Technical Reference Manual - InduSoft

Tags and the Project Database
To edit a class member or property, you can right-click on the item and use standard Windows commands to
cut (Ctrl+X), copy (Ctrl+C), or paste (Ctrl+V). You can also undo (Ctrl+Z) the last modification to a field.
You also edit member properties as follows:
• Name field: Type a name for the member or member property. The first character must be a letter and you
can use up to 255 characters in the name.
• Type combo-box: Select a member type (Boolean, Integer, Real, or String).
• Description field: Type a description of the member property for documentation purposes.
Note: Members of a class cannot be of another class type.
Also, you must create a unique class name. You cannot reuse the name of an existing class.
However, you can create members with the same name in different classes.
To delete a class and all its members, right-click on a class folder and select delete. IWS disables the delete
option if you are running any runtime tasks. In addition, you cannot delete a class if it is associated with any
tag.
Shared Database Folder
The Shared database folder contains all tags shared between IWS and the selected PC-based Control device.
You must create and modify these tags in the PC-based Control software, and then they will be imported
automatically into IWS under the following conditions:
• When you start IWS; or
• When you right-click on the Shared Tags folder, which refreshes (updates) the database.
Note: Each PC-based Control software package has its own individual interface characteristics and
conditions that allow IWS to import its tags. For example, the PC-based Control software application
might have to be running for you to import database tags into IWS.
If there are no PC-based Control software products associated with the application, the Datasheet View and
Tag List subfolders (located in the Shared Database folder) will be empty.
You cannot edit shared tags in the IWS environment, but you can modify them in the PC-based Control
software. You can, however configure shared tags in any IWS task like any other tag. Shared tags are readonly,
and viewable on the Tag Property dialog and the Shared Tag datasheet.
Note: Right-click on the Shared Database folder (or click Datasheet View) and select the Refresh option
to update your last "version" of the PC-based Control software's tags database. To change the
Shared tags database (create a new tag, delete tags, or change tag properties), you must activate this
command update the IWS shared database.
To view the Tag Property dialog:
• Click on the Tag Properties tool on the Tag Properties toolbar (the tag name must be in the Tag name field); or
• Double-click on the tag name located in the Tag List subfolder (Project Tags folder)
When the Shared Tag datasheet displays, it contains four columns (Name, Size, Type, and Description). This
datasheet is read-only, you can use it to view shared tags only.
System Tags Folder
The System Tags folder contains predefined tags that have specific functions (time, date, acknowledge alarms,
storage of the logged user, and so forth). You cannot edit or delete these tags; but you can access their values
from any IWS task, copy them, and use them elsewhere.
Note: To update IWS's shared database with the system tags files, right-click on the System Tags
folder or Datasheet View icon, and then click the Refresh option.
For a list of system tags, including their properties and descriptions, see List of System Tags.
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