Dictionary

The Dictionary is a reference table within Commander4j's Quality Management module that defines the tests and data fields collected during sample inspections. Each entry in the dictionary describes one measurement or observation — its identifier, data type, unit of measure, whether it is mandatory, and how it is displayed on screen.

Dictionary entries are linked to Inspection activities. When an operator opens the Sample Results screen for a particular process order and activity, the columns displayed are determined entirely by the dictionary definitions associated with that inspection.

Dictionary Fields

Each dictionary entry has the following properties:

Field	Description
Test ID	The unique identifier for this test or measurement (e.g. `COLOUR`, `WEIGHT_G`, `TEXTURE`)
Description	A human-readable label shown as the column heading in the results entry screen
Data Type	Controls how the field is displayed and validated. Options include free text (string), numeric, and list (dropdown)
UOM	Unit of measure (e.g. `g`, `°C`, `%`). Displayed alongside the field as reference.
Required	Whether a result must be entered before the sample can be considered complete (Y/N)
Select List ID	When Data Type is set to list, this identifies which Select List provides the dropdown options
Default Value	A value that can be automatically applied to empty result fields using the Defaults function in the results screen
Visible	Whether the field appears in the results entry screen (Y/N). Hidden fields are defined but not shown to operators.
Field Width	The display width of the column in the results grid
Field Alignment	Column alignment: Left, Centre, or Right

Data Types

Data Type	Behaviour
String	Free text entry. No validation beyond maximum length.
Numeric	Numeric entry with optional range validation. Non-numeric input is rejected.
List	The operator selects from a predefined dropdown list. The available options are defined in the Select List identified by the Select List ID field.

Managing the Dictionary

The Dictionary Admin screen lists all defined test items. From here, administrators can:

Add a new test definition
Edit an existing definition
Delete a test (note: deleting a test that has existing results recorded against it is not recommended)
Export the full dictionary to Excel

Changes take effect immediately and are reflected the next time a results entry screen is opened.

Relationship to Inspections

Dictionary entries are not assigned directly to individual inspections in this table. Instead, Inspections define which tests apply to each activity by referencing Test IDs from the dictionary. This means the same test definition can be reused across multiple inspections.

Database Table

Dictionary definitions are stored in the APP_QM_DICTIONARY table.