I understand from previous forum questions that non basic text should NOT be used for ITEMTYPE names, e.g. "-", "?" etc.
However, I have found an issue with prefixing names with numbers. While acceptable to Microstation and causes no errors in simple usage, an issue arises with Expressions.
e.g.
DATEType = Date/Time
SHORTDATEType=TextExpression = System.DateTime.GetDateOnly(this.DATE)
But, if DATE is renamed to 16DATE, the expression in SHORTDATE fails to parse.
FWIW. This does not fail if "DRAWDATE16" is used. So its not the fact that there is a number in the Property Definition, but the fact the number comes first..
NB. I have not trialled other Expressions for similar issues with number prefix Names.Also, placing the field in quotes e.g."16DATE" allows the field to parse, but it is not evaluated, so the Failure Value (if set) is the displayed result.
The primary purpose I have for prefixing with a number, is so that when the Instances are EXPORTED, I get the fields in the expected order in the resulting Excel file.Otherwise, without some ordering prefix (such as 01, 02, 03 etc.), because the export process sorts based on alphanumeric order, one ends up with a rather non-useful ordering if ITEMS, rather than the order in which the Names are shown in the ITEMTYPE definition, and in the Edit ITEMTYPES display.And yes, I have submitted an Idea request for this ordering.
Hi Gregory,
can you share DGN with such Item Types definition? It can speed up an analysis, instead of requiring readers to create own definitions to be tried.
With regards,
Jan
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