Setting Message Defaults Preferences

Before you create a message definition in Message Designer, you may want to set up Message Defaults preferences. If you plan to create several similar message definitions or a message definition with many nodes and containers with similar properties, you can save time by selecting default properties in Message Defaults preferences. When you edit a message definition and add fields and containers, each field or container automatically inherits settings from the Message Defaults preferences.

You can set message defaults in two places: in your workspace installation and in the New Message Definition wizard. When you set default message definition properties by selecting Windows|Preferences, your settings will become the defaults for each message definition you create later. When you create a message definition, its default settings are automatically inherited from the workspace Message Defaults preferences. While creating the message definition, you can edit the default properties, which become the initial properties for each field or container you add to the message definition.

Select Window|Preferences.
The Preferences dialog box appears.
Expand Message Designer|Message Design Defaults in the left pane.
For each tab, choose any settings to be inherited by fields and containers when you create a message definition:
- Message properties
- Container properties
- Field properties
- Date/Time properties
- Numeric properties
- Length properties
Click OK.
When you create a new message definition, the workspace-level preferences serve as the defaults for the message definition. Editing the message defaults preferences cannot retroactively change your existing message definitions.