Refresh Table Structure In Designer

So let's say you created your table structure in your database backend and you imported your table in Designer, BusinessObject's sementaic layer designer.

You create your objects based on fields in the imported table structure. This is important to note since any modifications to the table structure in the database backend itself will not be reflected back into Designer!

So now what? Do you delete the table and re-import it in Designer? That would be a big mistake since any objects you created that depend on that table will now be broken! And if you are in a case like mine, where you have several hundred objects, this would be a nightmare.

Thankfully, Designer has an option appropriately named Refresh Structure. This option will, guess what, update the imported tables with their new structures that were modified in the database backend. What is not so convenient is its location and it is very easy to miss thanks to poor design by Business Objects.

Okay enough talk, let's learn how to do it. You have two options, either to update a single table or an entire universe.

To update a single table, simply highlight a table from the canvas, as shown in the following figure, navigate to View --> Refresh Structure. Designer should provide you with a confirmation message.



To update every table in the universe, select a blank area in the canvas, as shown in the following figure, navigate to View --> Refresh Structure. Designer should provide you with a confirmation message.



There you have it, a quick and simple way to update table structures in Designer. I end this post by, yet again, thanking you for reading.