Properties

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This topic is shared by BAW, CP4BA. Last updated on 2025-03-13 12:15

You can configure various property settings in Properties View Designer, such as the width of the property editors.

Width for property editors

The default label width is 30%. The label width cannot be specified if the horizontal alignment is set for the container.

If you use the Long format or Full format setting for a DateTime property, you might need to adjust the width of the setting to accommodate the longest long or full format value of the supported locales.

IBM® Business Automation Workflow enforces the following behavior:

Adjusts the specified width to avoid unnecessary scroll bars
Provides a default field width for each property editor if no width is specified
Provides a minimum field width for each property editor if the specified width is less than the minimum field width

Patterns for Integer and DateTime fields

The canvas in the Properties View Designer shows you how the selected editor setting looks in Case Client.

To specify a pattern for Integer or DateTime fields, you must use a valid format as defined in Unicode Technical Standard #35:

For Integer fields, IBM Business Automation Workflow supports the patterns that are listed in Part 3: Number Format Patterns .
For DateTime fields, IBM Business Automation Workflow supports the patterns that are listed in Part 8: Date Format Patterns .

Tip: Check your property in the deployed solution to verify that the pattern that you used is valid.

Displaying DateTime fields in coordinated universal time (UTC)

By default, DateTime values are displayed according to the user's local time. You can select the Display in UTC check box to display a DateTime value in coordinated universal time. If you select this check box, you must use either the short format or medium format for the time.

Other widgets do not display DateTime values in coordinated universal time. For example, assume that the same DateTime property appears in both the Properties widget and the Case Information widget on a page. If the Properties widget is configured to display the property in coordinated universal time, the property can appear to have different values.

Reconciliation of conflicting property settings

The attributes of a property are determined by the view settings and by the settings in the controller layer. The view settings are specified in Properties View Designer. The controller settings are set either when you define the property in the solution or programmatically by an agent such as an external data system, a script, or web service.

Differences between the setting of a property attribute in a view definition and in the controller layer are reconciled as follows:

Any property attribute in the controller layer that is set by using an external data service or some other form of automation is automatically applied to the view. The corresponding property editor setting in the view definition is ignored.
For property attributes that are not set by automation, IBM Business Automation Workflow applies one of the following rules to reconcile any differences in a setting:
1. Precedence is given to the view setting for settings such as label, which affect only the display of the property.
2. Precedence is given to the controller setting for settings such as pattern, which affect the property data.
3. View settings can never be less restrictive than the editor settings. For example, if the controller maximum value is 100 and the view maximum value is 50, then the view setting is applied. But if the controller maximum value is 100 and the view maximum value is 150, the controller setting is applied.

The following tables identify the precedence rules that IBM Business Automation Workflow applies to each setting:

Table 1. General property settings
Setting	Precedence rule
Label	1
Required	3
Hidden	3
Read-only	3

Table 2. DateTime property settings
Setting	Precedence rule
Format	1
Date pattern	1
Time pattern	1
Minimum value	3
Maximum value	3

Table 3. Number property settings
Setting	Precedence rule
Zero if empty	3
Round automatically	3
Pattern	2
Decimal places	3
Minimum value	3
Maximum value	3

Table 4. String property settings
Setting	Precedence rule
Maximum length	3
Minimum length	3
Truncate automatically	3
Capitalization	2
Adjust capitalization	3
Pattern	2

Table 5. Boolean property settings
Setting	Precedence rule
False if empty	3

Best practices for property editor settings

If you set a property attribute dynamically by using an external data service or some other form of automation, do not configure the property editor setting in the view definition. The setting must be configured in the view definition to use the default value.

If you do not set a property attribute dynamically, use the view definition to customize the property editor settings.

Whether you set a property attribute dynamically or through customized settings in the view definition, do not specify a setting that exceeds the constraints of the object store. For example, if the object store imposes a maximum length of 10 for a string property, do not set the length to 20 in the view definition.

Multivalue editors and property tables

Use the Radio button set as the editor setting for a multivalue property only if the property has a limited number of choices. When a multivalue property uses the Radio button set editor setting, the field appears as a drop-down list in Case Client. When the user clicks the list, a dialog box opens. The user then clicks the Add icon to open the editor that displays the choices as radio buttons. If the number of choices exceeds the size of the dialog box, a scroll bar is displayed. However, the scroll bar does not work correctly.

If a multivalue property contains more than a few choices, consider using an editable entry list as the editor setting.

At run time, multivalue editors behave in the following ways:

You must enter at least one value for the property, even if that value is an empty string. However, if you are using an Oracle database, you can not enter empty strings in a multivalue property.
The required tooltip is always displayed. The user must click the Exit button (x) or press the ESC key to close it.
Entry of invalid data is supported, but you cannot save the data until all of the invalid data is corrected.
Double-click to change to edit mode. In Mozilla Firefox, the property field is automatically editable when you add a row. In Microsoft Internet Explorer, you must double-click to change to edit mode.
When the property field is in edit mode, you must use the arrow keys to edit at a specific location.
When you use the hint inside the editor, the hint flashes. It is recommended to use a hint position outside the editor.
For multivalue editors only: Clicking any other area in the view does not close the multivalue editor window.

Boolean property

If you want check box editor settings to behave like other editor settings, you can use the Uniform labels setting in the Layout and Titled Layout container objects.

Set the Layout direction setting to Horizontal and the Label position to Beside for a Layout container.
When you drag a Boolean property, the label appears on the right side whereas the label for the other types of properties appears on the left.
Setting the label position to Above has no effect on the Boolean property.
When no default value is configured for a Boolean property, the value for the uninitiated property is left blank (not set to false).

Filtering properties

You can use the filter in the property palette to filter the properties list.

Cross-validating constraints

Properties View Designer validates the value type that you enter for a setting. However, Properties View Designer does not cross validate that value with the constraints that are set by other settings for the same property. For example, you can select the Zero when empty check box for a property, and then also set Minimum value to 1. You can save this combination in Properties View Designer. However, at run time, Case Client automatically displays an error state for the field because it defaults to zero and the minimum value is 1.

Editor behavior

Check boxes always force the null value to false.

At run time, editors behave in the following ways:

Radio buttons cannot be cleared to set to null after a selection is made.
DateTime: Delete the date and time value to set it to null. You can enter date and time value by using the keyboard without using the picker.
DateTime: If the date is entered first, the time defaults to 12:00 PM. If the time is entered first, the date defaults to the current date.
If a property is marked both required and read-only, the asterisk character (*) is shown.
The asterisk character is not shown if the Zero when empty check box or False when empty check box is selected. You can use these settings to suppress the required asterisk if zero or false is a suitable default value for the property. Because the property always has a value, the required asterisk is not required.
Empty rows are not supported in any data type except strings. If you are using an Oracle database, empty rows are not supported for strings.

The Required attribute for a Boolean property

A Boolean property can be configured to be Required at the property level or at a custom view level. Depending on which editor is used for the Boolean property, the required indicator (red asterisk, *) might not be displayed at run time. Some editors, such as the check box editor, only accept unchecked (false) or checked (true) values. Such editors do not allow a null value representation. Therefore, a value is always set at run time when the Boolean property is presented to the user, and the required flag is not displayed.

Note: As a known issue, changing the Required attribute at run time using a script in a checkbox editor results in a validation error on the page. The validation error prevents the page from being saved or closed. To prevent this issue, avoid changing the Required attribute for a Boolean property at run time.

Rendering of editor settings that are shared by multiple tasks

If a property is added to more than one task, and the property is configured the same way for each task, the widget is rendered as configured. However, if the property is configured differently for each task, the widget is rendered with the least restrictive setting as follows:

Required: false
Hidden: false
Default value: null