A user defined field (UDF) is a field you create when PCS does not provide a field for data entry. The types of UDFs available for use include those in the following list:
Normal: Set up a normal UDF when you want to add any of the following types of fields: character, numeric, date, logical, memo, or date/time field.
Calculated: Set up a calculated UDF when you want PCS to perform calculations based on expressions you set up for the UDF.
Milepost: Set up a milepost UDF when you want to assign a different milepost format to one or more facility types on a pipeline.
Standard Picklist: Set up a Standard Picklist UDF when you want to limit data entry to a list of valid choices in a selection list. (A Standard Picklist in PCS is similar to a validation table in PCS 7.)
Dynamic Picklist: Set up a Dynamic Picklist with a drop-down list of data items that change based on a data item selected in another picklist. This type of picklist uses a cascading parent/child relationship allowing you to set up more than five levels of interdependent picklists.
On/Off Pair: Set up a custom pair of on/off fields when PCS does not provide a pair of installed on/off fields for recording inspection readings in a data grid or form. This UDF is available for both facility and continuous surveys.
Summation: Set up a Summation UDF when you want PCS to perform an aggregation for a selected Information, Inspection, or Maintenance field. This UDF type supports aggregation on a user-selected target field using any one of the following operators: Average, Count, Latest, Maximum, Minimum, and Sum. You can also include one or more user-defined filters in the set up of the UDF to further filter the results of aggregated data. Summation UDF is a Permanent Information field available for use in data grids, forms, reports, and as a filter in scheduling.
If change tracking is configured for your database, review the change tracking configurations after adding a user defined field to ensure that the desired settings were applied to the new field. Refer to Tracking Data Changes.
Topics in this section include those in the following list: