Default Values Tab
On the Default Values tab, you can specify a default value for the attribute to be used during object creation. Default attribute values are not required. For attributes derived from another type, default values can be set only on the source type. A message similar to the following displays on the Default Values tab of derived attributes directing you to the source type:
Local attributes can have a single default value. Default values are not required, so an attribute could have no default value specified, or have its default value removed.
To set or change the default values for an attribute, select Edit from the Actions menu on the type information page to enter edit mode. When finished, click Done to save your changes and return to view mode; click Save to save your changes and remain in edit mode.
| The system validates default value entries against the data type of the attribute, and throws a warning message if invalid or incompatible text is entered. The entry must be fixed before the changes can be saved. |
Default Values by Data Type
The data type of the attribute determines the style of entry field for the attribute:
• Boolean—Select Yes, No, or blank (no default value) from the list.
• Composite—Select the content from the
Content list and enter a percentage in the
Percentage field, and click
Add. The total composite value must add up to 100%. The
Content list can be populated using
enumerated value list constraints.
• Date & Time—Enter a date in the format YYYY-MM-DD, or click the calendar icon
to select a date from the calendar.
• Hyperlink—Enter a URL and optional label in the format URL (optional label). For example, www.mysite.com (My Site).
If a label is specified, that label is displayed as hyperlinked text in the user interface. If no label is specified, the URL is displayed as the hyperlink in the user interface. No validation is performed to ensure that the value entered is a properly formatted URL.
• Integer Number—Enter a default integer value. Characters allowed are:
◦ numbers
◦ thousand separators— by locale; in English, a comma ( , )
◦ negative character—by locale, in English, a minus sign ( - )
• Multi Entry—For
Multi Entry attribute types, enter a value and click
Add. For
Multi List attribute types, select from the
Options list and click
Add. The
Options list can be populated using
enumerated value list constraints.
• Real Number—Enter a real number default value. Characters allowed are:
◦ numbers
◦ thousand separators— by locale; in English, a comma ( , )
◦ decimal separator— by locale; in English, a period ( . )
◦ exponent character—by locale, in English, a capital E
◦ negative character—by locale, in English, a minus sign ( - )
• String—Enter a default value in the text entry field. You can enter default values for the Color Choice, Driven, and Single List attribute types without an error message, but the system does not support default values for these attribute types.
• User List—Select an existing user list or blank (no default value) from the list.
Not all data types support default values; certain attributes are not defined to support default values. The Object Reference, Unit of Measure, and Version Reference data types do not support default values. This is indicated by a message when the Default Values tab for the attribute is viewed. Default values can be created for Care/Wash Images, Image, and Sequence attributes in PTC FlexPLM without an error message, but the system does not support default values for these attributes.
Default Value Inheritance
On subtypes, default values for attributes can be inherited from a parent type. This behavior is determined by selecting one of the following on the Default Values tab for the attribute:
• Use inherited value—select this option to use the default value inherited from the attribute on the parent type. The inherited value is displayed, grayed-out, in the text field.
• Add a new value—select this option to specify a unique default value or values for this attribute. To revert to the inherited value, if any, select the Use inherited value option.
