Overview
The Master Data Archive Setup and Master Data Archive Entries pages together form the change-logging system for MDI attribute data. The setup list defines which MDI Information Codes — and which specific field within those codes — should be tracked. The entries list is the resulting audit log, showing a timestamped before-and-after record for every tracked change made to an Information Entry on any item, vendor, or other master data record.
Together, these pages answer the question: "Who changed the colour of this item, when, and what did it change from?"
When Are These Pages Used
Master Data Archive Setup is configured during initial deployment to activate change logging for the MDI attributes the business needs to audit — for example, season codes, status values, or colour assignments. It is revisited when new Information Codes are added that also need auditing.
Master Data Archive Entries is consulted whenever audit or traceability is needed: to investigate an unexpected data change, verify a data migration, review a specific item's change history, or produce a record of who modified a value and when. It is also accessible directly from Information Setup pages and from the Order Matrix for in-context history review.
Who Are Typical Users
Master Data Archive Setup: System administrators and implementation consultants defining the logging scope.
Master Data Archive Entries: Product managers, data stewards, and system administrators investigating change history. Accessed indirectly by any user who navigates to archive entries from an Information Code or order matrix context.
Accessing the Pages
Neither page has a UsageCategory set and neither is directly searchable from the BC search bar. They are accessed via the following paths:
Master Data Archive Setup:
- From Master Data Information Setup (the main MDI settings page) via the Archive Entries Setup action.
- From the Information Code List and Information Code Card via the Archive Entries Setup action.
- From Master Data Archive Entries via the Archive Setup action.
Master Data Archive Entries:
- From the Information Setup (attribute detail card) via the Archive Entries action.
- From the Information Code Card via the Archive Entries action.
- From the Order Matrix via the Archive Entries action.
- From Master Data Archive Setup — the entries table uses it as its lookup page, so navigating from any record link opens it filtered to the relevant entries.
Master Data Archive Setup
This list defines the rules that determine when an archive entry is written. Each row is a single tracking rule. Multiple rows can exist for the same Information Code if different field types within that code need to be tracked separately.
Fields
| Field | Purpose | Example | Key Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Code | The MDI Information Code whose changes should be tracked. | COLOUR |
Linked to the Information Code table. Together with Information Value and Change Field, this forms the primary key. |
| Information Value | Optionally restricts logging to a specific value within the Information Code. Leave blank to track all values under this code. | RED |
When populated, only changes involving this specific Information Value trigger an archive entry. When blank, all value changes for the Information Code are logged. |
| Change Field | Specifies which part of the Information Entry is being monitored for changes. | Information Value |
Three options: Information Value (tracks changes to the attribute value code, e.g. colour code changing from RED to BLUE), Value (tracks changes to the extended numeric or text value field), Description (tracks changes to the description text). A single Information Code can have separate setup rows for each Change Field type. |
| Log Changes | Master switch controlling whether this rule is active. Changes are only logged when this is enabled. | Enabled | Disabling this row suppresses logging without deleting the setup rule, which allows rules to be paused and resumed. |
| Post Changes | Reserved field — not visible in the default page layout. | — | Hidden (Visible = false). Present in the underlying table but not exposed for editing on this page. |
| Log Same Values | When enabled, an archive entry is written even if a field is saved with the same value it already holds (i.e. no actual change occurred). | Disabled | Hidden (Visible = false) in the default layout but present in the table. Useful in environments where confirming that a value was reviewed and left unchanged is itself an auditable event. |
Master Data Archive Entries
This read-only list is the archive log. Each row represents one logged change event. Entries are written automatically when an Information Entry that matches an active setup rule is inserted or modified.
Fields
The following fields are visible by default. Several additional identification fields exist but are hidden from the default layout (see below).
| Field | Purpose | Example | Key Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Code | The MDI Information Code that was changed. | COLOUR |
Matches the Information Code in the triggering setup rule. |
| Change Field | Which part of the Information Entry changed, matching the setup rule that fired. | Information Value |
Options: Information Value, Value, Description. |
| Previous Inf. Value | The Information Value code before the change. | RED |
Populated when Change Field is Information Value. Empty if the entry was newly created (no previous value). |
| New Inf. Value | The Information Value code after the change. | BLUE |
Populated when Change Field is Information Value. |
| Previous Value | The extended value before the change, formatted for the current culture. | 2024-03-01 |
Populated when Change Field is Value. Date values are formatted from their internal XML representation to the user's locale for display. |
| New Value | The extended value after the change, formatted for the current culture. | 2024-06-01 |
Populated when Change Field is Value. |
| Previous Description | The description text before the change. | Red |
Populated when Change Field is Description. |
| New Description | The description text after the change. | Dark Red |
Populated when Change Field is Description. |
| Changed Date | The calendar date when the change was made. | 15/03/2025 |
Recorded at the time the Information Entry was saved. |
| Changed Time | The time of day when the change was made. | 09:42:18 |
Recorded alongside Changed Date for precise timestamping. |
| User ID | The BC user who made the change. | JSMITH |
Taken from the session at the time of the change. |
Hidden Identification Fields
The following fields are present in the page layout but hidden by default (Visible = false). They can be exposed through BC page personalisation.
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Table | The BC table number of the record that was changed (e.g. 27 for Item, 23 for Vendor). |
| No. (RecordID) | The full RecordID of the changed Information Entry record. Displayed as formatted text. Marked as obsolete — replaced by the formatted No. display field. |
| Key Field 1–10 | The primary key field values of the parent record (e.g. item number, variant code). Up to 10 key fields are stored to identify precisely which master data record was changed. These are populated from the RecordID during logging. |
Actions
Master Data Archive Setup — Actions
This page has no actions. Setup rows are managed directly in the list (insert, modify, delete).
Master Data Archive Entries — Actions
| Action | What It Does | When to Use | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archive Setup | Navigates directly to the Master Data Archive Setup list. | To review or adjust which Information Codes are being tracked without leaving the entries context. | None. |
| Edit Archive Entries | Opens the Edit Master Data Archive Entries page, a separate editable version of the same entries with the same columns but with editing enabled. Sorted by Table, Key Field 1, Key Field 2, and Changed Date descending. | To correct a previously logged entry — for example, to fix a data migration artefact or adjust an incorrectly recorded value. | The current page is read-only; editing is only possible via this action. |
Key Behaviours
Logging is driven entirely by the setup rules. An archive entry is only created if a matching row exists in Master Data Archive Setup with Log Changes enabled. Information Codes with no setup row are never logged, regardless of how frequently their values change.
Entries are written on insert and modify. When an Information Entry is first created and a matching setup rule exists, an archive entry is written with a blank Previous Inf. Value and the new value populated. When an existing Information Entry is modified, an entry is written with both previous and new values populated.
Deleting an Information Entry removes its archive history. When an Information Entry record is deleted from BC, all archive entries linked to it via the Archive No. relationship are also deleted. The change history for that attribute assignment is permanently removed alongside the data itself.
The Change Field setting determines what counts as a change. Each setup row monitors exactly one field type. A rule with Change Field = Information Value only fires when the value code changes (e.g. colour changes from RED to BLUE). It does not fire if only the description or the extended value field changes. Separate setup rows are needed to track each field type independently for the same Information Code.
Log Same Values captures confirmation events. When this flag is enabled on a setup row, saving an Information Entry with its existing value — making no actual data change — still creates an archive entry with identical Previous and New values. This is useful for compliance scenarios where recording that a value was reviewed and confirmed is itself required.
Date values are culture-formatted in the entries list. The Previous Value and New Value fields store dates in an internal XML format. The page converts these to the user's locale when displaying them. The same conversion applies in the editable Edit Master Data Archive Entries page.
Key Fields identify the parent record. The Key Field 1–10 columns store the primary key values of the master data record that owned the changed Information Entry (e.g. item number 1000, variant code RED). These fields are populated during logging from the RecordID and provide a human-readable way to identify which specific item or vendor was affected, without needing to decode the RecordID directly.
Related Pages
| Page | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Information Code List | Provides an Archive Entries Setup action that opens Master Data Archive Setup filtered contextually. Also provides access to Master Data Archive Entries for viewing change history per Information Code. |
| Information Code Card | Same access points as Information Code List — Archive Entries Setup and Archive Entries actions. |
| Information Setup (attribute detail) | Provides direct navigation to Master Data Archive Entries filtered to the relevant Information Entry's history. |
| Order Matrix | Contains an Archive Entries action that opens Master Data Archive Entries in context of the selected item or style. |
| Master Data Information Setup | The main MDI settings page, which provides an Archive Entries Setup action linking to Master Data Archive Setup, and an Update Archive Entries With KeyFields action for backfilling Key Field values on existing entries. |
| Edit Master Data Archive Entries | The editable version of the entries list, opened via the Edit Archive Entries action. Used to correct previously logged entries. |