You can inactivate categories so that users are prevented from selecting them from the corresponding records in the user interface. Inactivating categories allows you to prevent the use of unwanted values yet maintain existing data in records that include inactive categories.
Important: Before inactivating categories, read Points To Remember.
Points To Remember
Consider the following points before inactivating categories:
•When you inactivate a category, its associated fields will continue to be displayed in records that already had the category assigned.
•Because an inactive category cannot be selected, its associated fields cannot be displayed in records that did not include the category prior to it being inactivated--even if users add an active child category.
•If an inactive category is assigned to a field via templates, rules, or the XML layer, an exception will be thrown to prevent the creation or update of the record. For example, if a template specifies the default category to be set on Create, but the category is deactivated, the record cannot be created.
•You cannot inactivate categories that are specified as the default category or associated with required custom fields. If you attempt to do so, you will receive an error.
•Inactivated categories are visible to end users in records where they were selected prior to being inactivated. In some circumstances, inactivated categories appear in gray. For example, the Show details for field displayed on the General tab of some project records will display any inactive categories in gray. If accessibility settings are enabled, (inactive) is appended to inactive category names and they are not displayed in gray.
•Users can specify inactivated categories as search criteria and report qualifiers. Inactivated categories appear in gray in search screens or (inactive) is appended to the category names.
•Existing records with inactive categories retain the associated custom field values. Users can edit records with previously selected inactivated categories and click save.
•If a user deletes an inactive category from a record and then clicks save, they cannot revert to the prior value unless a TeamConnect solution developer temporarily activates the category.
•Users can change an inactive category that was specified as the default category of a record (before it was inactivated) to a non-default category. However, once users save the change, they cannot set the inactive category as the default, despite its still being set in the record.
•If you ever need to convert your TeamConnect data, you must first activate all inactive categories and lookup table items. Once the data conversion is completed, you can restore the inactive items manually.
•When you inactivate categories, their status is recorded in the Active column of the Categories tab in the object definition.
•If a category has parent or child categories, you cannot readily determine their active status without navigating to each level in the hierarchy. Therefore, you should record the status of all inactive categories so that this information is readily available if you ever need to convert your TeamConnect data. Otherwise, you will have to manually search for any inactive categories.
•In the special case of the Line Item object definition, you cannot inactivate a category if that category is listed in the CSM Settings page, on the pages related to billing codes and to non-US tax codes, as being part of the default set of codes that are authorized for vendors. This includes task, fee, and expense codes. You must first de-authorize the code in that screen and de-authorize it in each vendor that has that code. Then you can inactivate the category.
