Tag: definition files/formatting/templates

Definition files/formatting/templates – definitions are stored in definition files.

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Create a New Database Based upon a Previous Database

The Problem

I want to create a new database that is a copy of a pre-existing database minus the actual data.

Cradle Project Environment

The environment for the Cradle project will contain:

  • Project Setup
  • Supporting definition files (views, forms, queries, documents etc.)
  • Users*

*If you will have the same users in the new project that are in the existing project.

The Solution

To avoid the Personal and/or User definition files being part of this import, we would suggest the following:

  1. Log in to the existing project as MANAGER
  2. Select Project > Export
  3. In the Export dialog set Owner to  Everything and Info Type to Project Schema and User Profiles (if users are required, see comment above)

Screenshot showing export of project schema and user profiles

  1. Press Export to create the export file and close the Export Status dialog but do NOT close the Export Information dialog:Screenshot showing Export Status
  2. In the Export Information dialog, change the Info Type to ONLY show Definition Files:
    Screenshot showing Export Definition Files
  3. You will see that some new options appear – Definition Type and Location:
    Screenshot showing Info Type Definitions filter in Export
  4. The Definition Type option allows you to specify the types of definition file to be included in the export. For this example, we will leave this as All:
    Screenshot showing Definition Types in Export
  5. The Location option defines which location you are exporting the definition files from.
    Users may have created Personal or User definition files that might not be relevant to the new project.
    Personal and/or User definitions might only have been useful to an individual person rather than the project so could be omitted.
    In this case, we would only need to select Team*, User Type* and Project

    * It may only be necessary to select Project

    Screenshot showing Location of definitions in Export

  6. Press the Export button again. This will present you with the option to Overwrite, Append or Cancel. Select Append:
    Screenshot showing Overwrite or Append
  7. In Project Manager, create your new project with an EMPTY schema:
    Screenshot showing Create New Empty Project
  8. Log into the new project as MANAGER
  9. Select Project > Import and set Owner to As in File and Overwrite to On:
    Screenshot showing Import Information
  10. You will see that your new project contains:
  • Users
  • All the Project Setup information including the phase hierarchy and all supporting definition files

Summary Note

If you had NOT chosen to append the definition files, it is highly likely that the phase hierarchy from the existing project would not work in the new project and would produce errors.

These definition files are important to define the WorkBench environment.

Also, if you had chosen to export all the definition files, this may have resulted in numerous views, forms, queries, documents etc., that are not particularly relevant or accepted into project definitions.

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Why are there different groups of queries?

Cradle Definitions are Grouped

There are seven main groups into which Cradle definitions can be filed. These are common for each type of definition, say a view or a query.

  1. Personal – These are available to the Operating System User whichever project they are logged into – ‘Peter’ may be the ‘admin‘ on one project and the ‘design manager‘ on another but will be able to see this definition whichever he logs into. This only makes sense if the item types are the same in both or the definition is very generic showing say ID and Status, common to all.
  2. User – These are based on the Cradle User name and are available to that role name on every project. On three different projects the role QA manager may be held by three different people.  Definitions here would be available to anyone logging in as QA manager.
  3. Team – Definitions here are available to anyone in the same Cradle team on a particular project.
  4. User Type  – Users can be grouped by type within a project and this allows definitions to be shown to users of a matching type.
  5. Project – These are queries available to anyone on that particular project
  6. Automatic – Each time a new item type is added, Cradle generates a set of useful definitions to help you get started. These are idea to open tweak and ‘Save As’ to match your personal preferences. They are also useful if you want to write a phase or reference a view in a query as these standard definitions will exist without you having to create them.
  7. System – Some hard wired definitions covering the minimum shipped functionality in Cradle.
Query Definition Groups
Query Definition Groups

To read more about definitions, see Help on Definition Files

Article updated 05/12/2018 – Cleaned up image