Defining object types

An object type describes what the Portail ZAPP CMDB records: its fields, the groups that can access it and its names in each language. Installed modules (Asset management, Contract management, Stock…) bring their own types, marked System; you can extend them. These screens are reserved for administrators.

Creating a type

On the CMDB page, click New type, then fill in:

Name and Slug: the slug is the unique identifier of the type (lowercase with hyphens). It is suggested from the name and cannot be changed afterwards;
Description, Bootstrap icon (the button on the right opens a picker) and Color: they are shown on the type's card;
Inherits from: the new type takes all the fields of the parent type and adds its own. This choice cannot be changed after creation;
Abstract type (cannot be instantiated): the type only serves as a parent for other types and has no objects of its own.

If the slug is already taken, creation is refused and the message appears at the top of the form.

Setting up a type

On the type's card, the cogwheel button (Settings) opens its settings screen.

The Properties block changes the name, description, icon, color and abstract flag. The Display field sets the field that names an object in pickers and in the history; Automatic (name/nom/hostname…) picks a field whose slug is one of these common names. Click Save.

A System type keeps its name and properties: the Save button and deletion do not appear. You can, however, add fields to it and set its rights and translations.

Fields

The Fields table lists the type's fields, followed by those marked inherited, which come from a parent type and are set up on that parent type. Drag a field's ⠿ handle to change its order in forms and object pages.

To add a field, enter its name and its slug (unique within the type; it is used as the column name in imports and exports), choose its type, tick Required if needed, then click Add field. Field types are shown under their technical name:

Text, Html (formatted text), Number, Boolean (yes/no), Date, DateTime (date and time), File (attachment);
Select: a closed list. For each choice (Add a choice), enter a value and its label in each active language;
Reference: a link to an object of another type. Choose the Target type, the Cardinality (One (1–1), Many (1–N), Many on both sides (N–N)) and tick Subtypes to also accept objects of the target type's subtypes;
Parent: a link to an object of the same type. It creates a hierarchy (a site containing other sites) and enables the tree view of the object list.

A field's pencil button opens Edit field: name, Required, hidden, target type or choice list. A field's type and slug cannot be changed.

A hidden field disappears from the forms and object pages of the type and its subtypes. Beware: it also disappears from this screen and cannot be shown there again.

The bin deletes the field, after confirmation. Fields provided by a module cannot be deleted.

Permissions by group

The Permissions by group block sets who can access the type's objects:

as long as no group is listed, the type is open to all signed-in users;
as soon as a group is added, only the listed groups have access, plus administrators.

Choose a Group and a Level, then Add. Levels are cumulative: Read only (view objects), Write (create and edit), Delete (write + delete), Admin (all). The Admin level does not give access to this settings screen, which is reserved for administrators.

A group already set is greyed out in the list: to change its level, remove it with the cross and add it again.

Rights are not passed from a type to its subtypes: set up each type.

Translations

The Translations block shows one tab per active language. Enter the type's name and description, then the name of each of its own fields (inherited fields are translated on the parent type), and confirm each row with the tick button. Without a translation, the name entered on the type is shown.

Always fill in the name: a translation saved with an empty name makes an empty label appear. The description of a field translation is not shown again: saving a row replaces the previous description.

Deleting a type

The bin at the top of the screen deletes the type, after confirmation, with its fields, rights and translations. Deletion fails as long as the type still has objects, subtypes or relation types: delete them first.