Adding New Types of Data Using Attributes
You can extend the available fields on an asset page by defining new primitive attributes. A primitive attribute is a data field that can hold a specific value type. Examples include (see Table 3-5 for the complete list):
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A Keyword value. A project identifier, author, search label, project status, or some other name-like metadata.
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A Text value. An abstract, project notes, or some other multiple-paragraph text.
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A Date value. A publication date, review date, or some other date.
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A Boolean value. An approved flag or some other true or false choice.
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A Link value. A link to a web page or some other web resource.
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An Attachment. Documentation files, presentations, slides, videos, or any other type of supplementary file.
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A Model version. A link to a version-controlled model stored in the Model Manager database.
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A File version. A link to a version-controlled data file stored in the Model Manager database.
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A User. A link to a user in the Model Manager database.
The new attributes are added to sections on the Asset page, either to one of the existing sections or by defining new sections for the page. Each primitive attribute has an attribute label which is shown next to the attribute value when viewing or editing the asset. Both the sections and the primitive attributes inside each section can be rearranged as you see fit.
You define how the values of a primitive attribute are edited by selecting a widget type. Examples include (see Table 3-4 for the complete list):
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An Input field for writing a keyword value in a single-line input field.
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A Text area for writing text, possibly split into several paragraphs, in a rectangular text area.
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A Date picker for selecting a date from a calendar.
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A Check box for selecting a Boolean true or false value.
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A Combo box or Radio button for selecting a single value among a set of allowed values. This could be a status flag or some other predetermined set of options.
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A Check box list or List box for selecting multiple values among a set of allowed values. This could be product labels or some other predetermined set of options.
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A Hyperlink for specifying a web page or some other web resource.
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A File upload for browsing and selecting a file on the file system to be uploaded as an attachment.
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A Model version picker for searching and selecting a version-controlled model in the Model Manager database to add as a link.
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A File version picker for searching and selecting a version-controlled data file in the Model Manager database to add as a link.
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A User picker for searching and selecting a user in the Model Manager database.
Given a particular widget type for a primitive attribute, only a subset of all value types are available to select from. A Date picker, for example, can only store a Date value and a File upload can only store an Attachment.
The primitive attributes also show up in the Asset Filters menu on the Home page. You can apply these attributes as search filters via filter widgets analogous to the ones used when editing.
A Model Manager database comes predefined with two primitive attributes, Model version and Attachment, whose attribute labels have been set to be identical to their corresponding value type. They appear as table columns in the two sections, Model versions and Attachments, on the predefined Asset page.
See Primitive Attributes to learn how administrators can define new primitive attributes via the Administration>Database area. See Asset Types to learn how to add these primitive attributes to sections on the Asset page.
See Searching on Asset Attributes to learn how you can search and filter on your custom data fields.
Primitive Attributes of Version Type
Primitive attributes of value type Model version or File version are special in that they only store a link to a fixed version of a model or data file in the database. These attributes are displayed on the Asset page with the version’s title, the point in time when the version was saved, the user that saved the version, and the item version type of the version. You can click on the title to open the corresponding Model or File page for the version.
You edit these primitive attributes by searching and selecting a model or data file version in the database. See Searching for Model Versions to Add for editing an attribute of Model version value type. Editing an attribute of File version value type works identically.
Grouping Primitive Attributes into Composite Attributes
You can group one or more primitive attributes together by adding a composite attribute. The composite attribute can be defined using one of two modes:
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A Simple mode. This is useful if a collection of primitive attributes “logically” belong together. The primitive attributes appear under a common header given by the label of the composite attribute. An example of such a composite attribute is a journal reference consisting of primitive attributes for the author, publication, URL, and year.
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A Table mode. This is useful if the values of a collection of primitive attributes belong together and you want to add multiple data entries for the primitive attributes when editing assets. The primitive attributes appear as columns in a table. Each data entry is then a row in the table. An example of such a composite attribute is a table of journal references with the listed primitive attributes as columns.
A Model Manager database comes predefined with two composite attributes, Model versions and Attachments, whose labels are the pluralized forms of the (single) primitive attributes they contain. Both use the Table mode.
See Composite Attributes to learn how administrators can define new composite attributes via the Administration>Database area. See Asset Types to learn how to add these composite attributes to sections on the Asset page.
Table Filters
If you add a primitive attribute with a set of allowed values — for example, a primitive attribute with a Radio button for editing — to a composite attribute using Table mode, that attribute will also be available as a table filter on the Asset page. Select check boxes in the list to only show table rows with the corresponding attribute values. Clear all check boxes to not apply a filter on the attribute.