Attributes

Records may have thousands of attributes, which can make them unwieldy to view or edit. For display purposes, attributes are grouped, typically according to their function. For example, all the metric measurement attributes might be placed into a group called "Metric Measurements" and the imperial measurements in a group called "Imperial Measurements".

These attribute groups are then placed into larger groups called attribute tabs. The groups Metric Measurements and Imperial Measurements might be placed into a tab named "Specifications".

When a record is opened in an editor, the attribute tabs are displayed. The tabs can be expanded to show the attribute groups. The attribute groups can be expanded to show the actual attributes themselves.

Each repository has its own set of attribute tabs and groups. Attribute tabs and groups are defined and maintained by the system administrator.

When a record is opened in an editor, attributes selected as summary attributes are displayed in the record header. Any attributes may be selected to be summary attributes, even attributes in records that are linked to the repository.

A record attribute may be configured to have a default value. When a new record is added, any attribute that has a specified default value will be set to the default value. Depending on the way the attribute was defined, the user or the system may be allowed to change the value.