Creating property types

The property types that entity and link types contain are the templates for the properties that entities and links contain. When you create property types, you provide the basis on which i2 applications perform comparisons and analysis of your data.

About this task

The process of creating a property type involves not only naming and describing it, but also setting parameters for the values that properties with the type can have.

For example, all property types have a logical type that restricts what kind of values their properties have. But for some logical types, you can also place constraints on the size of those values, or even limit them to a predefined set.

Procedure

To create a property type in Schema Designer:

  1. In the navigation tree, select the entity or link type to which you want to add the new property type.

  2. Click Insert > New Property Type.

    A New Property Type is added to the list of property types for the entity or link that you selected. The Property Type tab displays Name and Description fields that you can edit, as well as an indicator that a semantic type is yet to be assigned.

    The tab also contains the fields that govern the values of properties with this type.

  3. Provide a name and a description for the new property type. The name has no enforced restrictions, but keep in mind that it will appear in column headings and similar locations. Shortness can therefore be an advantage.

  4. Next to the Semantic Type field, click Select to choose a semantic type for this property type.

  5. Use the Logical Type drop-down to specify the logical type that values of properties with this type must have.

    • If you choose a string type, you can also specify a Maximum Length for property values.

    • If you choose a selected-from or suggested-from list type, you should additionally create the values that users see by adding them to the Selection List.

  6. To specify that a property of this type must have a value in all entities or links that contain it, select Is Mandatory.

Results

The property type is successfully created, complete with your semantic and logical type specifications. You can now use this type in labeling schemes and charting schemes.