Template records

CommDb supports the idea of a template record. A template record contains default values which are used if the corresponding column in a specific record has a NULL value.

The DIAL_OUT_ISP table is an example: each record in the table corresponds to an ISP that can be used to make an Internet connection. While the amount of information for each ISP is large, much of it may be common to all the ISPs, and can be held in the single template record. Each ISP record then need only define the information that is specific to that record. If, for a given ISP, the default value for a specific piece of information is sufficient, then that column in that ISP's record is NULL.

CommDb provides the CCommsDbTemplateRecord class through which template records can be accessed. Template records should not be accessed through the other views: indeed, they are marked as hidden and, by default, are not normally included in the other views.