This activity is used when you want to create a combination table for use in configuration back office rules. A combination table allows you to express a value result depending on the combinations of configuration factors. A combination table can be referenced in back office configuration rules in a similar way to a configuration formula. Structured like a spreadsheet, a combination table is defined by identifying the factors affecting the result (i.e. the columns of the spreadsheet) then filling in the data combinations and the associated return value. The factors can include any type of value derived from a configuration including characteristic values, characteristic quantities, formulas, or even other combination values. Factors can be used more than once in a table to handle value ranges, as shown in the example below.
For example, a combination table used to derive the necessary quantity of material depending on the height and material type of a product configuration could be expressed with three factors -- HEIGHT, HEIGHT, and MATERIAL, as shown below:
Sequence | Characteristic HEIGHT | Characteristic HEIGHT | Characteristic MATERIAL | Return Value |
1 | > 0 | <= 10 | WOOD | 14 |
2 | > 10 | <= 20 | WOOD | 16 |
3 | > 20 | WOOD | 20 | |
4 | > 0 | <= 15 | STEEL | 18 |
5 | > 15 | STEEL | 24 |
As shown above, each value in the combination table is accompanied by a comparison operator, and values left null will match all possible values. A return value is specified for each row in the combination table. When processing a combination table, the system selects the first row in the table where there is a match to the factor values specified. If no rows match, the default return value for the combination table is returned.
IFS/Configuration Back Office and IFS/Configuration Characteristic must be installed. A configuration family must exist to be referenced by this combination table.
As a result of this activity, a combination table is created for use in the configuration back office rules.
Configuration Combination Table
Combination Table
Combination Table/Combination
Factors
Combination Table/Combination Values