Standard attribute fields

Standard attribute fields

This table describes the standard information that you enter for most attribute types. Many attribute types do require additional information to that described in this section. For more information about the attribute types, see Attribute types.

Attribute Category

The category of attribute. For a local attribute, defaults to Form Attribute. For a shared attribute, supplied based on the link you clicked on the Shared Attributes page.

The type of attribute. The attribute type controls the type of data the attribute holds and how it is entered into the database. Available types vary depending on the attribute category you selected. See Attribute types.

You cannot change the attribute type after you save the new attribute. If you select the wrong type, you must delete the attribute and create a new one.

Attribute Internal Name

The unique name of the attribute, used internally. Do not use spaces or special characters.

Attribute Display Name

The display name for the attribute, used in the form and in the user interface of object instances. Spaces and UTF-8 characters are allowed.

Attribute Database Column Name

Name of the database column where values for the attribute are stored. By default this is the same as the Attribute Internal Name. Do not exceed the character limit for your database and avoid using the words that are reserved for your database.

Edit database column name

Select to edit the supplied Attribute Database Column Name value.

Not available for system-supplied attributes.

A description of the attribute.

A short message that appears as a help tooltip, next to the field, to guide the user in entering the information correctly.

This table describes the additional information you need to define for most grid attributes:

Grid Attribute Options
Field	Description
Sortable	Select this option to enable users to sort on this column in the table.
Sort Type	The direction in which to sort values in this column. Select Ascending to sort in ascending order or Descending to sort in descending order.
Alignment	Alignment of the attribute in the table. You can select Left, Center, or Right. The default is Left.
Summary function	Available only when the Attribute Type is Decimal, Integer, Money, or Calculated. Performs a simple calculation on the column and displays it in a summary row at the bottom of the grid. Options are Sum, Average, Min, or Max. If no columns in the grid have a summary function, the summary row is not present.

This table describes the standard display information you enter for all attributes.

Display Options

Form Element Type

The type of field displayed for this attribute on the form, such as a text field, a check box, or a dropdown list. Available types depend on the attribute type.

Special behavior

The options are None, Required, or Read-only.

Select Required to prevent users from saving the form without supplying a value for this field. When selected, an additional field for an Error message to Display When Not Populated displays.

Select Read-only to display the attribute, but not allow users to supply a value.

Defaults to None.

This field is not available for the Image or Calculated attribute types, or for system-supplied attributes.

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