The third step is customizing the data dictionary Stonefield Query Studio created from your database. Which properties you customize depends on the type of data object:

• Database: there aren't any properties to specify for a database. Instead, you may need to create some scripts for things such as which data source to use for a database.

• Table: the only property you need to fill in for a table is the caption, the descriptive heading the user sees rather than the real table name. There are other properties available as well, including Reportable, Data Group, and User Groups. See the Table Properties topic for a complete list.

• Field: at a minimum, fill in the Caption for each field. Other properties, such as Format, Picture, Reportable, Sortable, Filterable, and Output Expression, can be changed as necessary. See the Field Properties topic for a complete list of the properties for a field.

• Relation: you need to define a relation for each pair of tables, specifying the tables, the fields to join them on (or the join expression if it's more complex than a pair of fields), and the join type. See the Relation Properties topic for more information.

You may also wish to define some calculated fields. A calculated field doesn't physically exist in the database, but is simply a formula that gives a value the user may want to query on. An example is the extended price of a sale item. This usually isn't stored because it's a derived value (price per item multiplied by the quantity sold), but the user may want it printed in a report or use it in a filter condition. So, you can define a calculated field in the appropriate table, specifying the caption, data type, and output expression (the formula) for the field. This field is then available for querying just like a real field—the user can include it in a report or filter on it—but internally, Stonefield Query uses the formula to derive the value.