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Developing
Learn how to develop schemas by using the HCL Compass Designer.
Developing Schemas
You can develop or modify schemas with the HCL Compass Designer.
Customizing a schema
To modify how change requests are handled, you need to use the Designer to customize the records and fields of a schema.
Working with fields
You use fields to control the type of data that users can add to a user database.
Adding help text to fields
You can write help text that describes a field or provides instructions about how to use it.

Developing
Learn how to develop schemas by using the HCL Compass Designer.
- Developing Schemas
  You can develop or modify schemas with the HCL Compass Designer.
  - Understanding the functions of the HCL Compass schema developer
    This topic provides an overview of the tasks typically performed by a schema developer.
  - Overview of the HCL Compass Designer interface
    The HCL Compass Designer includes several different windows, or views, that you will use to perform your schema development tasks.
  - HCL Compass schemas
    This topic explains the concept of a HCL Compass schema.
  - Customizing a schema
    To modify how change requests are handled, you need to use the Designer to customize the records and fields of a schema.
    - Record types
      This topic explains the concept of a HCL Compass record type.
    - Working with fields
      You use fields to control the type of data that users can add to a user database.
      - Displaying the Record Fields grid
        Use the Record Fields grid to work with field properties, policies, or settings for a given record type.
      - Considerations for selecting field data types
        This topic provides guidelines for selecting a data field type when you add a field.
      - Adding fields to a record type
        Each record type has a Record Fields grid that shows its associated fields. You can use this grid to add fields to the record type and to modify field properties.
      - Adding help text to fields
        You can write help text that describes a field or provides instructions about how to use it.
      - Defining the behavior of fields
        When you add fields to a record type, you must define field behavior.
      - Modifying field properties
        You can modify some field properties in Properties window. Other properties must be modified directly from the Fields grid.
      - Renaming fields
        You can change the name of a field in a record type from the Record Fields grid.
      - Deleting fields
        You can delete a field for a record type in a schema from the Fields grid.
      - Linking records to share common data
        You can use fields to link records of the same type or of different types. You can link records to share common data.
      - Linking records to create parent/child hierarchies
        You can use fields to link records of the same type or of different types. You can link records to create a parent-child hierarchy.
      - Defining field hooks
        You can define hooks for a field in a record. You can customize hooks by incorporating scripts that use the HCL Compass API.
    - State models
      This topic explains the concept of HCL Compass state models.
    - Actions and action types
      Actions are the mechanism for submitting new records to the database, moving records from one state to another, and modifying or deleting records.
  - Schemas and packages
    This topic explains the concept of using schemas and packages in HCL Compass.
  - Packages and integrations
    This topic explains the concepts of HCL Compass packages and integrations.
  - Test Management and Requests
    You can use the Compass TestManagement and Requests feature to create and track test plans and add approval processes to the record.
  - Working with Forms
    You must create a record form for each record type in your schema. You can also define a submit form for each record type.
  - Creating a security model
    This topic provides an overview of the process to create a security model.
  - Using hooks to customize your workflow
    This topic provides guidelines for using hooks to implement your workflow.
  - Record locking
    When multiple users attempt to simultaneously update a record, the database locking model ensures that the update from each user succeeds as a unit, but each update overwrites the previous update.
  - Customizing the Web
    The Designer provides many ways to customize the underlying schema and functionality that the HCL Compass Web client accesses.
  - HCL Compass email
    This topic provides a description of the supported HCL Compass Web client email features.
  - Importing and exporting data
    This topic describes how to import and export data between HCL Compass databases, and how to import data into a HCL Compass database from another defect tracking system.

Adding help text to fields

You can write help text that describes a field or provides instructions about how to use it.

Before you begin

The maximum length of the help text is 254 characters.

Procedure

To add help text to a field:

In the Schema Repository Explorer view, expand the Record Types folder in your schema and then double-click on a record type.
The record type editor opens.
Click the Fields tab to view the Record Fields grid.
In the Record Fields grid, select the field to which you want to add help text.
In the Properties page for the Field, click the Help Text section.
Enter the help text. The text limit is 254 characters, which is about two-thirds of the space available in the Help Text box.
To make the help text available, check in the schema and upgrade the user database.

Results

To view the help text in HCL Compass Client, right-click a field and click Help.

To view the help text in the HCL Compass Web client, position the cursor over a field name and click when you see the question mark.