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

  • the repository. Attributes are listed under their stream
  • the Stream properties → Attributes section
  • other attribute lists. 

For information about the properties toolbar, and about the sections Parent Details, Analysis Models, Description and Audit Summary, see Common Properties.  We recommend you always add a Description that explains the purpose of the item you are creating. 

For a full list of all the PhixFlow property tabs and windows, see Properties, Windows, Menus and Toolbars.

Basic Settings

FieldDescription
Name

Enter the name of the attribute.

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

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

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

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

Order

The order of the attributes in the stream. 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.

ExpressionThe expression used to generate the attribute value. This is written as a PhixFlow Expression. It must evaluate to a single value, of the type specified in the Type field.

Advanced

FieldDescription
Indexed

 Untick to prevent this attribute being indexed in the PhixFlow database.

 Tick to index this attribute in the PhixFlow database.

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

  • filter the stream data
  • sort or group the stream data.
Filter conditions are
case-independent by default

 Untick to use filters that are case-sensitive.

 Tick 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. 

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

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

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

Translate Values 

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

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

Cache Key

Enter an expression to be evaluated for each stream-item (record) in the stream. The expression can:

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

Once calculated, the cache key value persists throughout subsequent stream calculation, rather than being created from scratch for each stream-item 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. 

Access Permissions

For details about how to control access to an attribute, see Common Properties → Access Permissions.



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