[MDF] Field Definitions

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Last updated: Jul 21, 2023 by Philipp Meyer
3 min read

Field Definitions Server | DATA CENTER

Field Definitions globally determine the type, structure, and possible selection values for all your data fields. Rather than carrying explicit information, they act as blueprints for Field Instances that are placed on Confluence pages or attached to BPMN/DMN diagram elements (via BPMN/DMN Modeler Enterprise).

Access to Field Definition page

The Field Definition page serves as the central hub for managing your data field blueprints. By default, every Confluence user may add, edit and delete Field Definitions, as described below. To enter the Field Defintion page, simply insert the Managed Data Fields macro on a Confluence page. Select Field Definition and open the Definition Page by clicking on Create. You are redirected to the global Field Definition page.

Access to the central Field Definition page can also be controlled/restricted via Confluence user groups. As soon as the user group managed-data-fields-editors exists with at least one member, access is only granted to group members. Additionally, these users will then see a new button Field Definitions in the Confluence top bar which allows quick access from everywhere in Confluence to the Field Definition page.

 

Adding a Field Definition

Field Definitions centrally define your data fields. For each Field Definition, you may select a name and one or more Data Attributes.

Since Managed Data Fields 2.0.0 and BPMN-Modeler Enterprise 3.14.0, your globally defined Data Fields can be used on process elements within the BPMN Modeler Enterprise! Therefore, for each Field Definition a decision can be made where it should be possible to instantiate Field Instances (on a Confluence page as a Managed Data Fields Macro, and/or on process elements from within the BPMN Modeler Enterprise Plug-In).

It is also possible to restrict the usage of Field Definitions to certain Confluence spaces. Simply add your Confluence space here and the Field Definition may only be instanted on pages that belong to the whitelisted space.

Data Attribute Types

A Field Definition can comprise of one or more Data Attributes. These are currently:

  • Label → define a static text shown in every field instance

  • Text → free-text input

  • Number → allows only numbers

  • Date → date-picker

  • Confluence user → add one or more Confluence users found by their name

  • Calcuation → define mathematical expressions using Number Attributes as variables

  • Option Field (Radio buttons) → one of several predefined selection options can be selected

  • Multi Select (Checkboxes) → multiple predefined selection options can be selected

  • Dropdown → one of several predefined selection options can be selected

Note that the latter three data types require at least one predefined selection option to be defined.

Editing existing Field Definitions

It is possible to change existing Field Definitions in terms of adding, extending, or deleting Data Attributes. Changes to Field Defintions are directly applied to all existing Field Instances. When possible, existing Field Instances are merged with the changes applied to the Field Definition. However, changes are only automatically applied to a Field Instance when no data is lost. If, for example, a Field Instance has a value selected that was deleted in its corresponding Field Definition, it will not be deleted automatically from the Field Instance. Rather, the respective Field Instance will be indicated as “outdated”, whith the possibility to synchronize it purposefully.

The screenshots below show a Field Instance on a Confluence page whose Data Attribute “Risk” was deleted in the corresponding Field Definition: