Create Symbol

Use this command to create a symbol in the Data Server repository.

This command must be used in conjunction with Maintenance. While it is enabled, no other users can perform maintenance related activities in the Data Server repository. When you are finished, you must remember to disable the Maintenance mode, and thereby allow normal access by other users. For more information, see Maintenance or Exclusive.

Note: Descriptions for new symbols are automatically saved as English. If you want the symbol to have an alternate language description, you must use the Set Symbol command. For more information, see Set Symbol.

Syntax regular:

CREATE SYMBOL DimName SymName "SymDesc" SymType SortOption BalanceType [PARENT ParentName ["Weight" [Priority]]]

where:

• DimName is a dimension that will contain the new symbol.
• SymName is a name for the new symbol. For more ifnromation, see Symbol names.
• "SymDesc" is a character string to be used as a description of SymName, in English, enclosed in double quotation marks. For more ifnromation, see Symbol descriptions.
• SymType specifies the way SymName rolls up to its parent symbol, and must be one of the following:

  Value	Description
  Standard	To add the symbol into the parent (for example, monthly expenses added into annual expenses).
  Carryforward	When the parent value equals the value of the cell immediately preceding it (for example, cash balance as a running year-to-date, where the year-end amount equals the amount for December).
  Static	When the child value has no effect on the parent value — for example, for price symbols. (The parents of such symbols are used only to group symbols, not to aggregate their values.) Static symbols do not roll up in any direction, and override any assigned weights.

• SortOption is one of the following:

  Value	Description
  Ascending	Sorts the children symbols by name in ascending order.
  Descending	Sorts the children symbols by name in descending order.
  Manual	Allows manual sorting of children symbols based on priority.

• BalanceType is one of: Credit|Debit|Neither. Credit and Debit are only used for the Accounts dimension and indicate whether the account is a credit account or a debit account. All other dimensions use Neither.
• ParentName is the name of the new symbol’s parent and is required if you are creating a child symbol but not required if you are creating a root symbol. If you are creating a child symbol, you must also include the keyword PARENT. Your authorizations determine the type of symbols you can create. Use the following table to review the type of symbols you can create based on your authorizations.

  Do you have the SYMBOLCREATE authorization?	Do you have the SYMBOLCAN CREATEROOT authorization?	ParentName is...
  YES	NO	mandatory — you must specify a parent because you are not authorized to create root symbols.
  YES	YES	optional — if you choose to create a child symbol you must specify PARENT and ParentName. If you choose to create a root symbol then PARENT and ParentName are not required.
  NO	YES	not available — you can create only root symbols and cannot specify a parent because you are not authorized to create child symbols.

• "Weight" is optional; however, you can specify Weight only if you also specify PARENT and ParentName. Weight must be enclosed in double quotation marks, and can be one of the following:

  Value	Description
  +	To add the symbol’s value to its parent.
  -	To subtract the symbol’s value from its parent.
  0	To ensure the symbol has no mathematical effect on its parent.

• Priority is a number that designates a symbol's position in the hierarchy relative to its parent. Symbols are listed in order of ascending priority, with zeros falling at the bottom of the list. This parameter is optional; however, you can specify Priority only if you also specify Weight.

Syntax example:

Creating ASCII input files

To create a large number of symbols in the Data Server repository, specify the parameters for this command in two ASCII files.

1. Create an ASCII file named SymFileName containing the following information for each symbol:

   SymName{SymDesc{SymType{SortOption{BalanceType

2. Create an ASCII file named ParentChildFileName containing the following information for each symbol.

   SymName{PARENT{NewParentSymName{Weight{Priority

Syntax (with an ASCII file):

CREATE SYMBOL DimName @SymFileName @ParentChildFileName

where:

• DimName is the dimension that will contain the new symbols.
• SymFileName is an ASCII file containing data on the characteristics of the symbols.
• ParentChildFileName is an ASCII file containing data on the parent/child relationships for the symbols.
• FileName is an ASCII file containing the data. It can include a complete or partial folder path in the format C:\...\FileName. If FileName includes spaces, enclose it in double quotation marks; for example:

  @"C:\My Documents\My Data.txt"

Note: If the document is in the same location as lv_af.exe, you do not need to specify the drive or path.

Syntax example:

See also

• Set Symbol for help in adding an alternate description to a symbol.
• Set Variable