Attribute Definition screen

Information valid from AMI version 8.0 Service Pack 16

Summary

The Attribute Definition screen lets you create, modify and delete attribute sets and definitions.

The screen displays a list of attributes and attribute sets. Although this list can contain every attribute and set in the database, you can reduce it using the controls at the top of the gadget. The Filter input is a text box which removes any attributes whose names or definition IDs don't match the filter text. Like similar filters in AMI, it is case-insensitive and accepts the wildcard characters ? (match any one character) and * (match any number of characters).

Underneath the filter is a disclosure triangle. Clicking this opens a dropdown list of categories for the Attribute Definition screen to display, including "Attribute Sets" and all the various attribute types (for example, 'Text', 'Numeric'). Each category has a checkbox next to it to control whether it is displayed or not.

To the right of the filter text box are three radio buttons that let you further refine the list of attributes on display. They let you specify whether you want to show attributes based on whether they are language-dependent or language-independent.

Menu Items

Create Attribute...

Create Attribute will launch a new Attribute Definition Editor dialog.

See the article Creating Attribute Definitions for information on all the settings for attribute definitions.

Edit Attribute...

Edit Attribute will become enabled when a single attribute definition's checkbox is selected and will launch the Attribute Definition Editor dialog. The edit dialog can also be launched without resorting to the menu by clicking on any attribute definition's name.

Delete Attributes

The selected attribute definitions will be deleted and all their instances and values will be deleted from all objects.

Copy Attribute Definitions

Copy Attribute Definitions will place all of the selected Attribute Definitions onto the AMI clipboard. You can then paste them into an attribute set.

Paste Attribute Definitions

Paste Attribute Definitions will become enabled when there are Attribute Definitions on the current clipboard page and an Attribute Set is selected, and add the contents of the clipboard to that set.

Clone Attribute Definition...

Creates a new attribute definition with the same settings as the selected attribute definition. You must give it a unique name.

Add to Attribute Sets...

Add To Attribute Sets opens a dialog where you can add the selected definitions to one or more attribute sets.

Remove from Attribute Sets...

Remove From Attribute Set removes the selected definitions from an attribute set.

You must select the instance of the attribute definition listed underneath the attribute set, not the instance of it in the general list.

Modify Access Rights...

Modify Access Rights opens a dialog to change user access rights for several attribute definitions at once.

Create Attribute Set...

This opens a dialog to create a new Attribute Set. All that is required is a name in your default language version.

Delete Attribute Sets...

After a prompt to confirm the action, the currently-selected Attribute Set will be deleted.

Any instances of attributes within the set will not be removed from objects and the attribute definitions will not be deleted.

Reorder Attribute Sets...

This opens a dialog to change the order of attributes in an Attribute Set, which is the order they are listed when a set of attributes is displayed, for example, in the Attributes gadget.

You can manually order the attributes by drag and drop, reverse the current order, and optionally pin up to one attribute to the top of the list and one to the bottom, so that they are not affected by reordering.

Access Rights...

Administrator users can set the access rights to Attribute Definitions for User Groups or individual Users. These access rights apply to Attribute Definitions in general, not to specific Attribute Definitions.

Add—create new definitions
Edit—change existing definitions
Remove—remove existing definitions
Inherit—use the access rights from the parent group

Refresh

Reloads the list of Attribute Definitions.