Category Attributes
Each record in a repository has the same structure – the same attributes, with the same data types, in the same order. However, each record may not use all the attributes. If a business sells multiple types of items, their product repository profile must include attributes for every type of item. For example, to store data about pens, the record would need to include attributes relative to pens, such as the type of ink they use. But if the company also sold paper, the record would also have to include attributes that describe paper, such as paper thickness. Therefore, every record in the product repository must include attributes for both pens and paper: type of ink and paper thickness. Records that contain data about pens would leave the data fields for paper thickness empty. Records that contain data about paper would leave the data field for type of ink empty.
Because a business can sell thousands of products, product records can have thousands of attributes. While this is not a problem for computers, it can be a problem for computer users. Most users don't want to wade through thousands of empty attributes to find the ones they are interested in. They only want to see the attributes that apply to the product record they are accessing.
EnterWorks can be configured to define these relevant attributes as category attributes (also known as category specific attributes). Category attributes are assigned to a taxonomy node, which indicates to EnterWorks that all the records attached to that node use that attribute. The taxonomy attribute is the control attribute for category attributes. Depending on system configuration, descendent taxonomy nodes (a node's subcategory nodes or inherit category attributes as well. Note that category attribute values are not shared – each record still maintains its own attribute value. The only effect of designating an attribute as a category attribute is to indicate to EnterWorks which attributes are relevant for a particular record.
Once category attributes have been defined and assigned to nodes in the taxonomy, and product records have also been assigned to the taxonomy, viewing or editing a record in that repository will only show the assigned category attributes.
Also be careful if you change the taxonomy assignment of a record. If the new taxonomy node does not have the same category attributes as the old node, when the record is reassigned, the values of the old taxonomy node's category attributes will be deleted from the record.
Dynamic Attributes
Dynamic attributes are similar to category attributes, but they can be assigned to a control attribute that is not the taxonomy. The control attribute for category attributes is the taxonomy attribute and only the taxonomy attribute, so a repository can only contain one set of category attributes. Since dynamic attributes are assigned to other attributes, a repository can have more than one set of dynamic attributes. Restricted hierarchies can have dynamic attributes. If the control attribute for a set of dynamic attributes is a restricted hierarchy attribute, dynamic attribute values can be inherited.
Association Objects
An association object is used to assign category attributes to the taxonomy and to assign dynamic attributes to a specific control attribute. It is a list of control attribute values and their assigned category/dynamic attributes. There is one [control-attribute-value | category/dynamic-attribute] pair for each attribute assigned to a control attribute. In the case of category attributes (which are controlled by the taxonomy) and dynamic attributes that are controlled by a hierarchy attribute, the association object also indicates if an attribute for a node can be inherited by its children nodes, meaning that the attribute is assigned once to the parent node but also applies to all its children nodes.
If a code set is assigned to a category or dynamic attribute, the associations for the attribute can also specify a subset of the code set values. An example would be a category attribute named "Color" that is assigned to a code set containing the values: "Blue", "Black", "Red", "Green", and "Yellow". An assignment of the Color attribute to the node: "Stationary.Writing Materials.Pens" may limit the values for Color to "Blue", "Black", or "Red" while the assignment to the node: "Equipment.AudioVisual.Laser Pointers" may limit the values for Color to "Red" or "Green". When a user is editing a record, the dropdown menu for Color will only show the designated subset of values.