Hybrid CDTs: The Final Chapter

Years ago, I published a series of articles on a data modeling technique I named "Hybrid CDT". If you're not familiar with the concept and are curious you can find them here:

1. Implementing a “Hybrid CDT” (9/3/2009)
2. Implementing a Hybrid CDT – Update (11/8/2009)
3. Hybrid CDT's and Cloning (4/19/2010) 
4. Hybrid CDT, Cloning, and Click™ Portal 5.8.x (2/22/2012)

But wait! With the release of Huron Portal 8.1, none of what I wrote matters any more. This is because Portal 8.1 introduces a new feature that allows you to get all the capabilities the Hybrid CDTs delivered with a single setting.

Here's the excerpt from the Huron Portal 8.1release notes:

* Data Entry Custom Data Type can now be configured to behave like a Selection CDT - This new feature allows you to define an attribute where the type is a Data Entry CDT, but its usage at the attribute level is marked as Selection. The type itself remains Data Entry, but when used in the context of the new attribute, it will behave as though it is a Selection CDT. Such an attribute is useful for referring to previously entered data. All of the standard features of a Selection CDT become available in this new mode: control types, contextual Custom Searches, bind override scripts, and Choosers.

It took just over 8 years, but good things are worth the wait and this is a good thing. It's much easier to configure than Hybrid CDTs and there is no additional code to manage. We will be replacing all uses of the Hybrid CDT approach in the Huron Research Suite in favor of this new technique over the next few releases.

So, this is the final chapter for Hybrid CDTs. I hope you found them useful and I hope you replace them with the new capability in Portal 8.1.

Cheers!
- Tom