Actions

An action is generically defined as something which is done to a component, but the component itself (and/or its corresponding database record) may or may not always be changed by the action. For example, all of the following are considered to be actions:

• performing measurements on a component (i.e. checking the length of an APA frame, or combined QA/QC inspections of grounding meshes)
• administrative responsibilities (i.e. recording that a shipment of geometry boards has been received at some destination)
• physically changing a component but not creating a new component (i.e. attaching tooth strips to a geometry board)
• combining components as a step towards creating a new component of a different type (i.e. installing geometry boards onto an APA frame as part of creating a fully assembled APA)

In contrast to components, but similarly to workflows, actions only have a single identifier - the ID. This is a 24 character alphanumeric string that is generated automatically by the database when the action is first performed. The ID remains uniquely associated with the action regardless of any later changes made to the action's information (i.e. it is the same across all versions of a single action), and it cannot be changed after it has been generated and associated with the action.