Categorizing queries, sets, and definitions

Queries, sets, report definitions and browse definitions, provide a means of grouping the entities and links that are stored in your database. You can manage these objects by storing them in folders that are labeled based on specific categories.

By default, iBase presents sets, queries, and definitions in single general lists. If your lists are long, you can use categories to make them easier to work with. For example, if some of your sets group suspects of particular types of crime, you can create a category that contains only those sets.

Category folders behave like standard folders, with the following exceptions:
  • Category folders cannot be renamed.
  • Category folders are not displayed if they are empty.
  • Access to the contents of some category folders might only be available if you are a member of a particular user group.

Setting the access on folder objects

  1. When you modify multiple folder objects that currently have different access restrictions, a Change Access checkbox will be displayed in the Categorize dialog. You first need to turn on this checkbox before modifying the access restrictions.
  2. Select one of the following:
    Option Description
    Public Any user can access the folder objects.
    Private Only the person who flagged the folder object as private and the system administrator can see it. For example, unless you are logged on as a system administrator, private report definitions belonging to others will not appear in the All Report Definitions folder.
    Note: If you are a member of a folder object control group, membership of this group may prevent you from setting the access on folder objects to private. Access to the object will always be set to the folder object group. For detailed information, see below About folder object control groups.
    Restricted to groups Only users who are in the group(s) can see these folder objects. With Restricted to groups selected, check the Folder Object Control group(s) that you want to have access - no other groups have access. You only see the Folder Object Control groups of which you are a member. For detailed information, see the About folder object control groups section.
  3. Click OK to confirm your changes and close the dialog.

About folder object control groups

A folder object control group is the most restrictive of the three types of folder access: public, private, and group. Folder object control groups are defined in iBase Designer using the Security Manager but their usage is defined by the users who belong to the group, and the following two settings made in the Options dialog:

  • Default to 'Public' Access
  • Prompt for category when saving

How these Option dialog settings affect the use of folder object control groups is summarized below.

Category prompt Default access type Result when you save a folder object
ON Private You are prompted to select the access type for the folder object. The default access type is the folder object control group to which you belong. If you belong to several groups, the access type defaults to private.
ON Public You are prompted to select the access type for the folder object - the default access type is public.
OFF Private The folder object is automatically saved in the folder object control group to which you belong. If you belong to several groups, you are prompted to select one or more groups, or to change the access type.
OFF Public The folder object is automatically saved with public access - overriding the membership of the Folder Object Control group. If you belong to several groups, you are prompted to select one or more groups, or to change the access type.