Create an attribute

You can create many different types of attributes. For example, you can create derived or computed attribute.

About this task

To create an attribute:

Procedure

  1. Navigate to the Attribute Management screen. To navigate to the Attribute Management screen, perform the following steps:
    1. Log in to Sterling™ Business Center as an Item Administrator.
    2. The application home page is displayed. Click the Products tab.
    3. From the Products home page, click Manage Attributes in the Catalog dashlet.

      The Attribute Management screen is displayed.

  2. From the tree in the Item Attributes panel, select an attribute group under which you want to create an attribute. When a user views the attributes of an item in the Web channel application, the attributes and their assigned values are displayed based on the grouping specified in the tree in the Item Attributes panel.
  3. In the Related Tasks panel, click Create Attribute.
  4. The Manage Attribute Details panel is displayed. Perform the following steps:
    1. In the Attribute ID* box, enter a unique identifier (ID) for the attribute. This identifier cannot be modified after it has been defined. Do not put a space or special characters in the Attribute ID.
    2. In the Short Description* box, enter a brief description of the attribute. The attribute in the Item Attributes tree will be identified by this description. This short description is also displayed in Web channel application and other screens in IBM® Sterling Business Center, which display item attributes.
    3. In the Long Description field, enter a detailed description of the attribute. This detailed description typically contains any additional information about the attribute.
    4. From the Postfix drop-down list, select the postfix of the attribute. When an attribute is displayed with its corresponding value, the selected postfix is appended to the value. For example, you can select Inches to define the unit of length. You must add a postfix to the Postfix drop-down list by clicking Manage Postfix in the Manage Attribute Details panel when you are creating an attribute. After you have added a postfix, you can also modify and delete the postfix by clicking Manage Postfix in the Manage Attribute Details panel.
    5. From the radio buttons under the Attribute Type area, select the type of attribute that you want to create, and specify the attribute type fields in the Attribute Type Specific Fields area. (When a radio button in the Attribute Type area is selected, the corresponding description is displayed in the Attribute Type Specific Information area.)

      The following table describes this task in detail:

      In Attribute Type Area, If You Select This Perform These Steps In The Attribute Type Specific Fields Area
      Attribute with valid values From the Value Type* drop-down list, select the format for the attribute.
      • Text Attribute - A free- formed text or a list of values from which you can select one or more.
      • Number Attribute - It can be any number, an integer, a floating value, and so on.
      • Boolean Attribute - The valid values are either True or False.
      Refers to an item field
      1. Under Reference Type, select either the Item Field radio button or the Item Alias radio button. If you select the Item Field radio button, the Item Field* drop-down list is displayed. Otherwise, the Item Alias* drop-down list is displayed.
      2. From the drop-down list that is displayed, select the appropriate value. The options displayed in the Item Field* drop-down list are the out-of-the-box fields that are displayed in the screens pertaining to the item administration. The item aliases displayed in the Item Alias* drop-down list are displayed in the Aliases and Keywords screen within the item administration screens of Sterling Business Center.
      Derived from another attribute
      1. Click the Search icon next to the Derived From* box, to locate the number attribute to derive from.
      2. The Attribute Search dialog box is displayed. Select a number attribute, and click Select. Attributes other than number attributes are disabled in the tree in the Attribute Search dialog box.
      Computed Attribute Select the appropriate currency from the Attribute ID* drop down. Information about the setup for this attribute type is displayed.
    6. In the Attribute Management screen, click Save.

      Notes:

    7. * indicates that the field is mandatory.
    8. When you create an attribute either as a computed attribute or an attribute that refers to an item field, you cannot modify the attribute's type.
    9. When you create an attribute that is not a computed attribute, you cannot modify the attribute to be a computed attribute. That is, if you want to modify an attribute type, delete the attribute and create a new attribute of that attribute type.
    10. When a new search index is generated, only the attributes with allowed values and the usage, For Filter, are considered.

      A new attribute is displayed under the selected attribute group in the Item Attributes tree along with the corresponding details panel. For example, if you have created a text attribute, the Text Attribute Properties panel is displayed. You can now define the properties for the text attribute.