database topic's text. Enclose the field names in [ ].
In the Properties list, check the fields you want to display as Basic Properties on the database topic.
Then:
To save these settings so that they will always be used by this connection, select Save in configuration.
To use these settings for all topics on the current map, select Change for all instances.
Don't select either option if you only want the settings to apply to the current topic.
Click OK.
To show all the data fields for the current topic:
Right click the topic's database topic
icon .
Click Show All Properties.
You may need to re-size the data area to see all the data.
To hide or show the data, on the database
topic, click 
(hide), or 
(show).
Relations between fields in tables are created in configuration
view. If a topic has related data it will display a relation icon 
at
bottom-right.
To add the related data to the map:
Click the icon and then choose the table you want to use.
The related data displays as a subtopic of the current topic. The first topic represents the Relation Query, and its subtopics represent the query results.
To modify the number of results shown
in the relation, right-click the Relation Query topic's
database topic icon and click Edit
Relation Query. You can specify the start record and the number
of results to return. (The default number of results is set in the Databases Options.)
Each database topic has a dynamic two-way link to the database. If you edit the topic data, changes are sent back to the database.
In order to edit the data, you must have permission to write to the database.
Double-click the database topic's data area, and edit the data. Changes you make are automatically saved back to the database.
If you change data that is used as the default topic text,
you need to refresh 
the topic.
If you have a database topic whose data you want to retain, you can disconnect it from the database to prevent the data from being updated on refresh, and display it as a static data topic. Or, you can convert it to a normal topic, with the data displayed as subtopics. In either case, the topic is no longer connected to the database.
To create a static data topic:
Right click the topic's database topic
icon .
Click Disconnect from Data Source.
The data is retained, and the topic becomes a static topic.
If you prefer, you can display the topic's data as subtopics:
Right click the topic's database topic
icon .
Click Convert to Normal Topic.
Each data field becomes a subtopic of the current topic.
