Parameters Table Editor

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Modified by Admin on Mar 18, 2015

Summary

The Parameter Table Editor dialog allows the designer to edit and update parameters across the entire project. The dialog can be used to directly edit existing parameters in the project, or it can be used to configure parameter updates from a linked database (linked to the project via a DbLink, DbLib or SvnDbLib file). Note that these database library-link type files include options that control if a parameter is to be updated or not.

Access

The dialog can be opened in the following ways:

To directly edit the parameters in the current project - select Tools » Parameter Manager to open the Parameter Editor Options dialog, then enable the required parameters and click OK. The Parameter Table Editor dialog will open.
To update parameters from a linked database - select Tools » Update Parameters from Database to open the Update Parameters from Database dialog, then enable the components whose parameter you want to update and click OK. The Parameter Table Editor dialog will open.

Options/Controls

There are a number of option available on buttons and in the right-click menu. The available options depend on how the dialog was opened. The sections below summarize the available options.

Direct Parameter Editing

If the dialog has been opened via the Tools » Parameter Manager command, the following actions are available:

Revert Selected - Click this button to Undo edits for selected cells.
Remove Columns - Remove a parameter column.
Add Column - Add a parameter column.
Accept Changes(Create ECO) - To apply these changes to the components, you need to generate an ECO (Engineering Change Order) and then apply the ECO to the design.

Update from Database

If the dialog has been opened via the Tools » Update Parameters from Database command, the following actions are available:

Update Selected - Force an update on the currently selected parameters, overriding the Inhibit Update features.
Reject Selected - Reject the proposed update on the currently selected parameters.
Update All - Force an update on all parameters, overriding the Inhibit Update features.
Reject All - Reject the proposed update on all parameters.
Accept Changes(Create ECO) - To apply these changes to the components, you need to generate an ECO (Engineering Change Order) and then apply the ECO to the design.

Parameter Update States

If the dialog has been opened as part of an Update from Database, there are a number of different update states into which a cell in the Select Parameter Changes dialog can be placed. The state of a cell will depend on the exact differences detected between the placed component and the source library/database, and the applicable parameter update actions specified. The following table lists the possible cell states.

Cell State	Description
	The Altium Designer component and the component in the library/database both possess the parameter and the value is the same. Update will cause no change.
	The Altium Designer component and the component in the library/database both possess the parameter, but it has no value assigned. Update will cause no change.
	The Altium Designer component and the component in the library/database do not possess the parameter. Update will cause no change. This state can also appear if the parameter in the Altium Component is prevented from being included in an update - by disabling the Allow Synchronization With Library and/or Allow Synchronization With Database options, in the associated Parameter Properties dialog. See Preventing Parameter Updates, below.
	The Altium Designer component and the component in the library/database both possess the parameter, but with different values. Update will assign the value from the database.
	The Altium Designer component and the component in the library/database both possess the parameter. For the Altium Designer component it has a value assigned, in the database it does not. Update will assign the database value, in this case no value.
	The Altium Designer component does not possess the parameter, but the component in the library/database does. Update will add the parameter to the Altium Designer component with the value shown in the cell.
	The Altium Designer component does not possess the parameter, but the component in the library/database does. Update will add the parameter to the Altium Designer component with no value initially assigned.
	The Altium Designer component possesses the parameter, but the component in the library/database does not. Update will remove the parameter from the Altium Designer component. Note : If the component instance is being updated from an external database and the relevant database field-to-design parameter mapping is set to, the parameter will be treated as though it does not exist in the database record, even if it does.
	There is a difference between the parameter values for the Altium Designer component and the component in the library/database. The proposal to update to the value in the database has been rejected, based on the current value of the Update Values option in the database linkage document (DbLink, DbLib or SvnDbLib file). No change will occur. Note that the Update Selected and Update All commands in this dialog will override this state and force an update.
	The Altium Designer component does not possess the parameter, but the component in the library/database does. The proposed update to add the parameter to the Altium Designer component has been rejected, based on the current value of the Add To Design option. No change will occur. Note that the Update Selected and Update All commands in this dialog will override this state and force an update.
	The Altium Designer component possesses the parameter, but the component in the library/database does not. The proposed update to remove the parameter from the Altium Designer component has been rejected, based on the current value of the Remove From Design option in the database linkage document (DbLink, DbLib or SvnDbLib file). No change will occur. Note that the Update Selected and Update All commands in this dialog will override this state and force an update.

Preventing Parameter Updates

Parameters can be prevented from being updated in the following ways:

At the individual component parameter level - open the Parameter Properties dialog for a parameter (edit the component, then click the Edit button with the parameter selected), the Allow Synchronization With Library and Allow Synchronization With Database options are used to control if this parameter can be updated. By default, these options are enabled, to always allow synchronization with the source library/database. Disable an option to prevent that parameter from being included in an update process.
At the database linkage level - the Field Mapping region of the relevant database linkage document (DbLink, DbLib or SvnDbLib file) includes a number of options that control whether parameters can be updated, including Update Values, Add to Design and Remove from Design.