Sync up a database DDL to the Application designer table

Question

Hi All,
Is there a way to sync up a database DDL to the Application designer table? We have a situation wherein these two do not match (in the nunmber of columns or fields).
Edited by: user12102490 on Apr 5, 2010 12:14 PM

Answer 1

A Record in Application Designer is like a blue print or a template to PeopleTools. PeopleTools also uses records to know what tables are in the database and what they look like. It does not use the database's meta-data or system catalog. Finally, the Records store some additional settings and properties to help with generating pages and loading the data into them.
I think Application Designer's build feature is what you are looking for. That is where Application Designer will generate the SQL to create the tables that make the record structure you see in the record. You have to have the record open and in focus in Application Designer, and then, you can either click on the Build toolbar icon or the Build option in the menu. Once selected, you will see a Build dialog that asks you what you want to do. You choose the Create option if the table does not exist at all, and Application Designer will generate a Create Table statement. You can choose Alter table when the table exists but the number of columns is different. Finally, if it is a View, you would choose Create View and Application Designer will generate a Create View statement.
It sounds like you need the Alter Table option because you already have a table in the database but the columns are different. What it will actually do is generate a Create Table statement with the new table structure. Then, it will write an Insert ... Select to copy the data from the original table to the new structure. Next, it will drop the old table. Finally, it will rename the new table structure to the original table name.
When Altering tables, there are some settings that you may need to deal with. Mostly, they are in regard to dropping columns. If you have a column in the database that is not in the Application Designer, then Application Designer will skip building that record because it does not want you to loose the data in that column. You will have to change the setting to make sure that it will drop that column.
Once the Build process is complete, you should check the output window at the bottom to see if it worked. You are looking for the line that hopefully says 0 errors. If not, you will probably see the SQL error statement that came from the database at the top of the output. Next, you should check the SQL. You can double click on the line that tells the SQL file that it generated. If the file is blank, that means Application Designer either thought the database matched the Record or there were columns that it should not drop.
The Build dialog has options to run the SQL for you or let you run it. I always choose the "Build and Execute" option. That way Application Designer runs the SQL for me, but I can also review the SQL to make sure it did what I wanted it to do.
There is a lot that could be said here, and I know I didn't cover it all. Does this help at all? Do you want me to elaborate more on any of it? Would it help if I posted screenshots on my blog of the Build process?