Using LANSA Composer you can create, maintain, and delete any number of definitions of the following types according to your application's needs:

• All the major definition types comprising Activities, Trading Partners, Transformation Maps and Processing Sequences;

• All configuration types (for example, FTP configurations and HTTP configuration)

• Export Lists

• Document types and standards

• Event definitions

To work with any of these definition types, simply click the entry in the Navigator for the desired type.

The Instance Lists for that type will be shown.  Refer to Locating and Selecting Items in the Instance Lists.

Each definition type is described in more detail elsewhere in this guide, but many of the ways in which you work with your definitions are common to all definition types.  These are briefly described in this topic:

Create a New Definition

Copy or Delete Definitions

Review or Change a Definition

Print Definitions and Lists of Definitions

Maintain Attachments

Define or Review Notes

Review Audit Details

Create a New Definition

Use the Ctrl+N shortcut or click the New button on the toolbar to create a new definition. Then complete the details for the new definition as described elsewhere in this guide for the definition type.  Remember to click Save before switching elsewhere in LANSA Composer to save the details of your new definition.

Copy or Delete Definitions

You can copy or delete one or more definitions at a time.  Select one or more items in the Instance Lists and then click the Copy or Delete buttons or use the provided menu items or shortcuts.

LANSA Composer will show a list of the selected items and wait for you to confirm the copy or delete request.  For a copy request, you must type a new name for each item to be copied before proceeding.

(If no item is selected in the current instance list when you request Copy or Delete, LANSA Composer will prompt you to copy or delete the "current" item – that is the item for which details are presently shown in the command handler area).

Review or Change a Definition

To work with an item that you have located in the Instance Lists, simply select it (depending on the instance list options chosen, you may need to press Enter, or double-click the item).  Information relating to the item will be shown in the command handler area.

Often the Details command handler tab will be presented first, showing the basic identifying information and definition for the item, but other command tabs may be shown.  The command handler tabs that are common to all definition types are briefly described under the following headings:

Maintain Attachments

Define or Review Notes

Review Audit Details

In addition, other command handler tabs may be available depending on the type of definition with which you are working.  Refer to the description for the definition type elsewhere in this guide for specific information.

While the input focus is in the command handler area, you can press Alt+PageUp and Alt+PageDown keyboard shortcuts to quickly switch between the command handler tabs available for the definition type you are working with.  Of course, you can also click on the tabs with your mouse.

Print Definitions and Lists of Definitions

You can print the definitions of most definition types in LANSA Composer, including:

• Activities

• Transformation Maps

• Processing sequences

• All types of transport and database Configurations

You have several printing options:

1. To print the definition of an item with which you are currently working, click the Print button in the toolbar or use the Ctrl+P keyboard shortcut.
2. To print the definitions of several items at once, select the items in the Instance Lists, click the Print button on the Instance List and then select Print all selected definitions from the popup menu.
3. To print just a list of items shown on the current Instance Lists tab, click the Print button on the Instance List and then select Print this list from the popup menu.

Depending on the current print options (which can be changed using the Print Options command from the File menu), the output is shown in the Presentation Viewer window (as shown below), or in print preview mode, printed immediately or shown in your web browser.

When the Presentation Viewer window is open, you can use the menu commands and toolbar buttons to change the format and/or level of detail shown, and to save, print or preview the output or to open the output in your web browser.

Review Cross-references

LANSA Composer provides comprehensive cross reference information for most definition types in LANSA Composer, including:

• Activities

• Transformation Maps

• Processing sequences

• All types of transport and database Configurations

Using the cross reference information provided by LANSA Composer, you can quickly identify:

• Other definitions that the subject definition uses or refers to.  For example, for a Processing Sequence, this would include Activities, Transformation Maps and configurations that are used in the Processing Sequence.

• Other definitions that use or refer to the subject definition.  For example, for an FTP configuration, this would include Trading Partners and Processing Sequences that use the FTP configuration.

To review cross-reference information for a definition such as a Processing Sequence:

1. Select the definition type in the Navigator.
2. Use the Instance Lists to locate and select the item whose cross-references you wish to review.
3. Click the Cross references tab to display the cross-references window.

You can print or refresh the cross-reference information by clicking the appropriate buttons.

You can switch directly to one of the listed items by double-clicking the item or by selecting it and pressing Enter or clicking the Go to the button.

Maintain Attachments

You can attach files to most definition types in LANSA Composer, including:

• Activities

• Transformation Maps

• Processing sequences

• All types of transport and database Configurations

You can attach any kind of file that you can access through the file system of your computer.  LANSA Composer will hold the file attachment(s) in its database, permanently associated with the specific definition to which you attached it.  When you export and import your LANSA Composer definitions, the attachments will be included (subject to export and import options).

You might use this feature to attach such things as:

• A copy of an XML Schema used in a Transformation Map;

• A description of operating procedures relating to a Processing Sequence;

• Contact information and/or pictures or copies of trading agreements with a Trading Partner.

To review, add, change or delete attachments associated with a definition such as a Processing Sequence:

1. Select the definition type in the Navigator.
2. Use the Instance Lists to locate and select the item whose attachments you wish to work with.
3. Click the Attachments tab to display the attachments window.

Remember to Save your changes when you are finished and before switching elsewhere in LANSA Composer.

Define or Review Notes

You can create notes for most definition types in LANSA Composer, including:

• Activities

• Transformation Maps

• Processing sequences

• All types of transport and database Configurations

Notes can be used to expand upon the short description of an item to further describe its intended purpose and use. For example you can describe the function of a custom Activity and the purpose and requirements for its parameters.

The notes can later be reviewed to remind you or others of when and how to use the item. Notes for Activities, Processing Sequences, Transformation Maps and Configurations can be displayed when editing Processing Sequences in the Processing sequence editor.

Notes are supplied for most of the Activities, Configurations and other definitions that are shipped with LANSA Composer.

To review or change the notes:

1. Select the definition type in the Navigator.
2. Use the Instance Lists to locate and select the item for which you wish to access the notes.
3. Click the Notes tab or the Notes button on the toolbar to display the notes window.

     The notes window displays the existing notes, if any. You can edit the notes as required.

     Remember to Save your changes when you are finished and before switching elsewhere in LANSA Composer.

Review Audit Details

Most definition types in LANSA Composer have audit information that records by whom and when the item was changed and when other significant operations were performed, such as importing and exporting the item.

To review the audit information for an item:

1. Select the definition type in the Navigator
2. Use the Instance Lists to locate and select an item.
3. Select the Audit tab or the Audit button on the toolbar to display the audit information window.

The audit information window displays the following information:

Internal Identifier

You assign a human-readable identifier (name) to definition items such as Activities and Configurations. But internally, LANSA Composer assigns a unique internal identifier to help to ensure that components can be transferred between systems irrespective of whether the user-assigned identifiers exist on the target system.  For most purposes, you do not need to know or use this internal identifier.

Audit events

Shows a list of the changes and significant events for this item.

You can also interrogate and view the audit trail across all definition types and items using the Audit Trail option under Administration and Housekeeping in the Navigator.