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<ManualTopic ID="/baanerp/tc/onlinemanual/000115" xml:lang="en">
   <Header>
      <Title>To use codes</Title>
      <Keyword type="header" order="d1e1459685">
         <Level1>Codes</Level1>
      </Keyword>
   </Header>
   <GeneralSection>
      <List>
         <ListIntro>Codes uniquely identify data in ERP Enterprise. You use the code,
		instead of the name or description, to specify any type of record. When you
		create a new record, you must enter the record's code. For example, you must
		use codes for:</ListIntro>
         <ListItem>Companies</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Currencies</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Calendars</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Items</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Payment methods</ListItem>
         <ListItem>Storage conditions</ListItem>
      </List>
      <GeneralSection>
         <SectionTitle>Company number</SectionTitle>
         <Paragraph>The company code is
		always referred to as the company number. Company numbers must be numeric.</Paragraph>
      </GeneralSection>
      <GeneralSection>
         <SectionTitle>Item codes</SectionTitle>
         <Paragraph>You create items and
		enter the item codes in the <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/ibd/tcibd0501m000" role="session">Items - General (tcibd0501m000)</GUIRef> session. Item codes can be up to 50 characters and can
		include spaces. You can use the long item codes to insert an item description
		in the item code. In addition, item codes can consist of more than one segment.
		For details, see <Link href="/baanerp/tc/onlinemanual/000087" role="manual">Segmented item codes</Link>.</Paragraph>
         <Paragraph>You can use the
		sessions of the <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/grt" role="module">Product Classification</GUIRef> module to define a classification system for your
		items.</Paragraph>
         <Note>
            <SectionTitle>Note</SectionTitle>
            <Paragraph>If the item is a generic item, the following characters are
		  not allowed in the item code:</Paragraph>
            <CodeBlock space-and-orientation="indented-estimated">% ' " ^ \ ! @ # $ &amp; * ( ) | / ; ~ ` ? { } [ ] &lt; &gt;</CodeBlock>
            <Paragraph>The reason is that object files that are generated for
		  constraints in the <GUIRef href="/baanerp/ti/pcf" role="module">Product Configuration</GUIRef> module cannot contain these characters.</Paragraph>
         </Note>
      </GeneralSection>
      <GeneralSection>
         <SectionTitle>To define codes</SectionTitle>
         <Paragraph>It is important that
		you design a coding system before you create records and enter codes. Once a
		coding system is in use, it is difficult to change the coding system later.</Paragraph>
         <List>
            <ListIntro>If you enter a new code, the following rules apply:</ListIntro>
            <ListItem>Codes must be unique
		  per record type. For example, you cannot define two countries that have the
		  same code, but you can define a country and a currency that have the same code.</ListItem>
            <ListItem>Codes are usually
		  alphanumeric. ERP Enterprise changes
		  lowercase letters to uppercase letters.</ListItem>
            <ListItem>Codes can include
		  spaces.</ListItem>
            <ListItem>Most codes can be up
		  to three characters long. Some types of codes can be up to six characters long.
		  Item codes can be up to 50 characters long.</ListItem>
            <ListItem>Some types of codes
		  must be numeric. If you enter letters for such a record code, ERP Enterprise displays the message:
		  Digit expected. For example, a company code must be numeric.</ListItem>
         </List>
      </GeneralSection>
      <GeneralSection>
         <SectionTitle>To use generated codes</SectionTitle>
         <List>
            <ListIntro>For example, ERP Enterprise generates the codes of:</ListIntro>
            <ListItem>Sales orders.</ListItem>
            <ListItem>Purchase orders.</ListItem>
            <ListItem>Service contracts.</ListItem>
            <ListItem>Other order-related
		  documents.</ListItem>
         </List>
         <List>
            <ListIntro>The generated code consists of the <Link href="/baanerp/tc/glossary/glossary#Series_tc" role="glossary">series</Link> code followed by the
		  first free number in the series. You must assign the <Link href="/baanerp/tc/glossary/glossary#NumberGroup_tc" role="glossary">number groups</Link> to the various
		  document types when you define:</ListIntro>
            <ListItem> 
               <Link href="/baanerp/td/glossary/glossary#SalesOffice_td" role="glossary">sales office</Link>
            </ListItem>
            <ListItem> 
               <Link href="/baanerp/tc/glossary/glossary#PurchaOffice_tc" role="glossary">purchase office</Link>
            </ListItem>
            <ListItem> 
               <Link href="/baanerp/ts/glossary/glossary#ServicCenter_ts" role="glossary">service department</Link>
            </ListItem>
         </List>
         <List>
            <ListIntro>You can also use number groups and series to generate the
		  codes of:</ListIntro>
            <ListItem> 
               <Link href="/baanerp/tc/glossary/glossary#BusinePartne_tc" role="glossary">business partner</Link>
            </ListItem>
            <ListItem> 
               <Link href="/baanerp/tc/glossary/glossary#Address_tc" role="glossary">address</Link>
            </ListItem>
            <ListItem>Business partner <Link href="/baanerp/tc/glossary/glossary#Contact_tc" role="glossary">contacts</Link>
            </ListItem>
         </List>
         <Paragraph>You must specify the
		number groups for these codes in the <GUIRef href="/baanerp/tc/com/tccom0000s000" role="session">COM Parameters (tccom0000s000)</GUIRef> session.</Paragraph>
      </GeneralSection>
   </GeneralSection>
   <RelatedTopics>
      <SectionTitle>Related topics</SectionTitle>
      <RelTopic>
         <Link href="/baanerp/tc/onlinemanual/000087" role="manual">Segmented item codes</Link>
      </RelTopic>
      <RelTopic>
         <Link href="/baanerp/ti/onlinemanual/000123" role="manual">Setting up a classification structure in GRT</Link>
      </RelTopic>
      <RelTopic>
         <Link href="/baanerp/tc/onlinemanual/000004" role="manual">To use number groups and series</Link>
      </RelTopic>
   </RelatedTopics>
</ManualTopic>