For the query items Object and Connection you can define whether the query will relate to object definitions or object occurrences. Depending on the selected level, the query returns different results.
Definition level
By default, queries relate to object definitions. Therefore, query items are marked with the Definition level icon. The query result shows the object symbols specified in the object definition.
Object definitions are saved in the database. All attributes for definition of an object are managed there. Object definitions are displayed in models as an object occurrence using the selected default symbols. You can change the object symbol for definitions. When modeling, object definitions are automatically created in the group in which the model is saved.
Occurrence level
If you select query items and click Occurrence level in the Start tab bar, all object occurrences are included for these items. The query items are marked with the Occurrence level icon. The query result shows the object symbols specified in the different occurrences.
Occurrences are graphical representations of objects, connections, and free-form texts. It is used to represent items in a model. With an occurrence copy several occurrences of an object can be created. These can differ within a model and/or may be different in different models, that is, the object symbol, size, color, and attribute placements may be different. If the placed text attributes of an occurrence are changed, the changes are applied to all occurrences at which the text attribute has also been placed. For example , if the name an object is changed, the change is displayed for all occurrences.
For query items for which occurrence level is selected, you cannot insert further queries. To do this, you must select definition level.
The following example illustrates the differences between queries at definition level and occurrence level.
If you start the query shown based on this sample model, you will obtain different results.
Four functions occur in this model:
This object definition has one occurrence. The Function default object symbol specified in the object definition is displayed.
This object definition has two occurrences.
In the first path, the default object symbol from the object definition is used.
In the second path, the Function (actual) object symbol is defined in the occurrence copy.
This object definition has one occurrence. The Function default object symbol from the object definition has been changed to SAP function in the occurrence copy.
Query |
Result |
---|---|
At definition level: |
The object definitions for the functions that occur in the model are displayed using the default symbol. |
At occurrence level: |
All object occurrences of the functions are displayed with the different symbols. |