OneData supports supertype-subtype data constructs, allowing you to create a data hierarchy and update records in different objects simultaneously. In supertype-subtype constructs, the supertype object contains the super-set of data. The columns in the supertype are common to and inherited by the subtypes, while the subtype contains the unique or specialized characteristics of the data. In supertype-subtype constructs, inserting a record requires updating more than one table.

In OneData, a conceptual object can visually represent the supertype-subtype hierarchy.

Use the procedures in this section for instructions on inserting a record into a supertype entity. Because of the data construct, the subtype necessarily contains a foreign key to the supertype. Therefore, you can add a record to the supertype without adding a record to the subtype. However, the corresponding record must exist in the supertype before you can create a record in the subtype.

Use the procedure that corresponds to whether the subtype record exists:

To create a new subtype record, follow the standard insert record procedure and select corresponding supertype foreign keys from the lookup fields.

For information on creating supertype-subtype objects, see Implementing webMethods OneData.