Dictionary attributes

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An attribute is an object that allows the collection of additional information that describes an element, view or dictionary category. An attribute is characterized by its type and value. The attribute type is a dictionary object with an attribute of the predefined type: "Physical representation".

Any data element that has a defined data type can be an attribute. In the following example, the Text data element has been added as an attribute to Item1.

Add an attribute from the current structure

1. Right-click on a category or view and select Add an attribute from the current structure from the context menu.

2. Then, in the displayed window, select the element that is to be used as an attribute.
3. Select an item and press Ok.

4. Select a value for the argument (blank by default), depending on how the item was configured previously.

Adding an attribute from another structure

1. Right-click on a category or view and select Add an attribute from another structure from the context menu.
2. In the next window, select the structure you want to use.
3. After selecting the file with the structure, follow the steps described above in the section Adding an attribute from the current structure.

System attributes

System attributes are a predefined set of attributes that you can use.

1. Right-click on the given object and select Add system attribute.

2. Select an attribute from the list.

Below there is a description of the usage of individual attributes:

• Physical representation - This type allows you to define your own types of dictionary attributes. A dictionary object can have at most one attribute of this type.

• Name in the dot interface - This type has an attribute of the Physical representation type with the value STRING It is used to identify the attributes in the dot notation used in the Dictionaries.

• Display value - This type has an attribute of the Physical representation type with the value STRING It allows to define the name of the dictionary object, which is displayed in lists or archITekt forms. A dictionary object can have at most one attribute of this type.

• Required attribute types for items - This type has an attribute of the Physical representation type with the value DIC_VIEW An attribute of this type added to a dictionary category allows you to specify a set of attribute types that will be added to each newly created element of this category or any of its subcategories. Saving the dictionary structure will also not be possible if any element in this category or any of its subcategories have an incomplete set of attributes of the required types. In addition to the attributes of the required type, dictionary objects may contain attributes of other types.

• Additional attribute types for items - This type has an attribute of the Physical representation type with the value DIC_VIEW An attribute of this type added to a dictionary category allows you to specify a set of attribute types that can optionally be added to each element of this category or any of its subcategories. It is only for the user’s convenience, to suggest the types of attributes that can be added to the elements of the dictionary category, and it does not block the addition of attributes of a different type to elements than those specified in the set of optional types.

• Do we require a value - This type has an attribute of the Physical representation type with the value BOOL An attribute of this type added to the type of another attribute allows you to specify whether the value of this attribute is required. The dictionary structure cannot be saved if the required attribute value is not specified.

• Object name - This type has an attribute of the Physical representation type with the value "STRING". This is a special type of attribute whose value is read only. The said attribute value is the name of the dictionary object that is the owner of the attribute.

• Object description - This type has an attribute of the Physical representation representation" type with the value STRING This is a special type of attribute whose value is read only. The attribute value mentioned previously is a description of the dictionary object that is the owner of the attribute.

• Object ID - This type has an attribute of the Physical representation type with the value GUID This is a special type of attribute the value of which is read only. The above-mentioned attribute value is the identifier of the lexical object that is the owner of the attribute.

• Object order - This type has the Physical representation attribute with the value INT This is a special type of attribute the value of which is read only. The previously mentioned value of the attribute is equal to the order of the dictionary object that is the owner of the attribute.

• Time continuity validation mode - This type has the Physical representation attribute with the value DIC_ITEM An attribute of this type added to the dictionary category or to the type of another dictionary attribute makes it possible to define the versioning method of said dictionary category or dictionary attribute. An attribute of the "Time continuity validation method" type may have a value that is a lexical element belonging to the "Time continuity validation method" view of the "System" lexical structure.

• Referring views to items style - This type has the Physical representation attribute with the value DIC_ITEM An attribute of this type added to the dictionary view allows you to define the way in which dictionary objects can be attached to it. Adding an attribute of this type to a dictionary category affects the operation of dictionary views that are direct or indirect children of that category. When an attribute of this type has been added to a dictionary category and to a dictionary view which is a direct or indirect child of that category, the attribute added to the view has a higher priority. Adding an attribute of the mentioned type to the dictionary object does not affect the behaviour of the system. If an attribute of this type has not been added to a dictionary category or a dictionary view which is a direct or indirect child of this category, the system behaviour corresponds to the existence of an attribute of this type with the value: "Default".

• Referring views to views style - This type has the Physical representation attribute with the value DIC_ITEM An attribute of this type added to the dictionary view allows you to define the way other dictionary views can be attached to it. Adding an attribute of this type to a dictionary category affects the operation of dictionary views that are direct or indirect children of that category. When an attribute of this type has been added to a dictionary category and to a dictionary view which is a direct or indirect child of that category, the attribute added to the view has a higher priority. Adding an attribute of the mentioned type to the dictionary object does not affect the behaviour of the system. If an attribute of this type has not been added to a dictionary category or a dictionary view being a direct or indirect child of that category, the system behaviour corresponds to the existence of an attribute of this type with the value: "Default".

• Referring views to categories style - This type has the Physical representation attribute with the value DIC_ITEM An attribute of this type added to the dictionary view allows you to define the way in which dictionary categories can be attached to it. Adding an attribute of this type to a dictionary category affects the operation of dictionary views that are direct or indirect children of that category. When an attribute of this type has been added to a dictionary category and to a dictionary view which is a direct or indirect child of that category, the attribute added to the view has higher priority. Adding an attribute of the mentioned type to the dictionary object does not affect the behaviour of the system. If an attribute of this type has not been added to a dictionary category or a dictionary view which is a direct or indirect child of that category, the system behaviour corresponds to the existence of an attribute of this type with the value: "Default".

• Referring views to items style – root-category - This type has the Physical representation attribute with the value DIC_CAT An attribute of this type is used when an attribute of the "Way of referring views to elements" type with the value "Recursive" has been previously created. When added to the view, it allows to define a dictionary category which is the root of the tree, from which the dictionary items attached to the abovementioned dictionary view may come from (this category cannot be the main category). An attribute of this type added to a dictionary category affects the operation of dictionary views that are direct or indirect children of that category. When an attribute of this type has been added to a dictionary category and to a dictionary view which is a direct or indirect child of that category, the attribute added to the view has a higher priority. A dictionary object can have at most one attribute of this type.

• Referring views to views style – root-category - This type has the Physical representation attribute with the value DIC_CAT An attribute of this type is used when an attribute of the "Way of referring views to views" has the value "Recursively". Added to a view, it allows to define a dictionary category which is the root of the tree, from which other dictionary views attached to the target view can come from (this category cannot be the main category). An attribute of this type added to a dictionary category affects the operation of dictionary views that are direct or indirect children of that category. When an attribute of this type has been added to a dictionary category and to a dictionary view which is a direct or indirect child of that category, the attribute added to the view has higher priority. A dictionary object can have at most one attribute of this type.

• Referring views to categories style - root-category - This type has the Physical representation attribute with the value DIC_CAT An attribute of this type is used when an attribute of the "Way of referring views to categories" type with the value "Recursive" has been previously created. Added to the view, it allows to define the dictionary category being the root of the tree, from which the dictionary categories attached to the said dictionary view can come from (this category cannot be the main category). An attribute of this type added to a dictionary category affects the operation of dictionary views that are direct or indirect children of that category. When an attribute of this type has been added to a dictionary category and to a dictionary view which is a direct or indirect child of that category, the attribute added to the view has higher priority. A dictionary object can have at most one attribute of this type.

• Possible dictionary attribute values - This type has the attribute Physical representation with the value DIC_VIEW The functionality of an attribute of this type allows you to specify a set of acceptable values of another attribute that has a physical representation: DIC_ITEM, DIC_CAT or DIC_VIEW The attribute of this type does not affect the functioning of the attributes with physical representation other than those listed above

• Hiding attribute - This type has the Physical representation attribute with the value BOOL The attribute of this type is added to the lexical element which is the attribute type (e.g. to the lexical element "Speed" with a physical representation equal to INT). Adding an attribute of this type to another dictionary object has no effect on the behaviour. The operation of an attribute with the "Hiding attribute" type is as follows:

  • If a dictionary object which is an attribute type (e.g. "Speed") has an attribute of the "Attribute hide" type with an undefined value or with a value equal to "True", then the attributes of this type ("Speed") should be invisible in the end user interface. These attributes will still be visible in the dictionary designer interface.

  • If a dictionary object which is an attribute type (e.g. "Speed") does not have an attribute of the "Hiding Attribute" type or its value is equal to "False", then the attributes of this type ("Speed") should be visible both in the end user interface as well as in the dictionary designer interface.

  • A dictionary object can have at most one attribute of this type.

• Multi-line editing - This type has the Physical representation attribute with the value BOOL The attribute of this type is added to the dictionary object which is the type of the attribute with the physical representation STRING Adding an attribute of this type to a dictionary object that is a type of an attribute with a physical representation other than STRING does not affect the operation of the system.

See also

Categories

Data elements

Updating dictionaries in the database