Return Value

Defines a mapping for reading a value back from the database after an INSERT or UPDATE operation.

Remarks

The ReturnValue class is used in Table Mapping to specify which database column values should be read back and assigned to Grooper fields after a row is inserted or updated.

This is commonly used to capture auto-generated values such as identity columns, GUIDs, timestamps, or computed columns that are set by the database engine.

Usage

• Add one or more ReturnValue objects to the 'Return Values' property of a Table Mapping.
• For each ReturnValue, specify the database column to read (e.g., an identity or timestamp column) and the Data Field or Data Column in which to store the returned value.
• During export, after a row is inserted or updated, the specified column value is retrieved from the database and assigned to the configured field in the data model.

Example Scenarios

• Capture the auto-incremented primary key (e.g., "ID") generated by the database and store it in a Grooper field for downstream processing.
• Retrieve a computed timestamp or GUID assigned by the database and assign it to a field in the data model.

Notes

• The available columns for selection are determined by the target table in the associated Table Mapping.
• The field must exist within the scope of the current Table Mapping (i.e., within the selected Data Model, Data Section, or Data Table).
• This feature is especially useful for maintaining referential integrity or tracking database-generated values within Grooper.

Properties

Name	Type		Description
Column Name	String	►	The name of the database column whose value should be read back after an INSERT or UPDATE. EditorColumn Editor Requiredtrue Select the column from the target database table whose value you want to retrieve after the export operation. Common choices include auto-incremented identity columns (e.g., "ID"), GUID columns, or columns with default or computed values. For some database types (e.g., MySQL, DB2), you may select special functions such as LAST_INSERT_ID() or IDENTITY_VAL_LOCAL() to retrieve the last generated value. The list of available columns is determined by the current Data Connection and the table specified in the parent Table Mapping. Example To capture the primary key assigned by the database, select the "ID" column.
Field	Data Field	►	The Data Field or Data Column in which to store the returned database value. EditorField Editor Requiredtrue Select the field from the current Table Mapping scope that should receive the value read from the database column. The field must exist within the scope of the Table Mapping (i.e., the selected Data Model, Data Section, or Data Table). The returned value will be assigned to this field after the export operation completes. Example To store the auto-generated "ID" from the database in a field named "DatabaseId", select the "DatabaseId" field here.

See Also

Data Field

Used By

Table Mapping