Field name lengths

Question

The field name lengths in the Citadel database are approaching 80 characters when Citadel adds the total path to each field. I am saving data from a process running on computer #1 to computer #2. I am using OPC and to select the analog input values require an extremely long length to the field names.
i.e.
"\\Dispatchbd1\Freq_Process\FreqOPC.'OPC DAQ Items'.'Analog Input'.'PHS Narrow Freq'" is just one of my field names. When you have 75 values in a database that you want to look at this long name gets discouraging. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi Wapa,
You are right the names are a bit long. Citadel stores the absolute names (includes computer and process name), to make sure the names are unique. For example if process1 and process2 have both Pot1 and you are storing the data to the same database, unless you log it with a process name and computer name you would get a conflict - (if there is just Pot1 you would not know from which process).
So, the computer and process parts are always there. The Item name has to be also included, but you have more choise there. The member ('OPC DAQ Items'.'Analog Input'.''PHS Narrow Freq') can be aliased to anything you want (and is valid). Go to the Edit database - select the item in the second window - select the datatype - type in alias (for example item1) - check the log to
historical database and hit save (you are going to get a warning - don't worry about it, just make sure the alias (item1) you typed is is not already an existing item - because of the folder structure exposed by DAQ OPC you'll be fine).
Now instaed of using "\\Dispatchbd1\Freq_Process\FreqOPC.'OPC DAQ Items'.'Analog Input'.'PHS Narrow Freq'" you can go with "\\Dispatchbd1\Freq_Process\FreqOPC.item1" - you can stop loggin the original member.
If you need to go even shorter, you can create an expression object for every member you want to log and then log the expression. Then you get to something like:
"\\Dispatchbd1\Freq_Process\Exp1"
I hope this helps.
Martin