DTS Rules

This chapter describes the maintenance screen for all DTS rule types. You can open this screen by executing the step Maintain business objects.

NOTE You can double-click an individual object displayed in a text box of any of the maintenance screens to navigate to the respective object maintenance screen.

The toolbar provides the following functions:

  • Save (Ctrl+S): Saves the rule.

  • Edit/display (Ctrl+F1): Switches between edit mode and display mode.

  • Check rule (Ctrl+F2): Performs the consistency check of the displayed rule.

  • Activate rule (Ctrl+F3): Performs the consistency check and activates the rule if successful. Only active rules can be used for the transformation processing.

  • Toggle ignore flag (Shift+Ctrl+0): Sets or clears the ignore flag for the displayed rule. If the rule is already assigned to a field, setting the flag also sets the assignment to the status Ignored by rule and sets the assignment to the status New.

  • Test rule (F8): Tests the rule. For more information, see the chapter Testing DTS Rules.

  • Delete rule (Shift+F2): Deletes the displayed DTS rule.

    WARNING If the rule is assigned already, a pop-up appears in order to confirm the assignment deletion. Deleting the assignments is not a reversible action.

  • Copy rule (Ctrl+F5): Allows you to copy the existing rule. This function is often used as a rule backup before a change. The best practice is to set the new rule to the status Ignore.

  • Mark as done (Shift+F1): Specifies that the scope setup is finished for this activity and that no further changes are expected. It also disables edit mode.

The menu bar provides the following functions:

  • Setup > Undo mark as done: Reverses the Mark as done function.

  • Rule object > Show generated rule code: Shows a form that will be used in the generated program for the rule execution.

  • Rule object > Show changing users: Shows the list of users who have changed the rule.

  • Rule object > Show attachment: Shows the content of the uploaded attachment. If multiple attachments are loaded, an option appears in order to select the one you want to display.

  • Rule object > Upload attachment: Uploads a file. A detailed rule specification or mapping delivered by the customer can be saved here.

  • Rule object > Manage attachment: Allows you to replace or delete the uploaded attachments.

The DTS rule maintenance screen consists of generic attributes for DTS rules and specific attributes for rule types. The rule type-specific attributes as well as the meanings of individual rule types are described in the chapters below.

Generic attributes for DTS rules:

  • Rule ID: Non-editable field. Unique identifier of the DTS rule.

  • Status icon: Shown to the left of the rule ID and indicates whether the rule is active or inactive.

  • Description: Describes the rule logic, for example Customer mapping (merge).

  • Rule usage: Depending on the scenario, some options might not be available, e.g. using filtering does not make sense for a Conversion scenario.

    • Filtering only: The rule is used in read tasks only. This rule filters the table records for the read tasks.

    • Conversion only: The rule is used in insertion tasks only. This rule changes the values in the insertion tasks before the database insertion.

    • Filtering and conversion: The rule acts as a filter but also changes the values. This rule usage option is mainly used in the Conversion scenario.

    • Read phase conversion: The rule is applied in read tasks, and it changes value before it is stored in the DTS cluster.

    • Virtual field initialization: The rule populates a virtual field (other fields are not supported) that is defined in DTS transfer structure. For more information, see the chapter DTS Transfer Structure Editor.

  • Manual assignment: Flag indicating that the rule will be ignored by the assignment steps. For more information, see the chapter DTS Assignment Logic.

  • Manual input required: Flag indicating that a user action is required (e.g. a mapping upload or fixed value change) before the transformation execution.

  • Converted business object: Name of the business object that the rule is changing.

  • Dependent bus. objects: Opens a pop-up with a simple ALV to add the dependent business objects. You can only add objects in edit mode. The F4 help displays the available business objects. DTS limitation: You can add up to five business objects.

  • Dependent business object(s): Shows the selected business objects with a semicolon ; as a separator, e.g. dep_BO1; dep_BO2.

  • Rule type: Non-editable field. Shows the type of the displayed rule.

  • Set condition: These buttons are not available for a mapping rule or a number range renumbering rule. If the mapping rule needs to be conditioned, the condition rule type is used. For more information about setting the conditions, see the chapter Condition Rule.