Global field and connected dropdown values: what each change does to existing data
This page lists what each change to a global field or its values does to documents, records in other modules, reports and user profiles that already use them, when a value counts as “in use”, and when other users see a change. The same is listed for connected dropdowns at the end. The controls are described in The Global Fields page and The Field Settings page: connected dropdowns. Both pages need the Admin level on the Super area row of your rights.
Global field values
Section titled “Global field values”A document, a record in another module or a user profile stores a link to the value, not its text. Each user sees the value’s text in their own language.
| Change | Allowed when | Existing documents, all statuses including published | Other places that use the value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add a value | The English text and the Norwegian text both differ from every value of the field, deactivated values included. | Offered in the field in edit mode, in every module that uses the field. | Offered in every module that uses the field. |
| Edit a value’s text | The value is active. | Show the new text. | Show the new text: records in other modules, reports and user profiles. |
| Edit a value’s text to a text another value of the field already has, in English or in Norwegian | Not allowed. | The value keeps its old text. The edit row closes without a message. | Unchanged. |
| Deactivate a value | The value is active. Asks for confirmation. | Keep the value. It is no longer offered in the field in edit mode. | Records that have the value keep it. On Global Fields and in the lists of other modules the value is shown with “[Deactivated]”. |
| Activate a value | The value is deactivated. No confirmation. | It is offered again in edit mode. | It is offered again. |
| Delete a value | Nothing uses the value; see “When a value is in use” below. | Not affected, because a document that used the value would have stopped the delete. | Records in other modules and user profiles are not affected, for the same reason. A module’s default value for the field, report filters and KPI rows are not checked before the delete and can still point at the deleted value; check them afterwards. |
| Merge values | Two or more active values of the same field. | Every document that used a merged value, in every status and in every version of the modules that use the field, now uses the kept value. | Moved to the kept value: records in other modules, module default values for the field, the conditions of automatic e-mails (triggers), KPI rows, report filters and users’ own report filters, and the filters and responsibilities that use the value in Competency, risk management, the substance register and equipment. The merged values are then deleted. |
A merge cannot be undone. The part that updates documents runs in the background; until it is finished, the modules that use the field are locked for saving and editing documents. While the lock lasts, the Global Fields page hides the field’s buttons and shows its value list read-only, and the save and edit buttons in those modules are greyed out. When the update is finished, open pages are told and the buttons work again. See Change, deactivate, delete or merge values in a global field.
When a value is in use
Section titled “When a value is in use”A value counts as in use, and cannot be deleted, when any of these has it. The message “Cannot delete record because it’s being used in: “ is followed by the words in the right column, separated by “/ “.
| Where the value is used | Word in the message |
|---|---|
| A document in a module, in any status | Documents |
| A person in Competency | competency |
| A Competency reminder | trigger |
| A responsibility in Competency (who is responsible for which people); the word refers to the Access Right section on the Competency Admin tab, not to the rights under Super > Users | Access Right |
| An equipment item | equipment |
| A risk analysis | Risk Management |
| A data sheet usage row in the substance register | datasheet |
| A user’s profile | user |
These do not count as in use: a module’s default value for the field, and a report’s filter.
Changes to the field itself
Section titled “Changes to the field itself”| Change | Effect |
|---|---|
| Rename the field | The new name is shown on Global Fields and wherever Competency, risk management, equipment, the substance register and the Action Manager show the field’s name, for example as a column, a filter or a heading on their Admin tab. Captions of the field in document forms do not change, because a document form uses its own label for the field. See Create, rename or delete a global field. |
| Delete the field | Removes the field, its values that nothing uses, the field from every module it was placed in, and its name. Values that something uses are not deleted; they are left without a field. A document form that still contains the field shows it with an empty list. Deleting is not blocked when the field is in use. |
When other users see a change
Section titled “When other users see a change”Each user’s browser keeps a copy of the global fields. It is refreshed when ABMS notices a change as the user moves between pages, and at the latest after eight hours. Pages that are open when the change is saved may also be asked to reload. A user who still sees the old values can reload the page.
Connected dropdown values
Section titled “Connected dropdown values”| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Names | ABMS does not check for duplicate names: two dropdowns, or two values, can have the same name. |
| A value in use, for Edit | The value itself is selected in the latest revision of a document, in any status, in a module where the dropdown is placed. Earlier revisions do not count. |
| A value in use, for Delete | The value, or any value under it, is selected in the latest revision of such a document. |
| What the check looks at | Only documents. Report filters and KPI rows that use the value do not stop a value from being edited or deleted. |
| A dropdown in use, for Delete | The dropdown is placed in any module, even if no document uses it. |
| Display in documents | Each document shows the value’s current text, and the full path when Full path is on, so renaming a dropdown or a value, moving a value or switching Full path changes how existing documents show it. See Set up a connected dropdown. |