Study comments are stored in an XML structure, which separates the various free-text and voice comments on a study allowing for a flexible way to display the comments according to a formatting string set in the MVF database in the MAP_INI table. This is the default for IMPAX 6.5 and later. This setting only applies for the List area (as a tooltip); the Text area does not use the MAP_INI setting for display.
The display format of study comments is set in the MAP_INI table in the MVF database. in the STUDY_COMMENTS_FORMAT entry. The format is stored as a string that has placeholders to be replaced with the various sections of the study comment:
%N—replaced with a newline
%D—replaced with the date. The data format is localized to the client computer's regional settings.
%U—replaced with the username
%C—replaced with the study comment
If no format is specified in the database or IMPAX does not understand the value, the default format is used: '[%D %U]%C'.
 | Note: The STUDY_COMMENTS_FORMAT entry in the MAP_INI table also determines if voice comments are enabled. |
Note the following about study comments:
All historical study comments from before this change will continue to be shown as they used to be shown and will not be updated to the new format.
Study comments from the RIS, which do not have the user and date information, are shown as a text comment with no formatting.
A study with a mix of study comments from before the change and others from after the change will show the old comments in the old format and the new comments in the new format.
A change to the MAP_INI key changes the formatting of all study comments added since IMPAX 6.2.1 for all users.
To insert a format for study comments into the database
Run CLUI.
To ensure the MAP_INI table contains no duplicate entries for STUDY_COMMENTS_FORMAT, type
DELETE FROM MAP_INI WHERE INI_SECTION = 'GENERAL' AND INI_KEY = 'STUDY_COMMENTS_FORMAT'
Type
"INSERT INTO map_ini values('GENERAL','STUDY_COMMENTS_FORMAT','<parameters>')"
For example, to have study comments formatted as:
The comment for the study [12/25/2006 12:34 PM user1]
Run the query "INSERT INTO map_ini values('GENERAL','STUDY_COMMENTS_FORMAT','%C%N[%D %U]')"
To check the entry exists, type
select * from map_ini where ini_key = 'STUDY_COMMENTS_FORMAT'
The following is returned:
INI_SECTION INI_KEY INI_VALUE GENERAL STUDY_COMMENTS_FORMAT [%D %U]%C
The tooltip popup of the comments in the List area shows a newline separated list of all the comments in this format, in chronological order. The Study Comments column in the List area show the newest comment, without date and user and with all newlines removed. The Text area shows the enhanced study comments in reverse chronological order.
| Note: You can search for study comments in the database using the List area search; however, note that searches such as xml, Text, Author, ChangeDate, and <' or '> retrieves all records because these strings are part of the header information for the comments stored in the database. |