Non-supported ReleaseNon-supported Release
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Creating Attributes

You create attributes in e-automate so you have a place to record your values associated with a particular piece of Equipment, Contract, Make, Model, or Customer. Attributes can be configured and associated with Equipment History Tracking and Custom Property configurations.

By using the Custom Property and Equipment History Tracking configurations, you can associate attributes with:

Contracts

Customers

Employees

Equipment

GL Accounts

Inventory Requests

Items

Makes

Models

Purchase orders

RMAs (Returned Material Authorizations)

RTV (Returned to Vendor)

Sales orders

Vendors

Warehouses

System attributes are named such because they were created and integrated into the e-automate system. There is functionality that supports the existing system attributes; however, for attributes you create there is no functionality supporting them. For example, Customer is a system attribute that is used in e-automate. When you use Equipment History Tracking, e-automate knows to assign a new customer when equipment is sold or received. This is one of the pre-defined system attributes that is shipped with e-automate.

Getting to the TransactionGetting to the Transaction

From the Tools menu, select Lists and Codes to open the Lists and Codes window.

In the Select a list or code type field, use the drop-down menu to select Attributes.

Click [New] to open the New Attribute window.

Basic InformationBasic Information

In the Attribute name field, enter the name of the attribute.

In the Description field, enter a brief description of the attribute.

In the Data type field, use the drop-down menu to select one of the following options for allowing the user to associate data with this attribute:

Text Box - Select this option to provide a field for entering short, free-form text.

Memo Field - Select this option to provide a field for entering a larger amount of free-form text.

User-Defined Lookup - Select this option to provide a lookup for which you specify the options from which a user may select an option. If you select this option, the system displays a Lookup List field. Do the following:

In the Lookup field, enter the first option from which a user may select.

Click Ctrl + Enter.

Repeat Steps a and b until you have entered all the options from which a user may select.
Note: When the system displays the lookup for this attribute, it sorts all options in numeric-alpha ascending order (e.g., If you enter B [Ctrl + Enter] 2 [Ctrl + Enter] 1 [Ctrl + Enter] A, the lookup will list the items in this order: 1, 2, A, B).

Yes/No - Select this option to provide a Yes radio button and a No radio button.

Lookup - Select this option to provide a drop-down menu containing the values associated with an e-automate lookup from which a user may select an option. If you select this option, the system displays a Lookup List field. Do the following:

In the Lookup type field, use the drop-down menu to select the existing e-automate lookup you want to use for this attribute.

Numeric - Select this option to provide a field for entering numeric data only.

Currency - Select this option to provide a field for entering numeric data only that will be formatted as a monetary amount.

Date - Select this option to provide a field for selecting/entering a date.

Date/Time - Select this option to provide a field for selecting/entering a date and time.

Time - Select this option to provide a field for selecting/entering a time.

Completing the TransactionCompleting the Transaction

Click [OK] to save the attribute.
Note: The attribute is now available to be used in either Equipment History Tracking or Custom Properties configurations.
Note: If you attempt to edit a system attribute, you will be able to view the Edit Attribute window but will not be able to change any of the information.
Note: If you attempt to edit a user-defined attribute, you will be able to edit any of the attribute's information until the attribute is added to a configuration; as long as an attribute is added to any configuration, you cannot edit the attribute's Data type selection.
Note: If you remove an option from a User-Defined Lookup menu when editing an attribute, the lookup for that attribute will no longer include the option you removed but any existing records for which that option has already been selected for that attribute will retain that selection.