Attribute general properties

Chapter 3 Building an XML model

Attribute general properties

There are global and local attributes:

Global attributes are defined with the Model menu. In a schema, they are directly linked to the <schema> tag (root element). They can be reused for any element in the model through references (See "NUMBER" attribute in the generated schema)
Local attributes only apply to the elements in which they are created. They can be defined by reference to a global attribute (See Reference property)

Global and local attributes in XDR files
In a model targeted with the XML-Data Reduced language, local attributes are first declared separately, like global attributes (with the <AttributeType> tag and a name attribute), then within their parent element (with the <attribute> tag and a type attribute).

Extract of an XDR file:

You can derive an attribute data type to extend or restrict its values. (Only with a model targeted with XSD)

To display an attribute property sheet, double-click its name or its icon in the Browser tree view.

The General page of an attribute property sheet displays the following properties:

Property	Description
Name	The name of the item which should be clear and meaningful, and should convey the item's purpose to non-technical users
Code	The technical name of the item used for generating code or scripts, which may be abbreviated, and should not generally include spaces
Comment	Descriptive label of the attribute
Stereotype	Sub-classification used to extend the semantics of an object without changing its structure. It can be predefined or user-defined
Reference	Name of an attribute in the current model or another model opened in the workspace. A reference allows you to reuse an attribute with all its properties without having to define it again. Use the dropdown listbox to select an attribute in the current model. Use the Browse tool to select an attribute from any model opened in the workspace. If you select an attribute from another model, a shortcut is created with the referencing attribute. When you define a reference, name and code properties are grayed. The name and code are those of the target attribute
Type	Attribute data type. It must be a qualified name (See Glossary). Use the dropdown listbox to select a built-in data type. Use the Browse tool to select a simple type defined in the current model or another model opened in the workspace
Embedded Type	If selected, the attribute data type disappears and a <simple type> tag is created in the schema within the <attribute> tag. Only available in a model targeted with XSD
Derivation	Derivation method for the attribute data type. Used to extend or restrict the values of the attribute data type. When you define a derivation, the data type disappears. You must click Apply and then the Properties tool to select a type, a base type or member types for the corresponding derivation (list, restriction or union). Only available in a model targeted with XSD

Defining attributes in XDR files

In a model targeted with the XML-Data Reduced language, attributes tags are defined by different attributes:

XDR attribute for an attribute	Description	Property or page in attribute property sheet
name	To specify the name of a global attribute	Name
default	To specify a default value for both global and local attributes	Detail page
dt:type	To specify a data type for a global attribute	Type
dt:values	To specify a list of available values for a global attribute	Values page
type	To specify the name of a global attribute as reference for a local attribute	Reference

Example of an XDR file: