Attributes allow you to characterize your data. Thus, your documents, resources, users and interventions can be qualified using attributes.
1. What are attributes?
Attributes are data of all types (numbers, figures, images..).
For example, an engine can be characterized by:
- its power
- its torque
- its rotation speed
- its lifespan
These data will be considered as attributes. Depending on the attribute, we will associate an attribute type.
For example, power is expressed using a number. So the power of an engine will be an attribute of the number type.
2. In practice, how to create an attribute?
Setting the context: Let's imagine a "Anomalies" database, listing all your anomalies. Each anomaly can be described by a date. We will create an attribute of Date type and then we will assign this attribute to the Anomalies database. Thus, all our anomalies can be described with this attribute.
- Go to the Databases tab.
- Click on the "Anomalies" database (if it does not exist, you can create it)
- Click on the Structure tab
- Click on "Create a new Attribute"
- Give the name "Anomaly Date". Choose Date as type.
- Click on "Create attribute"
All anomalies present in the Anomalies database can be characterized by a date. Go to a resource (thus an anomaly) from the Anomalies database and modify the value of the Date attribute.
To go further
- Attribute values can be modified by your operator if you connect your forms to your databases. Thus, your operators will be able to characterize the different resources of your databases or even your users. The updates of these data are done in real time. You can add as many attributes as you want within your databases.
- A block cannot be linked with an attribute, if this block is not of the same type as the attribute in question (ex: impossible to link a Text block with a Number attribute).
- You can view the history of actions performed on an attribute value. To do this, you need to click on the wheel to display the history. If changes are made via imports, these changes will not be displayed in the history.
- It is possible to determine attributes for resources, documents, users, and interventions. To create a resource attribute, you need to go to the "Structure" page of a Database page.
- An attribute name cannot exceed 255 characters. If a name is given to an attribute, the same name cannot be used for another attribute (even if the first attribute has been deleted).
- It is possible to share the same attribute among several databases (allowing you to set up "joins" between different databases).
- It is not possible to modify the type of an attribute after its creation.