Overview

Use the attributes properties to specify the characteristics of the data in a column. You can open attribute properties from:

the repository. Attributes are listed under their table.
the Table properties → Attributes section
other attribute lists.

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Basic Settings

Field Description

Name

Enter the name of the attribute.

Tip
PhixFlow recognises the attribute name `UID` as a unique identifier for a record. As records are added, PhixFlow automatically increments the UID value.

Type

Select the type of data this attribute contains; see Understanding Data Types.

String
Bigstring
Integer
Float
Decimal
Date
Datetime
Graphic
TrueFalse

Length

This field is available when Type is String. By default strings are 50 characters long. Optionally specify a different string length of between 1 and 4000.

For strings longer than 4000 characters, set a Type of Bigstring.

Precision

This field is available when Type is Integer. Enter the maximum number of digits allowed in whole numbers. By default, integers are 10 digits long. Optionally specify a different integer precision of between 1 digit and 38 digits.

Significant Figures

This field is available when Type is Decimal. Enter the maximum number of total digits for decimal numbers. By default decimals have 10 significant figures.

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To specify numbers must have two digits before and after the decimal point, such as 12.34, enter:

Significant Figures 4

Decimal Places 2

Decimal Places

This field is available when Type is Decimal. Enter the maximum number of digits allowed after the decimal point. By default, decimals have 2 decimal places.

This must be less than the number of significant figures.

Local

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to keep both table data and any result of using it in a calculation.

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if you need to use the attribute in a calculation, but you do not need to keep the result.

Note
Local attributes should not be used to back fields on forms or cards.

Indexed

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to prevent this attribute being indexed in the PhixFlow database.

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to index this attribute in the PhixFlow database.

To improve performance, index an attribute when the table has a large data set and an output pipe from the table uses this attribute to:

filter the data
sort or group the data.

Note: Attributes with the type, Bigstring, cannot be indexed as this is not supported by the underlying database.

Primary Key

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indicates

indicates this attribute is a primary key.

This means it contains

Primary keys contain a unique identifier for every record in the table.

Note: Attributes with the type, Bigstring, cannot be set as the primary key as this is not supported by the underlying database.

Secondary Key

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indicates this attribute is a secondary key. Secondary keys are optional keys that index records and do not have to be unique.

Foreign Key

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indicates this attribute is a foreign key. This means

and

the ERD links this attribute to a primary key attribute in an other table; see Entity Relationship Diagrams.

Info
Table attributes that are flagged as a Foreign Key are automatically considered to be Indexed.

Display Name

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indicates the name of this attribute is used as the label rather than the primary key attribute name.

Order

The order of the attributes in the table. Attribute expressions are evaluated in this order.

This is important when you need to use the results of a calculation in another attribute:

either in its expression
or in a $ variable.

In the attribute list, the attribute that calculates the result must come before the attribute that requires the result.

Expression

The expression used to generate the attribute value. This is written as and expression; see Expressions and PhixScripts. It must evaluate to a single value, of the type specified in the Type field.

Advanced

Field	Description

Filter conditions are
case-independent by default

Available when Basic Settings → Type is String or Bigstring.

Insert excerpt_check_box_untick_check_box_unticknopaneltrue to use filters that are case-sensitive. Insert excerpt_check_box_tick_check_box_ticknopaneltrue to set new filter conditions on this attribute to be case-insensitive by default. The filter window → Ignore Case check box inherits this setting; see Filters on Data Views. For case-insensitive filters, there is no difference if the attribute is also indexed.

Note
This option affects the behaviour of filters for PhixFlow instances running on Oracle or MariaDB (MySQL) databases. For PhixFlow instances running on a SQL Server database, filters are always case-independent.

Key

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for in-memory table, to specify that this field is not a key value.

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for in-memory table, to specify that this field will be used as a key value.

Read Only

The attribute cannot be updated by a Save action in an Actionflow.

Translate Values
Anchor
translate
translate

Available when Basic Settings → Type is String or Bigstring.

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to ignore this attribute when translating text in PhixFlow (the default).

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to include this attribute when translating text that appears in PhixFlow. To be translated, the attribute text must be included in a translation table; see Translating an Application Interface and Translation Table.

Filter conditions are case-sensitive by default

This field is only available for PhixFlow instances running on Oracle or MySQL databases.

Available when Basic Settings → Type is String or Bigstring.

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to use filters that are case-sensitive.

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to set new filter conditions on this attribute to be case-insensitive by default. The filter window → Ignore Case check box inherits this setting; see Filters on Data Views. For case-insensitive filters, there is no difference if the attribute is also indexed.

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Note
For PhixFlow instances running on a SQL Server database, filters are always case-insensitive.

Cache Key

Enter an expression to be evaluated for each record in the table . The expression can:

either use the value of this attribute
or calculate a different value

Once calculated, the cache key value persists throughout subsequent calculation, rather than being created from scratch for each record as normal. This allows you to keep track of the calculation as it progresses.

This means you can use a "persistent" attribute value in other expressions.

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Learn More

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Version	Old Version 43	New Version Current
Changes made by	Zoe Baldwin	Zoe Baldwin
Saved on	Jul 10, 2023	Dec 16, 2024

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