Composite Attribute Content Definitions

Composite attribute content definitions are applied to columns and rows in tables to dynamically pull information from attributes within composite attributes that have been configured on product objects.

When a composite attribute content definition is used in a table, it is represented by the square icon pictured in the below screenshot.

The available composite attribute definitions are:

  • Composite Attribute - All Attributes: Dynamically creates a row / column for each attribute within the composite attribute type every time the table is rendered.
  • Composite Attribute - Single Attribute: Creates a single row / column for each attribute selected from the composite attribute type.
  • Composite Attribute Values: Required to enable the two other composite attribute content definitions. I.e., if 'Composite Attribute - All Attributes' is placed in a column, then 'Composite Attribute Values' must be placed in a row to return the values from the specified composite attribute type on the current object.

Note: Composite attributes are also known as data containers. As such, all configuration work for composite attributes is performed on the Data Containers tab in the STEP Workbench. For information on the setup and configuration of composite attributes / data containers, refer to the Data Containers section of the System Setup documentation here.

Prerequisites

The following configuration instructions presume that you have already created a table definition on your product, and that you are now defining the content definitions on a column or row. For more information on the preliminary steps of adding content definitions, refer to the Adding, Editing, and Overriding Content Definitions topic in this guide here.

Composite Attribute - All Attributes

The Composite Attribute - All Attributes content definition extracts the values from all attributes within the composite attribute type defined on the product. A row or column is dynamically created for each attribute within the composite attribute every time the table defined on the product is rendered.

The Composite Attribute - All Attributes content definition is a data selector. It is used to select the composite attribute content provided by the Composite Attribute Values content definition, which is a data provider. For more information on how data selectors and data providers are defined, refer to the Content Definitions topic in this guide here.

To configure the Composite Attribute - All Attributes content definition, follow these steps.

  1. In the Column/Row Content definition dropdown, select Composite Attribute - All Attributes.
  2. In the Composite Attribute Type dropdown list, select the relevant composite attribute object type.
  3. From the Pull list, select the relevant option for how to resolve the attribute value. Refer to the Resolving Attributes topic in this guide here for more information on the available options (e.g., Value & Unit).
  4. In the Transformation field, click the ellipsis button () to apply an attribute transformation to all values returned from the composite attribute. For more information on adding attribute transformations to attributes in tables, refer to the Applying Attribute Transformations to Table Content topic in this guide here.
  5. Check Only non empty rows/columns to ensure that there are no empty rows or columns in the table if an attribute is missing a value in the composite attribute.
  6. In the Maximum number of rows/columns field, enter a number that corresponds to the maximum number of rows or columns that should display. If left blank, all attributes within the composite attribute will display, unless otherwise limited. For example, if 'Only non empty row/columns' is checked, empty rows / columns will not be included, regardless.
  1. From the Sort on list, select the relevant sorting attribute, or leave the default selection of Name to sort the rows / columns alphabetically by attribute name. The list is composed of all description attributes in the system that have been made valid on the Attribute object type and have a validation base type of Number. The below screenshot shows a representative sample; the attributes will vary from system to system.

  1. Check Exclude if empty to include only attributes that have a sorting sequence entered. In other words, any attributes (even if they have values entered) without a value in the selected sorting sequence metadata attribute will NOT be displayed. If this box is not selected, the attributes without a value for the sorting sequence attribute will be included at the end in alphabetical order.
  1. Click OK to complete the configuration.

Composite Attribute - Single Attribute

The Composite Attribute - Single Attribute content definition extracts the value of selected attributes within the composite attribute. This definition is also a data selector, like the Composite Attribute - All Attributes definition.

To configure the Composite Attribute - Single Attribute content definition, follow these steps.

  1. In the Column/Row Content definition dropdown, select Composite Attribute - Single Attribute.
  2. In the Composite Attribute Type dropdown list, select the relevant composite attribute object type.
  3. From the Pull list, select the relevant option for how to resolve the attribute value. Refer to the Resolving Attributes topic in this guide here for more information on the available options (e.g., Value & Unit).
  4. In the left window, select the attribute(s) that you want to display in the table, then click the right-facing arrow to add the attribute(s) to the right window. To remove an attribute, select the attribute in the right window and click the left-facing arrow. Each attribute you select will create an individual column or row in the table.
  5. For Default Attribute, click the ellipsis button (). If a value is missing for any of the selected attributes, then it will be populated with the value of the attribute chosen as the default attribute. The default attribute does not have to be one of the attributes that has been selected to display in the table.

  1. Transformation: Click the ellipsis button () button to apply a transformation to the selected attribute value(s). For more information about applying attribute transformations to table content, refer to the Applying Attribute Transformations to Table Content section of this guide here.
  1. Click OK to complete the configuration.

Composite Attribute Values

Composite Attribute Values is a data provider content definition that is used to provide content for the Composite Attribute - All Attributes and Composite Attribute - Single Attribute content definitions. Values are resolved where the Composite Attribute Values content definition intersects with one of the other two composite attribute content definitions.

To configure the Composite Attribute Values content definition, follow these steps.

  1. In the Column/Row Content definition dropdown, select Composite Attribute Values.
  2. In the Composite Attribute Type dropdown, select the relevant composite attribute type.

Note: This composite attribute type must be the same composite attribute type chosen in the intersecting composite attribute content definition. If they do not match, the values will not resolve.

  1. Click OK to complete the configuration.

Sample Composite Attribute Tables

The following two examples show resolved tables using the Composite Attribute - All Attributes content definition, in conjunction with the Composite Attribute Values content definition. The first example uses a composite attribute type that contains one data container, and the second example uses a composite attribute type with two data containers.

Example 1 - Composite Attribute With One Data Container

  1. On the 'Corrugated Box' product, a composite attribute / data container type named 'Industry Standard B' has been defined on the Data Containers tab. The composite attribute contains four attributes.

  1. The table definition contains one column and two rows. The Spec Column uses the Composite Attributes - All Attributes content definition, configured to select values from the Industry Standard B composite attribute. The Normal Row uses the Composite Attribute Values content definition, configured to provide values from the Industry Standard B composite attribute. The Spec Header row uses the Attribute content definition to pull the STEP name of the attributes within the composite attribute.

  1. The table preview shows each attribute within the composite attribute in a separate column. No sort attribute was provided, so the attributes are sorted alphabetically.

Example 2 - Composite Attribute With More Than One Data Container

  1. On the 'Silicone Sealants' product, two composite attribute / data containers of the 'Industry Standard A' type named have been defined on the Data Containers tab. Each composite attribute contains three attributes.

  1. The table definition contains one column and two rows. The Spec Column uses the Composite Attributes - All Attributes content definition, configured to select values from the Industry Standard A composite attributes. The Normal Row uses the Composite Attribute Values content definition, configured to provide values from the Industry Standard A composite attributes. The Spec Header row uses the Attribute content definition to pull the STEP name of the attributes within the composite attribute.

  1. The table preview shows each attribute within the composite attribute in a separate column. Since there are two data containers within the composite attribute, two rows display. No sort attribute was provided, so the attributes are sorted alphabetically.

Considerations and Limitations

The following considerations and limitations should be kept in mind when working with composite attribute content definitions in tables:

  • Since tables cannot be resolved on entities in STEP, this functionality only applies to composite attributes / data containers on products.
  • Composite attribute content definitions will only resolve on the current object.
  • Composite attribute values, once mounted onto InDesign pages using Publisher, cannot be written back to STEP from within InDesign.
  • Composite attribute rows / columns cannot be expanded within the table definition. For example, a composite attribute with four attributes will always be represented by a single row / column in the table definition, and cannot be expanded to show four separate rows.