Defining Project Attributes
The projects saved in the asset management system will have fields for the following collection of data:
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Status. One of Planned, Ongoing, or Completed for the status of a project.
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Work group. A label for the group within the organization working with a project.
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Documentation. An uploaded file that serves as documentation for a project.
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Presentation. An uploaded file used during a presentation related to a project.
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Presented. The date when a presentation was held.
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Model version. A simulation model being used in a project.
Except for the last field, these fields are not available in the default asset management system included with a new Model Manager server database. The first task will therefore be to extend the asset management system by defining new primitive attributes that can hold the corresponding data.
You need to either be a root administrator or have been granted the Manage asset types database permission to customize the asset management system.
Adding Your First Primitive Attribute
1
Select Database in the Administration menu () in the upper-right corner.
2
Click Primitive Attributes in the Database navigation sidebar.
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Click Add.
4
Write status in the Identifier field.
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Write Status in the Label field.
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Write The current status of a project in the Description field.
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Select Combo box in the Widget list.
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Select Keyword in the Value list.
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In the Allowed Values field, write Planned. Click Add. Repeat this with Ongoing and Completed.
10
Click Save.
You have created your first primitive attribute. As its label and description indicates, it can be used to track the current status of a project.
There will already be two primitive attributes on the Primitive Attributes page — Attachment and Model version. These are automatically created for a new Model Manager server database.
As currently defined, the Status primitive attribute is edited on an Asset page by selecting a value in a Combo box widget — a list of options that you can show or hide by clicking on the widget. This is useful when there are many allowed values to select among. In our case, though, the Radio button widget may be more suitable:
1
Click on the Status primitive attribute on the Primitive Attributes page.
2
Click Edit.
3
In the Widget list, select Radio button.
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Click Save.
The Radio button widget always shows all options when editing — useful in this case, as there are only three options to choose from.
Adding More Primitive Attributes
You will use a simple input field that stores a keyword value that specifies the work group within the organization that is involved with the project. Another reasonable widget for such a field would be a combo box with a predefined list of available work groups.
1
Click Add on the Primitive Attributes page.
2
Write work_group in the Identifier field.
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Write Work group in the Label field.
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Write Organizational unit in the Description field.
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Select Input field in the Widget field.
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Select Keyword in the Value field.
7
Click Save.
Add the remaining primitive attributes to be used by the project assets.
1
Click Add on the Primitive Attributes page.
2
Write documentation in the Identifier field.
3
Write Documentation in the Label field.
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Write Documentation file in the Description field.
5
Select File Upload in the Widget list.
The Value field automatically defaults to Attachment.
6
Click Save.
Repeat this with presentation, Presentation, Presentation file, and File Upload for the Identifier, Label, Description, and Widget fields, respectively. Finally, repeat with presented, Presented, Date of presentation, and Date picker.
The last primitive attribute, Model version, already exists. It is used by the default asset type that is automatically created for a new Model Manager server database. You will reuse this attribute for your project asset type as well.
Primitive Attributes
Adding Tables
The primitive attributes of File upload widget type — Documentation and Presentation — can store a single uploaded file. To enable storing multiple uploaded files on your projects, you will add these attributes as columns in two separate tables.
1
Click Composite Attributes in the Database navigation sidebar.
2
Click Add.
3
Write documentation_files in the Identifier field.
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Write Documentation files in the Label field.
5
Write Documentation files in the Description field.
6
Select Table in the Mode list.
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In the Select primitive attribute list, select the Documentation attribute.
8
Click Save.
The Documentation files composite attribute is a table with a single column. Each table row can store one uploaded documentation file.
Any presentation held for a project has a corresponding presentation file and a date when the presentation was given. To store this data, add a table with two columns:
1
Click Add on the Composite Attributes page.
2
Write presentations in the Identifier field.
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Write Presentations in the Label field.
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Write Presentations held in the Description field.
5
Select Table in the Mode list.
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In the Select primitive attribute list, select the Presentation attribute. Also select the Presented attribute.
7
Click Save.
There will already be two composite attributes on the Composite Attributes page — Attachments and Model versions. These are automatically created for a new Model Manager server database.
You will use the existing Model versions composite attribute to link multiple model versions on a project.
Composite Attributes