Sequences (PDM)

A sequence is like an advanced form of an auto-incremented column. Where the latter is a column whose values automatically increment by 1, sequences allow you to define more complex incrementations. Sequences are not supported by all DBMSs.

Once you define a sequence, you can apply and enable it to a column. The data type for the column receiving the sequence must be a numeric data type (see Selecting a Data Type for a Column). Such auto-incremented columns can be used in a key for a PDM table.

For example, if you want to create a column listing the months of the year (March, June, September, and December) when quarterly reports are published, you can define the proper sequence by entering the following values for sequence option parameters:

Parameter name

Description

Value

Start with

March is the third month of the year

3

Increment by

Look three months ahead to identify the next month in the list

3

Maxvalue

Stop when you have reached the last month of the year

12