Every catalog item has a set of operational attributes that determines the behavior of features in other E-Business Suite applications. In addition, you can create user-defined attributes that more specifically identify items, their characteristics and specifications, and capture business process information. User-defined attributes can also possess certain validation logic (for example, value sets) and indexes.

Attributes are defined by their names and values, and are saved within attribute groups. You can associate attribute groups with the following business entities (see: Assigning Suppliers to Items):

• item

• item revision

• item organization

• item supplier

• item supplier site

• item supplier site organization

Item business entity attribute values default from entity to entity in the following order when an attribute group is associated with multiple business entities:

• item to item supplier

• item supplier to item supplier site

• item supplier site to item supplier site organization

• item to item organization

Attribute values only default from the parent to the child level during item business entity creation. You can override the defaulted attribute value at the child level. For example, define an initial cost attribute value at the parent or style item level and it defaults to the child item business entities and/or SKU items. You can update the initial cost at the child level later.

You can set up as many attribute groups as necessary to define an item business entity, with the following limitations on the number of attributes within each attribute group:

• 40 character attributes

• 20 number attributes

• 10 date attributes

• 40 translatable attributes

Later, users can enter the values for the attributes on the item business entity pages. Configure how attribute groups are displayed on these pages to improve usability (see: Associating Attribute Groups with an Item Catalog Category).

For each user-defined attribute, you can optionally specify a value set (see: Defining Value Sets for User-Defined Attributes) with data type and validation rules that are applied when the user inputs data. Once created, you can reuse value sets for different attributes. Create value sets before defining your attribute groups.

An attribute group can be single-row, multi-row, or variant. Multi-row attribute groups enable you to associate multiple sets of attribute values with the same object instance. For example, if your item is a book, you can create an attribute group called "chapters" with attributes "chapter number," "name" and "number of pages." Multiple rows of "chapters" can be associated with a book, while "name" and "number of pages" each require a single row. The attribute "chapter number" is identified as Part of Unique Key (see: Part of Unique Key later in this section). Use variant attribute groups only with style and SKU items (see: Using Style and SKU Items)

Third-party systems integrators can easily generate a database view of existing attributes and attribute groups. These views are particularly useful when users wish to read the Oracle-provided data as they write code for integration with Oracle applications. To generate database views, on the Search: Attribute Groups page, select the attribute groups for which you wish to generate the view and click Generate Database View.

Prerequisites

• Create value sets. See: Defining Value Sets for User-Defined Attributes.

• Group related attributes within the same attribute group. The following table shows some examples of attribute groups.

  Attribute Group	Attributes	Data Type
  Capacitor Specifications	Dielectric	Char
  	Voltage	Number
  	Tolerance	Number
  	Minimum Temperature	Number
  	Maximum Temperature	Number
  Capacitor Packaging Specs	Package Type	Char
  	Size	Number
  	Case Size	Number

• Create custom privileges. See: Creating Custom Privileges.

• Create an object role (item) with custom privileges to define attribute group security (if necessary). You can secure the attribute group by setting Edit/View privileges. Later on, only users with certain roles can view or edit those attributes. See: To implement attribute group security.

• For attributes with a data type of Number, set up the Unit of Measure Classes (for example, Currency) and Units of Measure (for example, US Dollars). See: Defining Unit of Measure Classes and Defining Units of Measure.

  Also, see Display As later in this section for related information.

• Establish the validation rules for each attribute, if necessary. See: Defining Value Sets for User Defined Attributes.

   To create and maintain attribute groups:

1. From the Home page, click the Setup Workbench link.

2. On the Search: Item Catalog Categories page, click the Attribute Groups subtab.

3. On the Attribute Groups page, click Create.

4. On the Create Attribute Group for Item Management page, enter the following:

   Internal Name

   Enter the internal name of the attribute group.

   Display Name

   Enter the name of the attribute group as it will be displayed in the user interface.

   Description

   Optionally, enter the description of the attribute group.

   Behavior

   Select the Behavior of the attribute group:

   • Multi-Row to associate multiple sets of attribute values with the same object instance.

   • Single-Row to associate one attribute value with each object instance.

   • Variant to use with style and SKU items. Variant attribute groups contain attributes that differentiate SKUs within one style item. See: Using Style and SKU Items

     Caution: You can only associate a variant attribute group with an item business entity.

   Number of columns in the page layout

   Enter the number of attribute columns to appear when you view the attribute group from within an item's user defined attribute page. The default value is 2. This field does not appear when defining a variant attribute group.

   Number of rows in the page layout

   This field only appears for multi-row attribute groups. Enter the number of columns to appear within an item's user defined attribute page. The default value is 5.

5. Select the business entities to which you want to apply the attribute group. For each business entity selected, specify the following:

   • Style to SKU

     Select one of the following:

     • Defaulting - when an attribute defaults from a style item to a SKU during SKU creation, you can change the attribute at the SKU level later without affecting the style item. Conversely, if you change a defaulted attribute at the style item level after SKU creation, the change does not automatically appear at the SKU level. You must manually make the change at the SKU level or use a mass update function to change the SKUs.

     • Inheritance - when a SKU inherits an attribute from its style item, the attribute is always controlled at the style item level. You can only change an inherited item level user defined attribute at the style item level. Once the style item attribute is changed, all related SKUs reflect the new attribute value.

     Tip: When updating an attribute group, you can change the Style to SKU field as long as the attribute group is not associated with any item catalog category. If you need to update the Style to SKU field, delete the association and then make the update.

   • View Privilege

     Select a viewing privilege. Users must have a view privilege for any object to which this attribute group is associated. Then, you can narrow the definition of viewing privileges to meet the needs of your enterprise. For example, you may create a privilege called View Item Cost and associate it with an attribute group called "Costs." Users who have view privileges for the item can view the item, but not necessarily the cost information associated with it. To view the costs associated with the item, users must have the additional View Item Cost privilege.

     Note: The lock icon (viewed on the Search Results page) indicates that a user does not have the privilege required to view a particular attribute group. If you wish to create a custom privilege, see Creating Custom Privileges.

   • Edit Privilege

     Select an edit privilege. Users must have an edit privilege to edit information in this particular attribute group. Privileges are granted by roles assigned to users. If no view or edit privilege is specified for the attribute group, then users' ability to view and edit the attribute group is controlled by the view and edit privileges on the object to which the attribute group is associated. You can define editing privileges to meet the needs of your enterprise.

   • Raise Pre Attribute Change Event

     Click Raise Pre Attribute Change Event to raise a business event every time you want to test a proposed attribute change. This enables you to test a proposed attribute change against validating criteria before committing the attribute value to the database. See: Item Business Events .

   • Raise Post Attribute Change Event

     Click Raise Post Attribute Change Event to raise a business event every time an attribute is changed. Based on this event, you can choose to execute other functions or workflows to implement your company's business processes. See: User-Defined Attributes Business Event within the Synchronizing Item User-Defined Attributes With Item Descriptive Elements Overview.

6. Click Apply and Add Attributes to add user-defined attributes to your attribute group. Note that clicking Apply and Add Attributes saves the attribute group and commits it to the database, even if you click Cancel while on the Create Attribute page. Alternatively, click Apply to only save the attribute group and stop the process.

   If choosing Apply and Add Attributes, continue on to the next step.

7. On the Create Attribute page, provide the following information:

   Internal Name

   The internal name of the attribute. The name by which the attribute is tracked internally.

   Display Name

   The name of the attribute as it appears within the user interface.

   Sequence

   The sequence number for the attribute. The sequence determines the order in which the attribute is displayed on the page, and also determines the order in which the attribute is processed.

   Tip

   The description of the attribute; this description also appears as tip text on pages that have attributes that can be updated.

   Data Type

   Lists the available data types. The data type that you select determines the values that are available in the column and value set. An attribute's data type must match the data type specified for that attribute's value set. The list of values for a value set only displays value sets whose data type matches the data type of the attribute. Note that selecting a data type always clears the column and value set. For example, say you selected the Number data type. Then you select your column and value set--remember that your column and value set choices are determined by the data type you chose. Then you decide to change the data type from Number to Date. Notice that after you change the data type, your column and value set are cleared; you need to select new ones based on your new data type. Additionally, the data type determines the values that are available in the Display As field. You cannot change the data type once an attribute is created.

   Note: The maximum number of characters for a character type attribute is 150 characters. Translatable text fields have a limit of 1,000 characters. Number type fields have a maximum size and precision of 22.5 (22 digits to the left of the decimal and 5 digits to the right).

   Column

   A list of values that enables you to specify the column in which the attribute is stored in the database table. The column list of values only returns columns with the data type you specified in Data Type. The list of values also indicates whether or not the column is indexed. If you want the attribute to be searchable, then select a column in the database. Ensure that the Indexed checkbox is selected before you complete the attribute definition. If no indexed columns are available in the database, and you still want a searchable attribute, select a non-indexed column, and ensure the Indexed checkbox is selected before completing the attribute definition; then the database column is automatically indexed. If you do not want the attribute to be searchable, and the only columns available in the database are indexed, then ensure that the Indexed checkbox is not selected before completing the attribute definition.

   Enabled

   Specify whether or not the attribute is enabled (and available for use) or disabled (and not available for use). If the attribute is enabled, specify whether or not the attribute is optional or required. If required, the user cannot save data for an object using the attribute group without entering a value for that attribute. You can disable attributes, unless the attributes are mapped to functions. However, you cannot delete attributes after an attribute group has been associated with an item catalog category.

   Required

   Specify whether or not the user must enter an attribute value.

   Display As

   Determines how the attribute appears within the user interface. For example, if you select Text Field for an attribute called "Cost Center", then "Cost Center" appears in the user interface as a text field. The available values for Display As are determined by the data type selected.

   If you choose Checkbox, then the value set defaults to EGO_YES_NO.

   If you select Radio Group, then you must choose an independent value type set (in other words, the value set has a discrete set of values that you have already specified). If, while updating the value set, you select the Long List of Values validation type, attributes will be displayed as a text field with a list of values, thereby ignoring your choice of Radio Group.

   If you select Text Field, and choose a value set whose type is independent, then your display would be either a poplist or list of values (whether or not you get the poplist or list of values is determined by the way you define the value set). Also, when the data type is Number, and Display As is a Text Field, a Unit of Measure list of values is presented. You can choose either the Unit of Measure or the Value Set; they are mutually exclusive.

   Hidden attributes do not show up in the user interface; this attribute is primarily populated via user-defined functions.

   Selecting Dynamic URL refreshes the page with a new section for specifying the dynamic URL. Enter a URL and use any attribute Internal Name in the attribute group, enclosed between $$ symbols, as a token for the value of a parameter. When users click on the URL, the value for that attribute will replace the token in the URL's query string.

   Selecting Static URL enables you to input a web page address.

   The following table describes which display types are supported for the various data types.

   Display Types Supported by Data Types

   Display Type	String	Number	Date	Date Time	Translatable Text
   Attachment	No	Yes	No	No	No
   Check Box	Yes	No	No	No	No
   Dynamic URL	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
   Hidden	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
   Radio Group	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
   Static URL	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
   Text Area	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
   Text Field	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

   Indexed

   Specify whether or not you want the attribute to be indexed. If you choose to make this an indexed attribute, it will appear as an indexed attribute on the criteria template page. Only indexed attributes are available as sort criteria in result formats.

   Part of Unique Key

   If the attribute group is multi-row, the Part of Unique Key checkbox determines whether or not the attribute is part of the key that uniquely identifies a row. A unique key is any set of attributes whose values can be used to uniquely identify a row within the attribute group. You can define the unique key on the attribute group Detail page. You can add/edit the unique key as long as doing so does not destroy the uniqueness (creating duplicates) of existing records.

   Note: You can specify that each attribute is part of a unique key when creating the attribute, or--more conveniently--you can specify all unique key attributes in the group via the attribute group Detail page.

   Value Set

   Select a value set that will serve as a set of constraints for an attribute. For details about creating value sets, see Defining Value Sets for User-Defined Attributes.

   Caution: If versions are enabled, assign a value set to an attribute from the Setup Workbench (HTML interface) rather than from the Forms interface to avoid data corruption. Forms behavior has not been enhanced to support versions.

   Default Value

   The default value of this attribute. If you've selected a value set, the value set's constraints apply to the default value. This value defaults upon object creation.

   Caution: In an attribute group with at least one required attribute, no default values are applied for any attributes when a required attribute does not have an assigned default value.

8. Click Apply and Add Another to save and create another attribute or click Apply to save and stop the process.

   To copy an attribute group and its attributes:

When you copy an attribute group, all of the attribute group's field values and attributes default to the new attribute group. You can override all defaulted values and attributes except for the attribute group Behavior field.

1. On the Attribute Groups page, search for the attribute group to copy.

2. In the attribute group search results, click the Copy icon for the attribute group.

3. On the Create Attribute Group for Item Management page, the field values from the original attribute group appear. You must enter a new internal name for the copied attribute group, but you have the option to change all field values except for the Behavior field; you cannot change the original Single-Row, Multi-Row, or Variant value in the Behavior field.

4. Click Apply.

   The Attribute Details page appears. The attributes from the original attribute group are attached to the newly copied attribute group. From this page, you can edit or delete the existing attributes and add new attributes.