Document #553, Synchronizing Local Lookup Files
In order to reduce data entry time, ensure consistency and minimize typing/spelling mistakes, GoldMine incorporates a lookup feature for all the fields within the system, except e-mail and web site address. This lookup feature allows a user, with the security rights to access/update a given field, to select an existing, standardized value for the field from a pre-defined lookup list from the Field Lookup window. This window can be accessed by right clicking within the field or by clicking on the Right Arrow icon displayed to the right of the field that is being edited/updated.
The entries in all of the lookup lists are stored in the LOOKUP.DBF[1] table, which typically resides in the \GoldMine\GMBase directory of an installation. By default, this list is global to the installation of GoldMine – i.e., the same lookup entries regardless of which Contact Set is open – and is referred to as a global lookup.
Your business needs may require a listing of values for a particular field that changes dependent on which Contact Set is currently open. For example, your business may maintain separate databases for your customers based on which product they have purchased. Purchasers of product A are maintained in database A and similarly, purchasers of product B are maintained in database B.
In this example, the Key Fields[2] are used to track information relating to the purchase. In the case of product A, the first key field is used to track the service representative for the customer, but for product B, this same field is used to store the quantity purchased. To prevent users from selecting improper values for the field, the list of values available for that field must change dependent on which Contact Set is open.
Users can support this business requirement in GoldMine by using a local lookup. To implement this, administrators must copy[3] the LOOKUP.* files from the \GoldMine\GMBase directory to the GoldMine\Common Contact Set directory or any other Contact Set directory. When a user opens a Contact Set that contains its own LOOKUP files, GoldMine will use the values from that local LOOKUP.DBF table, instead of the LOOKUP files in the GMBase directory. Any changes made to the local lookup list while the corresponding Contact Set is open will be available within that Contact Set only.
Please note that the capability to synchronize local lookup files was not part of the original synchronization specifications of GoldMine.
For this reason, the specific configuration parameters that must exist on any GoldMine system attempting to synchronize the data contained in these files have been outlined below. Be aware that failure to meet these requirements will result in the local lookup data not being synchronized or in the synchronization of the global LOOKUP file instead.
1. File Code values for the contact set containing the local lookup at the sending and receiving sides must match.
2. The LOOKUP:* files must exist within the contact set at the sending and receiving sides.
NOTE: If the LOOKUP files do not exist within the Contact Set on the receiving side, but the transfer set being retrieved does contain LOOKUP files within the Contact Set directory, the retrieving side will retrieve the transfer set’s local lookups into its own global lookup.
While many users have reported that they are able to synchronize this data without problem, it is important to note that there is limited, ongoing development enhancement for this functionality as it currently falls outside of the core design specifications for synchronization. In addition, with prior versions of GoldMine, when the local lookup feature was implemented, users sometimes experience problems related to user groups and security[4]. Due to these reasons, Support Services has traditionally discouraged use of this feature.
[1] On GoldMine Sales and Marketing systems, the name of the table is LOOKUP and is contained within the same SQL database storing the Contact Set tables. As a result, the configuration of a local lookup on GoldMine Sales and Marketing systems can be more complex and requires additional work not required for GoldMine 5.x systems. It is strongly recommended that the local lookup functionality not be implemented on GoldMine Sales and Marketing systems.
[2] Key fields are the fields displayed on the lower right hand quadrant of the Contact Record window.
[3] Moving the files from the default \GoldMine\GMBase directory will cause GoldMine to create blank LOOKUP files in this directory the next time a Contact Set that does not contain local lookups is accessed.
[4] Older versions of the GoldMine product stored user group information in the LOOKUP files. As a result, if a user group was created or edited while a local lookup was active, the addition or change would only be applicable when that database was open.
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