Object definition scope - Documentation for BMC Helix Platform 20.08

BMC Helix Platform enables you to define a scope for the following object definitions:

Record definitions
View definitions
Process definitions
Rule definitions
Named list definitions
Association definitions

You can define the scope to either limit the use of definitions within the same application or allow the definitions to be used outside the application. Defining the scope allows you to control the usage of the definitions by other developers or consuming applications.

Definition scope is of the following types:

Application/Library
Public

The following table provides the details for each of the types:

Scope	Description
Application/Library	The definitions can only be used within the same application or library. These definitions cannot be customized by a user of the application or accessed by custom definitions, even if the custom definitions are within the same application or library. The following image illustrates the concept of Application/Library Definition scope:
Public	The definitions can be used by all applications or libraries. If a Public scoped definition uses an Application/Library scoped definition, any customizations for this Public scoped definition is not allowed. The extent to which the other Public scoped definitions (the Public scoped definitions that do not use Application/Library scoped definitions) can be customized is decided by the developer. The customizations can be controlled by setting the customization options for each definition. For more information, see Making definitions available for customization. The following image illustrates the concept of Public Definition scope:

Scope

Description

Application/Library

The definitions can only be used within the same application or library.
These definitions cannot be customized by a user of the application or accessed by custom definitions, even if the custom definitions are within the same application or library.

The following image illustrates the concept of Application/Library Definition scope:

Public

The definitions can be used by all applications or libraries.
If a Public scoped definition uses an Application/Library scoped definition, any customizations for this Public scoped definition is not allowed.
The extent to which the other Public scoped definitions (the Public scoped definitions that do not use Application/Library scoped definitions) can be customized is decided by the developer. The customizations can be controlled by setting the customization options for each definition. For more information, see Making definitions available for customization.

The following image illustrates the concept of Public Definition scope:

Guidelines to change the scope of the definition

The information in the following section helps you to decide when to change the scope of the definition:

You can always change the scope of the definition from Application/Library to Public.
After you release your application or library, ensure that you do not change the scope of the released Public definitions in the next version of your application or library.
If you have not released your application or library, you can change the scope of a definition from Public to Application/Library. However, in this case you must export and redeploy the application (or library) and any other dependent application (or library) after the development to ensure:
- No other definitions outside the deployed application or library have used the Application/Library scoped definitions. The deployment fails, if the Application/Library scoped definitions are used by definitions outside the deployed application/library.
- Customization option is set to "Not allowed" for all the Public scope definitions that used definitions for which you changed the scope from Public to Application/Library.