Logical dependencies can be used everywhere.
Logical dependencies in master data information let you control which values a user can select on one information code based on what they have already selected on another. If you set a bike type to “city bike”, you can force the gear field to exclude certain options automatically. This keeps your master data consistent and prevents invalid combinations.
You set up logical dependencies per information code, not as a single global rule. The setup applies to all master data that uses information codes, including items, customers, vendors, and documents.
You configure the rule directly from the information code list. For each dependency you choose the test type: equal to, different from, or can be. “Different from” blocks a value. “Can be” works like a dropdown that limits the selectable values.
You cannot mix test types for the same information value. Once you pick “equal to” for a value, every line for that value must follow the same logic.
Where logical dependencies apply
Logical dependencies are part of the master data information logic, so they are not limited to items. If you set them up for customers, vendors, or documents, they apply there too. The behaviour follows the information code itself.
Because the setup lives on each information code, the rule applies per code. If your city bike has logic saying that when another piece of master data is already selected you can only choose certain values, that logic applies to the information code “bike type”. If your gear needs to be a shortened dropdown list depending on other master data, that logic is set up on the information code “gear”. You do the setup directly from the information code, and this is what tells the system you are using logical dependencies.
How to set up a logical dependency
Open the information code list. You can drill down from the information code, or search for “information code list” in the header. From the information code, for example “bike type”, you enter the logical dependencies. The list shows all the dependencies working for that information code.
For each dependency you define:
- The information code you are setting the rule on.
- The information value the rule applies to.
- The related information code you want to check against.
- The test type and the value you want to check.
For example: if the bike type is a city bike, the gear has to differ from a specific value. If the bike type is a different bike, the gear has to differ from another value. In the test type you choose between equal to, different from, or can be.
Understanding the test types
Different from means the value cannot be whatever the related information value is. It blocks that option.
Can be means the value has to be, or could be, one of the listed values. It works like a dropdown list of allowed values.
Equal to lets you select only one value.
You cannot create setups that conflict for the same information value. You cannot, for example, add one line for a bike type where the gear can be anything, and another line where it differs or equals something else. Once you select a test type for an information value, it has to be consistent for all of that information value. This makes it an either/or situation.
Viewing all logical dependencies across information codes
To see all your logical dependencies at once, open the filter view. You need to show system filters, then remove the information code filter. You then see all your logical information setup across every information code.
For the gear example, you can see that if a gear is one type, the bike type can be city bike or another model. If the gear is a different type, the bike type has to be equal to a mountain bike. This also tells you that if the gear type is none of the configured values, you can select all bike types, because there are no other restrictions.
What happens in practice
If you go back to the item list and look at the bike type while a restricted gear is selected, you see the restrictions in action. But if you pick a gear type that is not part of any rule, you can select between all bikes again, because there are no restrictions for that combination.
Q&A
Do logical dependencies only work on items?
No. Logical dependencies are part of the master data information logic, so they apply wherever you use information codes, including items, customers, vendors, and documents.
Where do you set up a logical dependency?
You set it up directly from the information code list. Either drill down from the information code or search for “information code list” in the header, select the information code, and enter logical dependencies.
What test types are available for logical dependencies?
You can choose between equal to, different from, and can be. “Different from” blocks a value, “can be” works like a dropdown of allowed values, and “equal to” lets you select only one value.
Can you mix different test types for the same information value?
No. Once you select a test type for an information value, it has to be consistent for all of that information value. You cannot create conflicting setups for the same value.
How do you view all logical dependencies at once?
Open the filter view, show system filters, and remove the information code filter. You then see all logical information setup across every information code.