Creating Attributes

Attributes are characteristics or detailed pieces of information that either relate to a particular object or show relations between objects (Reference / Link). To create an attribute, follow the directions below.

Attributes can also be created in bulk, using the export and import functionality and the Excel format. For details, refer to the Managing Attribute Parameters with Excel topic.

Create an Attribute

If the attribute will be used for an entity, review the Creating attributes for entity object types section below.

  1. In System Setup, expand Attribute Groups, select a group for the new attribute to live under, right-click the group and select New Attribute.

  2. On the Create Attribute wizard, type an ID and Name. Refer to the Attribute ID Considerations section in this topic for more information.

    Note: Attribute IDs are case sensitive.

    • Select the validation that the attribute should be based on from the Validation Base Type dropdown list. For a list of available validation base types, refer to the Validation Rules topic.

    • Specify whether the attribute should hold multiple values on each product or only one value per product.

    • Determine whether it is a Specification or Description attribute. Refer to the Specification Attributes topic and the Description Attributes topic.

    • Click Next.

  3. Type an Input Mask, Minimum Value and/or Maximum Value. Click Next.

    Note: When configuring a description attribute for use by AI agents with Consumer MCP Server, refer to the Important information in the Attribute Metadata on an Attribute Definition and Attribute Metadata on Reference and Link Type Definitions topics.

  4. The Select Units step will only be visible if a validation base type of Embedded Number, Fraction, Integer, Number, Numeric Text, or Numeric Text (exclude tags) numeric validation base type has been selected.

    • Search or browse to add one or more relevant Units or Unit Groups.

    • Select a unit to be selected as the default unit. Click Next.

  5. Select the product types the attribute is associated with. Click Next.

  6. Apply dimension dependencies. Click Next.

  7. Select a tree node where the attribute should be linked.

    Note: If the attribute should be a description attribute or a link attribute, it is not necessary to link the attribute to a product or a classification.

  8. Click Finish to create the attribute.

    Note: Attributes are created as specification attributes by default. Specification attributes are only valid for Product Object Types. If an attribute should be valid for Classification Object Types or Entity Object Types, for example, it must be changed into a description attribute, which is used to describe non-product STEP objects, such as classifications and entities.

The next steps in attribute creation, as required, are to specify externally maintained, calculated, and/or specify the validity.

Attribute ID Considerations

Take the following information into consideration when creating attribute IDs for attributes that are used for Elasticsearch searches. Refer to the Search Screen topic for information about this functionality.

IDs cannot start and/or end with a period / dot (i.e., '.').

The following words are currently forbidden to be used as part of the ID:

  • simpleValue
  • lowerCaseValue
  • unitId
  • numeric
  • dateTime

Examples of forbidden attribute IDs:

  • [forbidden word], e.g., 'numeric'
  • abc.[forbidden word], e.g., 'abc.numeric'
  • abc.[forbidden word].abc, e.g., 'abc.numeric.abc'
  • end with a dot, e.g., 'abc.'
  • start with a dot, e.g., '.abc'
  • dot or dots by itself / themselves, e.g., '.', '....'
  • etc.

For faceted search, mappings cannot be made for these in Elasticsearch, and the attributes cannot be shown as facets.

Creating attributes for entity object types

When creating attributes for entity object types, the general attribute creation process is the same as described above. However, the following choices apply to entities:

  • Attributes for entity object types are created as ‘description’ attributes.

  • Validity is set for entity object types or entity data container types.

  • No product hierarchy or classification validity is configured. Entity attributes are not linked to classifications or product hierarchies.

  • Entities do not support specification attributes or specification attribute inheritance.

The following example shows how to create a customer (entity) attribute and highlights how the configuration differs from a product attribute.

Creating a Customer Attribute

  1. In System Setup > Attribute Group > Party Data, right-click the relevant group (e.g., ‘Address Data’), and select ‘New Attribute’.

  2. In the ‘Create Attribute’ wizard, fill in the fields and select ‘Description’ attribute, as entity object types do not support specification attributes.

  3. Enter a ‘Validation Rule’, if required.

  4. The Select Unit(s) step is displayed only when the chosen validation base type requires units.

  5. Make the attribute valid for the relevant entity object type or data container type. This is how entity attributes are enabled and determines where the attribute appears.

  6. Apply dimension dependencies, if required.

  7. Skip classification and product hierarchy validity configuration. Entity attributes are applied through object type validity.

  8. Click Finish to create the attribute.