System variables are a new central interface in Business Analyze (hereafter referred to as BA), in which settings can be set in all dimensions defined in the BA application. The settings are divided into categories based on modules or usage areas. See the Installation Guide for an overview of all system variables.

Structure

The settings have a definition and one or more accompanying settings or values. The values are structured in a hierarchy with the root element in system value or standard value in the base. This value can never be deleted. It can only be updated/changed. This value applies to logged-on users in the system or the application as a whole if this value is not overridden by a lower level.

The hierarchy is structured as follows:

System
Base level applies to all logged-on users unless set differently on a lower level.

Organisation
Overrides the system value for a given organisational unit with child units. If the setting is set for the root element in the organisation, this corresponds to the system setting.

User group
Overrides the system and organisational value for a given user group. Settings set on a given user group only apply to users with the group as a primary group.

User
Overrides the system, organisational, and user group value for a given user. This setting only applies to this particular user.

Pre-defined settings or user-defined settings

Business Analyze will be released with a set of pre-defined settings. The actual definition of these settings cannot be changed or deleted by the system administrator, but the values can be changed. In addition to the pre-defined settings, the systems administrator can add separate user-defined settings where he has full rights.

Element definition

The definition of a setting can be called an element and describes the element with the name/description as well as the type of value to be saved.

The types of values are as follows:

Free text
This is a regular text field complete without any validation of content. Here the text entered is saved exactly as it is.

Single option list (Hard-coded)
This is a list of applicable values hard-coded in advance in a particular structure (see below).
When this type is used, only one element in the list can be selected

Multiple option list (Hard-coded)
This is a list of applicable values hard-coded in advance in a particular structure (see below).
When this type is used, only one or more elements in the list can be selected.

Single query list (SQL)
This is a list of applicable values retrieved from a database query (see details below). When this type is used, only one element in the list can be selected

Multiple option list (SQL)
This is a list of applicable values retrieved from a database query (see details below). When this type is used, only one or more elements in the list are selected.

Definition of a hard-coded list

A hard-coded list is written in a definite pattern.

The purpose of the pattern is to generate a list of one or more value-description pairs and is set up as follows:

[value1],[description1]|[value2],[description2]|[value3],[description3]

Definition of an SQL list

An SQL list is entered as an SQL query to the BA data source selected in the definition. When you choose to use one of the two SQL list types, a drop-down list will be displayed that allows you to choose the data source that the query will address.

The query should return two columns, where the first column includes the value you would like to save, while the second column includes a description of the value.

Click the “Test query” button before you save your element.

When type of value has been selected and the elements have been populated (if you do not choose the free text type), you will have the ability to set standard system values as the last part in the registration of your setting element. This value can later be changed if you are unsure.