The References view will show you any references that are made to an item, part or node selected in the structure tree. One typical reason for wanting to look for references is because they may prevent you from removing the selected object from the tree or from the database altogether (see Deleting Items and Parts). The view also offers options so you can quickly redirect to the referencing item for further investigation. This article describes the view and how to use it.
Select the object of interest in the tree and select the References view via Overview drop-down menu option on the Items Ribbon.
Or, by selecting it in the View drop-down list.
Getting Acquainted with the View
The view is essentially a grid view that displays information about each reference that is made to the selected item in the tree. These references can potentially prevent you from removing the object from the tree.
Just like with all standard grids in SystemWeaver, it is possible to do some customization on-the-fly, e.g., change column widths, add additional information, etc. for your current viewing needs.
Information Provided About Each Reference
The following information is displayed, by default, for each reference:
Referencing Item: the item making a reference to the selected tree object.
Version: the version of the referencing item.
Referencing Item Type: the item type of the referencing item.
In the example shown above, there are 6 references of type Item reference and 1 reference of type Part reference.
There are four types of references as described below.
| Type of Reference | Description |
|---|---|
| Item reference | An Item reference occurs when a part uses the selected item as the defining item, i.e., the DefObj property of a part. This is the most common kind of reference as it is used for building item structures. Item references do not prevent the removal of a part in the tree, except for in the case of the specific item reference in the current structure tree. Item references, however, prevent the deletion of the item. |
| Part reference | In the case of a Part reference, the reference is not made to an item, but to the part according to the selected tree object. A Part reference prevents the removal of the specific part in the tree. The Open Part in new tab option will not be useful for a Part reference, since a Part reference cannot be visualized in the structure tree. |
| Node reference | A Node reference occurs when the reference is made to the selected node, or any sub-node of the node. Removal of a node with sub-node causes all sub-nodes to be removed, and this is prevented in case there is a reference. If you select any node down to the specific sub-node, the same Node reference would be displayed in the view. The Open Part in new tab option will not be useful for a Node reference, since a Node reference cannot be visualized in the structure tree. |
| RefObj Item reference | In the case of a RefObj Item reference, there is a RefObj reference to the selected item, i.e., the referenced part has the RefObj property set to the selected item. Note that normally the part that makes the reference also probably has a DefObj reference. Removing the part will remove the entire part, including such DefObj references as well. The Open Part in new tab option will not be useful for this case, since a RefObj item reference cannot be visualized in the structure tree. |
Part Type: the part type of the referencing item. (References to items are always done by parts.)
Part Name: the explicitly set Part name of a part, if such exists.
Access: your access rights to the referencing item, which is an indication of whether or not you will be able to remove the reference.
Referencing item's home library: the home library of the referencing item.
Reviewing References More Closely
The right-click context menu offers options to redirect you to the reference's owning item or part.
Opening the Owning Item
There are two options for opening and viewing the owning item so that you can review the reference more closely.
The Open owning item in new tab option will open the item that owns the reference, in a new tab.
| Tip: You can perform the same action by double-clicking on the reference, or using the Ctrl+O shortcut. |
The Open owning item in this window option will open the item that owns the reference in the current tab, meaning that the current tree structure will disappear from view.
Opening the Part Owning the Reference
The Open Part in new tab option will open the item that owns the reference, in a new tab and the part that makes the reference will be pre-selected in the structure tree.
| Note: If the referencing part is not viewable in the tree (due to the part type being hidden from view as defined by the default tree view setting), or that the reference is a RefObj reference, the part will not be pre-selected. |
Removing Parts
To remove a selected reference from the owning item, right-click on the reference and select Remove part(s). Multi-select of references is supported.
The part will immediately be removed.
Copying Referenced Item
The Copy (Ctrl+C) option will copy the referenced item's xID to your clipboard.
Things to Consider
- By removing the reference, you are removing the entire part, along with any part attributes, and other references made by the part's RefObj and DefObj properties.
- Aside from confirming that you have the needed access rights to remove the reference, you should, of course, always ask the owners of the reference if it is acceptable to remove the reference.
If the option is grayed out, the owning item is either frozen or released, or you do not have the access right to remove the selected reference (this can be seen in the Access column as "Read Only").
