Import Data Type considerations

Keep these considerations in mind when importing user-defined data types.
The import process for user-defined data types and strings follows the same behavior:
  • User-defined data types must have unique names. An import cannot create a user-defined data type if one already exists with the same name.
Data types with alarm definitions
This behavior controls the import of user-defined data types with associated alarm definitions in the Import Configuration dialog box:
  • When Create is selected to add a new user-defined data type, the
    Logix Designer
     application imports alarm definitions associated with the data type.
  • When Use Existing is selected, none of the alarm definitions associated with the user-defined data type are created or overwritten during the import. All existing alarm definitions associated with the data type in the project remain unchanged. Alarms that are automatically created from the alarm definitions on any tags of the corresponding data type also remain unchanged.
  • When Overwrite is selected, the
    Logix Designer
     application imports all alarm definitions associated with the user-defined data type. Existing alarm definitions associated with the data type in the project are deleted or overwritten during the import. Alarms that are automatically created from the alarm definitions on any tags of the corresponding data type are also re-created from the imported alarm definitions.
    TIP:
    When the
    Logix Designer
     application is online with the controller and it detects that an alarm definition associated with an imported user-defined data type has been modified, the Overwrite option is not available.
Data Types that contain references
If the imported component contains data type references, the import process follows this behavior:
Configuration
Behavior
Operation
Valid Operation choices are:
  • Use Existing - uses existing data type in project.
  • Overwrite - replaces the data type in the project with the import data type.
  • Create - creates a new data type in the project.
  • Discard - imports any referenced components according to their operation configurations.
If the data type is not imported, data for any tags imported of this data type are discarded. In this case, an attention flag is generated on the import for that tag.
Final Name
Select from existing data type names or type in a new unused name. Selecting a different data type name changes the references in the imported logic to use the new name.
When the Final Name of a user-defined data type is changed, all logic and data type names of tags in the import file that reference the original name are updated to reference the new name on import. Any Add-On Instructions that reference this user-defined data type also update the edit date during import.
If the final name changes, validation occurs when the cursor moves to a different field. If a name collides with the final name of another component, an error message appears and requires a valid name or expression for tags.
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