Typelist best practices

A typelist represents a set of allowed values for specific fields on entities in the data model. A typecode represents an individual value within a typelist. A typecode comprises:

  • A code that the database stores as a column value
  • A name that the user interface displays
  • A priority setting that drop-down lists use to order they typecode names that they display

As a best practice, Guidewire recommends that you edit typelist definitions by using the Typelist editor in Guidewire Studio.

See also

Observe typelist naming conventions

The components of a typelist have the following naming conventions:

Typelist component  

Naming conventions

Example

Typelist

Mixed case, with the first letter uppercase, and with the first letter of each internal word capitalized

ActivityCategory

Code

Only lowercase letters. Underscores (_) separate words.

approval_pending

Name

Each word in a name begins with a capital letter. Spaces separate words.

Approval Pending

Add a suffix to new typelists and typecode extensions

In future releases, Guidewire may add or change base typelists. If you make your own changes to typelists, there is the possibility of a naming conflict with one of these future updates. For example, you may add new typelists, or new typecodes to existing typelists. To avoid possible naming conflicts, Guidewire recommends that you append the suffix _Ext to your new typelists and typecodes.

If you add a new typelist, its typecode names do not need the suffix _Ext because the name of the typelist already has the _Ext suffix.

If you add new typecodes to an existing base Guidewire typelist, add the _Ext suffix to their names.

As an example of a new typelist, name one that represents types of medical procedures MedicalProcedureType_Ext. Name the typecodes in your new typelist without the suffix _Ext.

As an example of new typecodes in a base typelist, the following AddressType typelist has a new typecode for service entrances.

Code                   Name               Description        Priority   Retired
--------------------   ----------------   -----------        --------   -------
billing                Billing            Billing            -1         false
business               Business           Business           -1         false
home                   Home               Home               -1         false
other                  Other              Other              -1         false
service_entrance_Ext   Service Entrance   Service Entrance   -1         false

Do not rely on implicit conversion of typecodes to strings

Guidewire recommends that you do not send typecodes as arguments to display keys, but explicitly send the Name properties of typekey.