Specialized Administration > Tailoring Business Objects > Type and Attribute Management > Working with the Type and Attribute Management Utility > Managing Types > Type Information Page > Attributes Tab > Creating a New Attribute > Attribute Properties Reference
  
Attribute Properties Reference
The properties on an attribute are determined by the attribute type and the data type of the attribute. Certain properties can only be set during attribute creation. Additionally, some object types can have additional attribute properties defined. For example, attributes on the CAD Document subtype have properties for each available CAD application, for purposes of mapping attributes to CAD parameters. For more information, see About Attribute Mapping.
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The display of attributes and their values throughout the user interface (for example, on object information pages or object creation windows) can be set globally for all attributes using preferences in the Attribute Handling category of the Preference Management utility. Those preference settings can be overridden by setting the display properties on an individual attribute. Attribute display can be further refined for specific screen types by setting the group membership properties within an attribute layout. For more information on configuring attribute properties, see Attribute Customization.
The following table lists and describes the various attribute properties:
Property
Description
Internal Name
The internal name for the attribute. This is a required field and cannot be edited once the attribute is created.
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When creating a new attribute, you must ensure that the Internal Name value entered is not already in use by any PTC-provided attributes on any type or by any actions. This can be checked by using one of the following reports available from the Customization > Tools page:
• Logical Attributes Report
• Action
For more information, see Customization Tools Overview.
Display Name
The display name for the attribute. By default, the display name is the same as the Internal Name.
Description
A description for the attribute.
Data Type
The data type of the attribute. For more information, see Supported Data Types
Translation Dictionary
(Translated Text attributes, only) The translation dictionary to use as the source for the locale appropriate translations displayed by the translated text attribute. This is a required field.
For more information, see Setting Up Translated Text Attributes.
Source Text Attribute
(Translated Text attributes, only) The attribute for which the translated text attribute displays translated values. After the object is created, this value cannot be edited. This read-only field presents the source text attribute in the following format: Display Name (Internal Name).
Quantity of Measure
(Real Number with Units data type attributes, only) The quantity of measure for the attribute. This is a required field, and cannot be edited after the attribute is created.
Create Hyperlinks
(String data type attributes, only) Specifies whether text representing a URL in a String attribute is to be displayed as a hyperlink. If Yes, text such as “http://www.ptc.com” in a String attribute is displayed as hyperlinks.
If this property is not specified, the value of the Create Hyperlinks preference is used.
Default Value Display Mode
Configures how the default value, if any, is populated in the input field for the attribute. If not specified, the value of the Default Value Display Mode preference is used.
Possible values:
• None—The default value is not used to populate the input field.
• Prepopulate—The default value, if defined, is set in the input field.
• Display a Default Value Button—A button displays after the input field. A user can click the button to add the default value to the input field.
Input Field Type
(String data type, only) Specified whether the input field for the attribute is to be single line or multiple lines. This setting overrides the String Length Threshold For Multiple Line Input property
Possible values:
• Single Line— a text box is rendered for this attribute.
• Multiple Lines—a text area is rendered for this attribute.
Selection List Style
Specifies whether the legal values for the attribute are to be displayed as a drop-down list or as a set of radio buttons. If not specified, the value of the Selection List Style preference is used.
Possible values:
• Drop Down—the legal values display in a drop-down list, where the user can select a single option.
• Radio Buttons—the legal values display as a set of radio buttons, where the user can select a single option.
This property applies only when the attribute has a Legal Value List or Enumerated Value List constraint applied to it.
String Length Threshold For Multiple Line Input
(String data type attributes, only) Specifies the threshold for rendering a multi-line input field for a String attribute. The value can be any positive number. If the maximum length of the attribute in characters exceeds this value, a multi-line input field is displayed for the value in object creation or object edit operations. If not specified, the value of the String Length Threshold For Multiple Line Input preference is used.
Formula
(Calculated attributes only) On calculated attributes, the formula determines the derived attribute value. For more information, see Calculated Attribute Formulas.
Date Input Field Type
(Date and Time data type attributes, only) Specifies whether the input field for a Date and Time data type attribute is date-only or date and time.
Possible values include:
• Date Only—Allow the user to set only the date portion.
• Date and Time—Allow the user to set both the date and time portion
Date Display Format
(Date and Time data type attributes only) Specifies the date format string to use when displaying the value of this attribute. This does not affect the format used to set the value in object creation or object edit operations. Refer to the Java class java.text.SimpleDateFormat for the full set of valid characters.
If this property is not set, one of the following formats are used from the componentRB file:
• STANDARD_DATE_DISPLAY_FORMAT—If the value of the Date Input Field Type property is set to Date Only, this format is used.
• STANDARD_DATE_TIME_ZONE_DISPLAY_FORMAT—If the value of the Date Input Field Type property is not set, or is set to Date and Time, this format is used.
Database Columns
(Local attributes only) Displays the names of the database columns in which the attribute resides on the modeled class for the type.
Filterable
(Part object types only) Determines whether the attribute can be used in filtering structures.
Currency
(Integer Number, Real Number, Real Number with Units data types only) Determines if a numeric value is to be displayed in currency format. The default for this property is No.
Percent
(Integer Number, Real Number, Real Number with Units data types only) Determines if a numeric value is displayed as a percentage. The default for this property is No.
Other Side Class
(Object Reference data type only) The internal name of the object type that can be assigned as a value for the reference attribute. For example, wt.org.WTUser (the internal name of the User type). This is a required property.
Other Side Attribute
(Object Reference data type only) The internal name of the attribute on the Other Side Class to be used when rendering the value of the reference attribute. For example, last (the internal name for the Last Name attribute on the User type). This is a required property.
Mapping
(Alias attributes only) The attribute on another type for which this attribute is an alias.
For information on the syntax for the Mapping property value, see Alias Attribute Mapping.