A packing list is a container of objects that acts as a list. A developer can use a packing list to organize objects during the development phase. For example, if you add all forms and workflow that together perform a function into a packing list, it is easy to find all the related objects later when you need to add or revise the functionality.
You can construct a packing list to create and apply external utilities, such as installation utilities or external object browsers. In addition, you can use packing lists to gather information about specified objects and manipulate those objects.
(For On-premises deployments only)
If you use the Distributed Server Option (DSO), you cannot track DSO mappings that were renamed. Packing lists can track only server objects with database IDs. DSO mappings are not server objects, so they are not tracked by their database ID, but by their actual names. Therefore, if you change a DSO mapping's name and then open a packing list that contained that mapping, the DSO mapping is missing from the packing list.
An application is a server object that contains references to a collection of forms. Based on the forms included in the application, other objects related to those forms are also included in the application. Use applications to group sets of objects to accomplish particular tasks so that you and your users can interact with the application as a functional unit. For more information, see Defining and managing applications.
Like an application, a packing list is a server object that contains references to a collection of objects.
If you open an application or a packing list from the AR System Navigator, an object list displays the contents of the application or packing list and allows you to access the objects. If you create or edit an application or packing list, an editor opens, and you can add or remove objects and change other properties.
To create packing lists
- In AR System Navigator, expand serverName > Packing Lists.
- Right-click Packing Lists, and select New Packing List.
A new packing list opens. - Enter a Label and Description for the packing list.
You cannot enter more than 255 characters in the Label field or more than 2000 characters in the Description field. - Add the packing list objects.
- Click Add.
- In the Add Items dialog box, select the objects you want to add.
To view from more than one object category, click Select All in the Filtering Options area.
Use the CTRL and SHIFT keys to select more than one item from the Available Objects list.
Adding items to a packing list - From the Add Items with Related Property list, select the appropriate option for your packing list:
- Object Only—Add only the selected objects (and not their related objects).
- Directly Related Objects—Limits the scope of server objects when shared workflow is added to the packing list. See the table in the following table.
- All Related Objects—Adds all selected objects and their related objects.
- Click OK.
- In the Definitions tab, set the values for the following properties, as needed:
- Help Text
- New Description (a description for Change History)
- Owner
- Permissions
- Subadministrator Permissions
- Select File > Save.
- In the Save Packing List As dialog box, enter a name.
Packing list names must be unique on each AR System server. Although there are no naming conventions, create names that provide meaningful descriptions of the packing list. Names can be a maximum of 80 characters, including spaces. Names can include double-byte characters, but avoid using numbers at the beginning of the name.
Names are shared across packing lists, active link guides, filter guides, web services, and applications, so each name must be unique.
If you select Directly Related Objects when adding objects to a packing list, the packing list includes related objects as described in the following table.
Related objects in a packing list
For | Packing list includes |
|---|---|
Forms | All related menus, active links, filters, escalations, active link guides, filter guides, web services, and distributed mapping definitions. In addition, menus from the Change Field action of the active links are included. Any other forms referenced in workflow actions, guides, and menus are not associated as related objects. |
Join forms | All forms that were used to create these join forms as well as their related items (as defined in the operations included in the Forms above). |
Active links | All menus that are referenced in the Change Field actions, and all guides that are referenced in the Call Guide action. The guides should see the same form to which the active link refers. The active links that are referenced in the guide also fall within the same scope; therefore, the associated objects of those active links are included. This cycle continues until it reaches a form. |
Filters | All filter guides referenced in a Call Guide action and all DSO mapping definitions referenced in a DSO action. Filters that are referenced in the guide also fall within the same scope; therefore, the associated objects of those filters are included. The guides should see the same form to which the filter refers. Escalations do not have any of the above actions, so there are no associations for escalations. |
Active link guides | All active links referenced in the guide as well as all associated objects for those active links. |
Filter guides | All filters referenced in the guide as well as all associated objects for those filters. |
Applications | All associated forms and the list of related objects associated with those forms. |
Web Services | Included as an independent object. |
Menus | No related items included. |
Groups | Included as an independent object. |
Flashboards | Included as an independent object. |
Images | Included as an independent object. |
To open a packing list
To modify a packing list
- In the Packing Lists branch, right-click the name of the packing list and select Edit.
The packing list editor opens in the editor area.
To delete a packing list
- In the Packing Lists branch of the AR System Navigator, right-click the name of the packing list and select Delete.
A Confirm Deletion dialog box appears. - Click OK.
To save a packing list as import/export commands
- In the Packing Lists branch in the AR System Navigator, right-click the name of the list and select Save as Import/Export Commands.
- In the Save as Import/Export Commands dialog box, select or enter a file to write the import/export commands.
- Click Save to create the file.
To understand the use of this file, see Exporting and importing data and definitions.
To export a packing list
- In the Packing Lists branch, right-click the name of the packing list and select Export Packing List.
- In the Export Packing List dialog box, select a file to write the object definitions to.
- Click Save to start the export operation.
For more information, see Exporting and importing definitions.
