Managing Reference Tables and Reference Codes

A reference table is a type of look-up table that contains all the possible values for a data field. Reference codes are data fields that belong to a reference table.

You create codes to limit the values users can select in a field and to standardize your data. For instance, you might create a reference table called Bus Number, then create reference codes B01, B02, and so on. This process prevents users from entering B1, B#2, etc.

It is recommended that the root organization owns all reference tables. However, intermediate organizations and schools can create their own reference codes for the tables.

For instance, if the root organization owns a reference table called Schedule Teams, one school might create codes like Blue, Red, and Green, while another school could have Bears, Beavers, and Bobcats. Users in each school would only see the team codes that belong to their school and the root organization (depending on which filter they use).

Also, you can create categories of reference codes. For example, once a health user selects "back pain" as a student’s complaint, they can then select the specific type of back pain (acute, spasm, muscular).

You can do the following:

• Create a new reference table.
• Build a reference table with current values.
• Create reference codes.
• Hide a reference code.
• Enable record-level security for a reference code.
• Merge existing reference codes in a single field.
• Define field requirements based on a reference code.

Note: Users need the appropriate security privileges to create and manage reference tables and reference codes. See your Aspen system administrator for more information.