<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Session ID="/baanerp/ti/pcf/tipcf2110m000" xml:lang="en">
	<Header>
		<Title xmlns:ssa="http://www.ssaglobal.com" xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">Generic Item - Constraints (tipcf2110m000)</Title>
	</Header>
	<HelpTopic><AimSection><Paragraph>Use this session to define <Link href="/baanerp/ti/glossary/glossary#100003" role="glossary">constraints</Link> by generic item. You can use these constraints to control the whole product configuration process.</Paragraph>
		</AimSection>
		<GeneralSection><Paragraph>With constraints, you can define a generic product model in a flexible manner. Constraints consist of a mix of formalized data recorded in the database and a number of decision rules, which can be defined by means of a constraint editor. Among other things, constraints enable you to indicate under which conditions certain combinations of options are acceptable, mandatory, or not acceptable for product features. You can also indicate which bill of material components or operations must be included or excluded, what the purchase or sales price structure for a product variant is, and so on.</Paragraph>
			<Paragraph>In each constraint section, global or local variables can be defined, which can be supplied with certain values, with or without the help of a formula. Global variables keep their value during the whole configuration or generation process.</Paragraph>
			<Paragraph>Constraints can be used with product features to control the configuration process. This is important for horizontal dependencies between option sets, relations between price list lines in connection with surcharges or discounts, and so on.</Paragraph>
			<Paragraph>You can select a record and click the Text Editor button to activate the constraint editor.</Paragraph>
			<List><ListIntro>You can choose Start Zoom Session on the Options menu in the constraint editor. ERP then displays a menu with the following sessions:</ListIntro>
				<ListItem><GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf/tipcf0150m000" role="session">Product Feature (tipcf0150m000)</GUIRef>.</ListItem>
				<ListItem><GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf/tipcf0160m000" role="session">Options by Product Feature (tipcf0160m000)</GUIRef>.</ListItem>
				<ListItem><GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf/tipcf1101m000" role="session">Product Features by Generic Item (tipcf1101m000)</GUIRef>.</ListItem>
				<ListItem><GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf/tipcf1110m000" role="session">Options by Product Feature and Generic Item (tipcf1110m000)</GUIRef>.</ListItem>
				<ListItem><GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf/tipcf2120m000" role="session">Constraint Validation Messages (tipcf2120m000)</GUIRef>.</ListItem>
			</List>
			<Paragraph>You can select one of the preceding sessions, and select a record to include this record in the constraint. If you use the editor and you want to add an option to a feature, you must first select the feature before you can zoom to the <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf/tipcf0160m000" role="session">Options by Product Feature (tipcf0160m000)</GUIRef> session, or to the <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf/tipcf1110m000" role="session">Options by Product Feature and Generic Item (tipcf1110m000)</GUIRef> session. SSA ERP displays the options that belong to the selected feature. You can then choose an option to add to this option in the editor.</Paragraph>
			<Paragraph>A meta language that is specially devised for this purpose and that is a subset of SSA ERP is used to define constraint expressions. For online Help about the potential of this meta language, and the possibilities of the constraint syntax, refer to <Link href="/baanerp/ti/onlinemanual/100002" role="manual">Constraint editor</Link>.</Paragraph>
			<Note><SectionTitle>Note</SectionTitle>
				<Paragraph>If you started this session by zooming, you cannot maintain the constraint text.</Paragraph>
			</Note>
		</GeneralSection>
		<RelatedTopics><SectionTitle>Related topics</SectionTitle>
			<RelTopic><Link href="/baanerp/ti/onlinemanual/100004" role="manual">How to define a product model</Link>
			</RelTopic>
			<RelTopic><Link href="/baanerp/ti/onlinemanual/100002" role="manual">Constraint editor</Link>
			</RelTopic>
		</RelatedTopics>
	</HelpTopic>
	<Fields><FieldHelp ID="tipcf210.item"><Header>
				<Title xmlns:ssa="http://www.ssaglobal.com" xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">Generic Item</Title>
			</Header>
			<FuncDesc>The code of the <Link href="/baanerp/ti/glossary/glossary#GeneriItem.ti" role="glossary">generic item</Link>.</FuncDesc>
		</FieldHelp>
		<FieldHelp ID="tipcf210.cnsc"><Header>
				<Title xmlns:ssa="http://www.ssaglobal.com" xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">Constraint ID</Title>
			</Header>
			<FuncDesc>The code that uniquely identifies a <Link href="/baanerp/ti/glossary/glossary#100003" role="glossary">constraint</Link> of a generic item.</FuncDesc>
		</FieldHelp>
		<FieldHelp ID="tipcf210.cnss"><Header>
				<Title xmlns:ssa="http://www.ssaglobal.com" xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">Constraint Section</Title>
			</Header>
			<FuncDesc>Choose from the following:</FuncDesc>
			<SimpleSection><SectionTitle>Before Input</SectionTitle>
				<Paragraph>The <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/cnss#before.input" role="enum">Before Input</GUIRef> option section is carried out by the product configurator before you can enter an option value for a product feature. You can set default option values in this constraint section and also indicate under which conditions the input or representation of a product feature is allowed.</Paragraph>
			</SimpleSection>
			<SimpleSection><SectionTitle>Validation</SectionTitle>
				<Paragraph>This section is used by both the product configurator and the product generator to validate option values for product features. The section is also used to validate or select generic item data, components in the generic product structure, operations in the generic routing and price list lines in the generic price list. If the validation section is carried out by the product configurator for the <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/cnss#validation" role="enum">Validation</GUIRef> option value, the product configurator can generate messages to support the configuration process, which will be displayed on the screen.</Paragraph>
			</SimpleSection>
			<SimpleSection><SectionTitle>Parameter Substitution</SectionTitle>
				<List><ListIntro>The <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/domains/cnss#substitution" role="enum">Parameter Substitution</GUIRef> section is used by both the product configurator and the product generator to calculate parameter values in the generic product structure. The parameter values can include fixed option values for product features:</ListIntro>
					<ListItem>Length.</ListItem>
					<ListItem>Width.</ListItem>
					<ListItem>Number of units.</ListItem>
					<ListItem>Material quantity in the generic bill of material.</ListItem>
					<ListItem>Setup time.</ListItem>
					<ListItem>Production rate.</ListItem>
					<ListItem>Cycle time in the generic routing.</ListItem>
					<ListItem>Purchase or sales prices and price factors in the generic price list.</ListItem>
				</List>
			</SimpleSection>
		</FieldHelp>
		<FieldHelp ID="ctxt.yn"><Header>
				<Title xmlns:ssa="http://www.ssaglobal.com" xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">Constraint Text</Title>
			</Header>
			<FuncDesc>If this check box is selected, a constraint source code is present for the <Link href="/baanerp/ti/glossary/glossary#100003" role="glossary">constraint</Link>.</FuncDesc>
		</FieldHelp>
	</Fields>
	<FormCommands><CommandHelp ID="check.constraint.expr"><Header>
				<Title xmlns:ssa="http://www.ssaglobal.com" xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">Check Constraint</Title>
			</Header>
			<FuncDesc>SSA ERP checks whether the constraint is built according to the syntax.</FuncDesc>
		</CommandHelp>
		<CommandHelp ID="execute.constraint"><Header>
				<Title xmlns:ssa="http://www.ssaglobal.com" xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">Execute Constraint</Title>
			</Header>
			<FuncDesc>SSA ERP executes the constraint. You can check if the results are in accordance with your request.</FuncDesc>
		</CommandHelp>
	</FormCommands>
</Session>
