The Attribute Editor - Attributes

• Change attributes
• Delete attributes
• Reference attributes

Change attributes

Predefined and user-defined attributes can be changed in the HELiOS Attribute management dialogue.

• For predefined object types (Article, Document, Project...) you can call the dialogue by clicking the desired object type button beneath Create user-defined attributes.
• User-defined object types can be marked in the same-named area on the right hand side of the dialogue window. After this, click Manage attributes.

Proceed as follows:

1. Select an object (article, document, product structure etc.). The HELiOS Attribute management window for the selected object will be displayed.
2. Mark the attribute you want to change.
3. Click Change.

A turquoise pen symbol appears, indicating the "Change" mode. Fields that can be changed will be highlighted in white.

4. Make the required modifications are save with OK.

System attributes beginning with HEL_* cannot be changed.

Delete attributes

Predefined and user-defined attributes can be deleted in the HELiOS Attribute management dialogue.

• For predefined object types (Article, Document, Project...) you can call the dialogue by clicking the desired object type button beneath Create user-defined attributes.
• User-defined object types can be marked in the same-named area on the right hand side of the dialogue window. After this, click Manage attributes.

1. Select an object (article, document, product structure etc.). The attribute management for the selected object will be displayed.
2. To delete an attribute, mark it in the list, click Delete and then OK.

A red pen symbol appears, indicating the "Delete" mode.

System attributes beginning with HEL_* cannot be deleted.

Reference attributes

Reference attributes are linked to user-defined types. For example, an address will be updated automatically in case of a modification. In the Attribute Editor you only specify the user-defined type. In the Mask Editor you will enter the attribute explicitly.

Example:

Name and address of the responsible employee are to be shown in the document mask. If the employee changes his/her place of residence, all masks containing his/her address will be updated automatically. 

Step 1: Create a user-defined type in the Attribute Editor.

1. Start the Attribute Editor and activate the Add type function.
2. Enter the name of the type, e.g. Employee.
3. Click Manage attributes.
4. Create new attributes for the type Employee, e.g. name, street, city, phone.

The data type for these attributes should be VARCHAR. Varchar values are character strings of optional length. For all varchar attributes you need to specify a maximum length.

Step 2: Create a new attribute for the type Document.

1. Activate the Document function in the Attribute Editor.
2. Create a new attribute, e.g. Name. Select REFERENCE as data type and Employee for Type Reference.
3. Save the attribute with OK.
4. Exit the mask with End and close the Attribute Editor.

Step 3: Generate and adjust masks 

1. Start the Mask Editor and open the masks of the new type Employee.
2. Create data fields and text fields in the input and search masks for the attributes created in Step 1 (name, street, city, telephone).
3. Save the masks.
4. Open the document masks you want to change.
5. You do not need to enter the new attribute into all masks. Activate, for example, the New data field function (RMB) in the input mask.
6. Select the attribute Name, then select Next.
7. Now select the reference attribute in the new mask, e.g. the attribute Name.

Under Referenced attributes you will only find the attributes of the user-defined type Employee you created in Step 1.

8. Confirm the properties with OK.
9. Position the two fields in the document mask.
10. Insert a text field providing an explanation for the data field and confirm with OK.
11. Proceed likewise with the other attributes (street, city, telephone).
12. Copy the new fields with CTRL+C and paste them into other masks with CTRL+V.
13. As the result mask has a different structure, the fields cannot be inserted with CTRL+V here. They need to be created with the New data field function. The text field will be generated automatically.
14. Save the masks and close the Mask Editor.

Step 4: Create and change Employee

1. Start the HELiOS Desktop, activate the Input tab and create some data records via Simple input > User-defined types > Employee.
2. Create a new data record for a Document. The input masks provides the new attributes Name, Street, City, Telephone.
3. Activate the search with the 3 point button next to the input field of the employee.

For the first search for a new object type in the HELiOS Esktop you need to configure the result list.

4. Click on the icon and activate the attributes that you want to be displayed.
5. Take over an employee and proceed likewise with the other attributes.
6. If you now change the master data of the employee Emma Miller, the master data will be synchronised in the document mask.

The Attribute Editor • General Information on HELiOS