Using the SLM Object Tree

SLM-101 Using the Object Tree

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Welcome to this Application Explainer video, part of our SLM 101 topic range.

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In this video we’ll cover the subject of using the object tree within SLM.

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The SLM system is an object orientated database with a hierarchy formatted object tree for quick navigation within the SLM modules.

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Following information will be covered in this training.

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Chapter one will be how the SLM object tree is set up.

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Chapter 2 will be requirements of creating, deleting and linking objects.

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Chapter 3 will be searching the object tree.

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Chapter 4 will be rules for importing and exporting data.

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In chapter one, we’ll be covering the parent child relationship hierarchy approach and where to get started.

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As an object orientated database, SLM uses the object tree to allow users to navigate within each of the modules.

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Each module will contain the SLM object tree, but depending on the module, the objects you see may be different.

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The object tree is set up with what we call a parent child relationship.

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Each object is nested underneath an object from the top down.

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Each object has a unique ID, therefore users cannot create two different objects with the same ID.

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Objects with the same ID are considered the same object.

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Users must start within the SLM global module to set up the site level and the unit level within the object tree.

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Once these are completed, users can then navigate to other modules to create different types of objects.

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To create a site object, simply click on the parent that is the Enterprise Edit Tools and Add Site.

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To create Unit object, click on the Site level, Edit Tools and Add Unit.

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These set up the basis for the object tree that then allows for other objects to be created in other modules.

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In Chapter 2, we’ll be covering where and how do you create and delete new objects?

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How are objects linked and unlinked to multiple parents and things to consider the parent child relationships?

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For adding a new object to the SLM system, the user must consider the parent child relationship.

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Where can we create the object from?

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To create a new object, the user must navigate to the parent object and from there, using the Edit Tools button, they can create the desired object that they’re looking for.

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But remember, each object is nested within parents and children.

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So for example, if the user is looking to create an input object, they cannot do it simply from the SIF.

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They would need to create the SIF, the input group, the input voting group, and then from the input voting group level that is the parent of the input.

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They could then use the Edit Tools button to add an input.

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Each object has a specific parent child relationship that becomes nested within the SLM object tree.

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For deleting objects, users can navigate directly to the object with which they want to delete using the Edit Tools button.

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The user will be able to delete the object, but only if that object has no children underneath it.

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So for example, if I click on this input voting group, it has all of these inputs as children.

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So the Edit Tools button will not display a Delete input voting group.

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From here you would have the option to use the Admin Tools button and select Delete and Cascade, which will delete the input voting group object, but it will also delete all of the associated children from underneath it.

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User privileges can be set up within the System module to limit a user’s ability to add or delete objects.

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Some notes to remember, some objects are visible in multiple modules and some are not.

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So an object may have children that are only visible in certain areas of SLM.

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For example, an input object may not have a visible child here in the Instrument and Systems module, but in the Operate and Maintain module, the input may have a Device object, so you may not be able to delete it using the Edit Tools button.

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Objects can be the children of multiple different parents.

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For linking objects to multiple parents, users can do this in a few different ways.

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As an example, say you want to add an input group to a SIF SIF O 4:00, but that input group already exists on a different SIF.

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We want to add the input group IG 12 to SIF O4.

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The user can navigate to SIF O4 using the Edit Tools button.

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Select Add Any Input Group.

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Now instead of creating a new object, we can use the drop down menu here.

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Or we can simply start typing in the input group that we want to add and select it.

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You’ll notice that it will automatically change the action from create new to link selected object and when we save that, it will now associate the IG12 with SIF O four and you can see it now on the object tree in both places.

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Now that you’ve done this, IG 12 is the child of both of these Sifs.

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Not only the input group, but all of the children of that input group are also related to both Sifs.

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These are the same objects across both Sifs.

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So if I’m to change data on input 42 TT, it will change it for both SIF O4 and SIF O5.

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Users can also drag and drop objects between the child and parent relationships on the object tree.

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Let’s say we want to add this input group 10 P 462 to SIFO 5I can simply grab it, click and hold and bring it down and drop it onto SIFO 5.

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It will now associate that and link that object there.

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You have to keep in mind the parent and child relationship.

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For example, I can’t drop an input group object onto another input group object.

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The relationship is invalid.

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You must select the right parent level to drop the object onto.

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Objects that are the children of multiple parents can be unlinked from any of the parent objects as long as they have at least one parent object left.

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Users can navigate to the desired object selecting the Edit Tools button, click Unlink Parents.

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It will then show you all of the parent objects that that particular object is linked to and you can select which specific object you would like the parent unlinked from and click the unlinked button.

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Now it’s no longer there.

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You can also simply hit CTRL shift on your keyboard and click on the object you want unlinked.

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SO10P462 is linked to SIF 4 and SIF 5.

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If I want to unlink it from SIF four, hit CTRL shift and click.

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It will pop up a message saying confirm you want to unlink it and when I select OK it will remove it from SIF 4 and leave it on SIF 5.

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In chapter 3 we will be covering up the object trees open node search features and objects breadcrumb features.

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The SLM object tree has an open node search at the top of it.

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This allows the user to look for a specific tag ID within the object tree itself.

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The text search will allow the user to see all of the different levels of hierarchy for that specific object.

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So IG 12 we can see this this site, this unit, this SIF and this SIF on objects that exist as a child of multiple parents.

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The user can also utilise the SLM breadcrumb functionality to see all of the places that the object exists on the far right of your screen.

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When you select the object, you will see a down arrow.

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When you click on that, it allows the user to see all the levels of the breadcrumb for this particular SIF.

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So it’s in SIF O4IN unit 10 and in unit 42, and of course we’ve clicked on it, it’s in SIF O5IN unit 10.

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Remember, the object has a specific ID.

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It’s related across all of these different places.

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So changing this input group data in one place will change it everywhere if there’s no arrow on the right side of your screen and there’s no other place that that object exists within the object tree hierarchy.

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In Chapter 4, we’ll be covering rules to Remember for importing data, Rules to Remember for exporting data, and things to consider.

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Does SLM know the correct spot for the imported data and how much data do you want to export?

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Quick Rules to remember for importing and exporting For importing data, you must understand the parent child relationship.

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You cannot import an object into the SLM system without the parent object already existing.

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An input group object cannot be imported unless the SIF object is already there and ready to receive it as a child.

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For exporting data, the user can click on the object that they want to export and using the Admin Tools button can download that data set.

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This will export the data for all of that object and all of its associated children.

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So for example, if you want to get the exported data for a specific input, you could click on the SIF object and go through the admin tools and download the data set.

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But that will give you the data for the SIF, the input group, the input voting group, the logic solver, the output group, the output voting group, and the outputs.

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Or you can simply select on the specific input you want and using the admin tools, download the data set.

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Whatever level you export the data from, you receive that data for that level and everything below it.