previous article
Generally, the update routines in arcplan work very well. In case of highly complex applications, however, it is sometimes necessary to influence the update manually in order to ensure a performant application.
Using Dynamic Database Restrictions
In arcplan, different types of dynamic database restrictions may be used for this purpose. In this context, it is important to know that the dependencies in arcplan are always dissolved automatically if a restriction changes: the automatic update. If the behavior of the automatic update is not specifically taken into account, this feature prevents the desired updates of the database.
A little example on this point:
The object with the manual entry is again filled with an already existing value. The arcplan update routine takes this as a modification of the object because an event was triggered. Because of this, the database consultation is triggered again even though the user already known in advance that this consultation will not provide any new results.
The same behavior occurs if e.g. a self-updated formula is used instead of a manual entry.
The radio button object contains a fixed formula. If the object is updated in any way – whether by another object or because the content changes – a database consultation is once again triggered automatically even though there have not been any significant changes.
Solution: Decouple the update
This behavior may be avoided by decoupling the update. This, however, should only be done consciously and on a case by case basis, namely if updates are done unnecessarily.
The radio button object is expanded accordingly. After an update, the selection is now only copied if the value has changed in a manner affecting the result. Thus, it is ensured that the correct value is always displayed even if the content is changed. The new selection is transferred into the restriction through the copy upon switching of the object.
Thus, the restriction of the database is always current. Consultations, however, are only executed if needed.
Decoupling the automatic update behavior in arcplan should only be applied on a case by case basis in order to ensure permanent high quality maintenance of the application: It must be clear that the changes do not affect the result, the update must be categorized as “unnecessary” without a doubt.
