Object Navigator Window

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You can use Object Navigator with Designer screens that contain a field for identifying an attribute in the object model.

These fields display the Object Navigator icon .

Some screens always display the Object Navigator icon, such as the Qualifier tab in rule screens. Other screens only display the Object Navigator icon when certain selections are made. For example, the Fields section of the Templates screen only displays the Object Navigator icon when particular operators are selected, such as Attribute in the Value field.

To start Object Navigator, click the Object Navigator icon next to the field for which you want to define an attribute path. Object Navigator appears in a separate window that displays the starting table in the object model from which your path will originate. You can create a simple path by selecting an attribute in the starting table or a complex path by selecting a bridge or bridge attribute and traversing to open the next table. For details, see Creating Paths.

Object Navigator displays the active table on the right, each table you have traversed on the left, and highlights each attribute that you add to the path.

The following table describes the items in the Object Navigator window.

Object Navigator Window

Item	Description
Table name	Name of traversed tables or current table. The table names of system objects appear as they are defined in the object model, such as TAppointment. The starting tables of custom objects are named after the custom object, such as Dispute.
Current table	Displays the available attributes and bridges in the currently selected table. Select an attribute or bridge to add it to your path.
Traversed table	Displays a traversed table with the selected bridge or bridge attribute highlighted in the table.
traverse	First select a bridge or a bridge attribute and then click traverse to: Add the bridge or bridge attribute to your path Open the table to which the bridge points
back	Click to go back to the previous table. When you click back, the selection is removed from the path. This button is only displayed after you have traversed at least one table. You can click back and traverse as needed to select different attributes or to traverse to different tables.
ok	After you have selected your final attribute, click ok to complete the path.
cancel	Click to close Object Navigator and cancel the path.

Starting Tables

The first table that you see when you open Object Navigator is the starting table, which is the point from which your path originates.

Specifying your starting table is important because it corresponds to a table in the object model. Object Model: Read This First explains each table's attributes and where any bridges and bridge attributes lead. Using this information about your starting table, you can make selections that navigate to the desired attribute.

The starting table typically depends on the object for which you are building the path. For example, if you are defining rules, templates, search views, or wizards for an object, the starting table is the main table of that object (usually with the prefix T). There are 'T" tables for eleven system objects, including Involved (for example, TInvolved).

For custom objects, the starting table is TProject. The TProject starting table is labeled with the name of the custom object, such as Matter or Claim, unless the specific custom object is not known. If you are building a path for a current user, the starting table is YUser.

The following table provides a list of starting tables that appear in Object Navigator in different screens. If you are not sure which attribute, bridge, or bridge attribute to select from these tables, refer to Object Model: Read This First.

Object Navigator Starting Tables

Screen	Tab	Object drop-down list options	Starting table
Conditions	General	Current Object Current User	T-table of the object you are working with, such as TAccount. YUser
Custom Object Definition	Name	N/A	TProject (labeled with the name of the current custom object for which you are creating the naming pattern, such as Dispute).
Any Object Definition	Custom Fields, for custom fields of type Custom Object	this. container.	TProject (labeled with the name of the custom object selected for the field's definition). T-table of the object you are working with, such as TAppointment.
Rules	Qualifiers	Current Object Current User	T-table of the object you are working with, such as TAccount. YUser
Routes	Stops	N/A	T-table of the object with which the route is associated, such as TTask.
Templates	Fields	N/A	T-table of the object you are working with, such as TTask.
	Sub-Objects	N/A	J-table of the sub-object, except categories, such as JContAddress EDetail table for categories, such as EContDetail.
	Related Objects	N/A	T-table of the related object you are adding to the template, such as TAccount.
Wizards	Page Actions	Current Object Related Objects (from template) Sub-Objects (from template)	T-table of the object you are working with, such as TAccount. TProject (labeled with the name of the custom object) is the starting table for custom objects. In Object Navigator, it is always displayed with the name of the custom object, such as Case, Matter, and Policy, except in cases where it is representing all available custom objects. T-table of the related object added to the associated template, such as TAppointment. J-table of the sub-object, such as JProjAssignee.
Wizards	Qualifiers (accessed by Page Transitions) Parameters of type:	Lookup table items Category Custom object User Group Account Contact	The corresponding L-table of the item, such as LContPHoneType. WObjdCategory TProject (labeled with the name of the custom object for which you are creating the wizard). YUser YGroup TAccount TContact

Filtering Sub-objects and Related Objects

If an attribute links to a list of sub-objects or related objects, you have the option of incorporating a filter into the path. The filter could be the sub-object's role or related object's category. For example, you may want to filter matter assignees by role or involved parties by category (role). This is done with the use of a special intermediary table that appears in Object Navigator but is not actually part of the object model.

In this intermediary table between the starting table and the related or sub-object table, you can do either of the following:

Choose the specific item for the filter.
Select (Any)->, meaning that you do not want the list to be filtered.

For example, to create a path from a matter to its involved parties' contact records which have the role Outside Counsel, you could specify the following:

involvedList-> Outside Counsel-> contact-> (ok)

This would result in the following path:

.involvedList(Outside Counsel).contact

The following image shows what this path looks like in Object Navigator:

If you want to create a path from a matter to its involved parties without filtering them by their role, you could make the following selections:

involvedList-> (Any)-> contact-> (ok)

This would result in the following path:

.involvedList(Any).contact

The following image shows what this path looks like in Object Navigator:

The third table, which represents the involved parties, is the same whether you filter the list with an involved role or not. From the TInvolved table, you can access the contact information for the involved parties, such as their phone numbers or rates, through the contact-> attribute.

The following table indicates which attributes lead to intermediary, filtering tables in Object Navigator and the table to which the attribute links in the object model.

Object Navigator Attributes That Link to Intermediary Tables

Object table	Attribute	Leads to this intermediate table in the user interface	Then leads to this table in the object model
TProject	`accountList->`	Category	TAccount
	`appointmentList->`	Category	TAppointment
	`assigneeList->`	Assignee Role	JProjAssignee
	`childList->`	Child Object	TProject (labeled with the custom object's name)
	`expenseList->`	Category	TExpense
	`involvedList->`	Involved Role	TInvolved
	`taskList->`	Category	TTask
	`rightRelationList->`	Relation Type	JProjRelation
	`leftRelationList->`	Relation Type	JProjRelation
TContact	`addressList->`	Address Type	JContAddress
	`emailList->`	Email Type	JContEmail
	`faxList->`	Fax Type	JContFax
	`phoneList->`	Phone Type	JContPhone
	`inetAddressList->`	Internet Address Type	JContInetAddress
	`skillList->`	Skill Type	JContSkill
	`rateList->`	Task Category	JContRate
	`rightRelationList->`	Relation Type	JContRelation
	`leftRelationList->`	Relation Type	JContRelation
TInvolved	`rightRelationList->`	Relation Type	JInvlRelation
TInvolved	`leftRelationList->`	Relation Type	JInvlRelation
TAppointment	`resourceList->`	Resource Type	JApptResource

Creating Paths

Before you create a path with Object Navigator, make sure that you are familiar with the following:

Object Navigator and its components
The concept of your starting table
The location of the end of path attribute that you need
Attributes, bridges, and bridge attributes the path requires

For details about starting tables, attributes, and the TeamConnect object model, see the Object Model: Read This First.

Necessary settings in the screen where you are creating a path (for example, wizards, templates and rules)
Tip: If you know the attributes to include in the path, you can type the path into the field.
Separate each attribute with a period (.)

To create a path with Object Navigator

In the screen where you want to create a path, click the Object Navigator icon.
Object Navigator opens, displaying the starting table.
If you know how to reach the necessary attribute, build the path and go to step 6.
If you are not sure which attribute to select, find the your starting table in Object Model: Read This First.
Tip: For custom objects, look up the TProject table in Object Model: Read This First.
Look through the Comments column of the selected table in Object Model: Read This First and determine whether there is an attribute in the current object table that contains the value you need. If you find the necessary attribute or bridge attribute in current table, select it in Object Navigator and go to step 6.
If you do not find the attribute in the current table:
1. Find the bridge that can link you to the appropriate table. If necessary, look up the tables to which the bridges link in Object Model: Read This First to see if they contain the attribute you need.
2. Select the bridge and click traverse.
3. A new table appears to the right of the starting table.
4. Repeat steps 2 through 4 until you have navigated to the necessary attribute.
  Tip: If you have traversed more than three tables but have not found the necessary attribute, you might be on the wrong track. Click cancel and start over.
Click ok.
Object Navigator closes and the path that you have created appears in the field.
To complete the settings for the path, make other selections required in the screen you are using.
The path is completed and displayed in the field. You can click the Object Navigator icon again and edit the path if necessary. Object Navigator opens, returning to the table where you left off. You can then select a different attribute, click back, or traverse to a different table.