Setting custom properties

You can set custom properties for both the entity and link types supported in an i2 Analyze schema, and for custom types created by you and other analysts.

About this task

Usually the chart items you create as part of the import process, are governed by your charting scheme. Sometimes the values of the incoming data that you want to import might not have a property setting defined in your schema. For example, you want to import data about dog thefts that includes "types of dog" and "microchip identity numbers", however you cannot find suitable properties to represent this data. You can create new custom properties so that each of these columns can be assigned in the import process. It is important to understand how to build and create records outside of the charting scheme. Entity chart items use the icon of the entity type you choose in the design, and the label is the record label of the lead record. The link summarization setting for link chart items decides the label, which is either the record label or record count. For both custom entity and link types, no attributes are created or chart item properties mapped to. You must also specify logical types to tell the import wizard what sort of data it is processing. These are usually determined by the logical types in your schema, however you need to specify a logical type for a new custom property at the time that you create one.

Procedure

  1. In the import design, click an entity or a link.
    The record or item properties are displayed in a table next to the import design. If you are working with a new custom type, only the type is displayed because other values have not yet been specified.
  2. Click New Custom Property.
  3. Type a name for your new property, and click the checkbox if you want to include the property name in the item's label.
    You cannot create a new property with a name that you have already used in this import specification, even if you choose a different logical type.
  4. Select a logical type and variant. The default is a single-line text string.
    In all instances, other than single-line text, the logical type is displayed in brackets next to the property. For example Microchip number *(Integer).
  5. Click OK.
    The property is created with a * next to the name, to indicate it is a custom property. The value remains (not set) until incoming data is assigned.
  6. Repeat the process until you have created the required properties for the item. You can delete custom properties, toggle the label inclusion option and move properties up and down in the list, using the buttons beneath the list.

What to do next

Once you have created the properties you need to model the incoming data, you can assign columns to the relevant values in the import wizard. You can return to the Assign Columns page to add or delete custom properties at any time before running the import.
Note: Custom properties on i2 Analyze schema types cannot be uploaded to the Information Store or used when present on seeds for External Searches in i2 Connect.