Tab Page: General BI InfoObject

Use

On this tab page, you specify the basic properties of the characteristic.

Structure

Dictionary

Specify the data type and the data length. The system provides you with selection options using F4 Help.

The following data types are supported for characteristics:

Char:	Numbers and letters	Character length 1 - 60
Numc:	Numbers only	Character length 1 - 60
Dats:	Date	Character length 8
Tims:	Time	Character length 6

Miscellaneous

Lowercase Letters Allowed / Not Allowed

If this indicator is set, the system differentiates between lowercase letters and capital letters when you use a screen template to input values. If this indicator is not set, the system converts all the letters into capital letters when you use a screen template to input values. During the load process or in the transformation, no conversion occurs. This means that values with lowercase letters cannot be updated to an InfoObject that does not allow lowercase letters.

If you choose to allow the use of lowercase letters, you must be aware of what happens when you input variables:

If you want to use the characteristic in variables, the system is only able to find the values for the characteristic if the lowercase letters and the capital letters are typed in accurately on the input screen for variables. If, on the other hand, you do not allow the use of lowercase letters, any characters that you type in the variable screen, are converted automatically into capital letters.

Conversion Routines

The standard conversion for the characteristic is displayed. If this standard conversion is unsuitable, you can override it by specifying a conversion routine in the underlying domain. See also Conversion Routines in BI Systems.

Attribute Only

If you select Attribute Only, the created characteristic can be used only as a display attribute for another characteristic and not as navigation attribute. Furthermore, you cannot transfer the characteristic into InfoCubes. However, you can use it in DataStore objects or InfoSets.

Characteristic Is Document Property

You can specify that a characteristic be used as a document property. This enables you to assign a comment (this can be any document) to a combination of characteristic values. See also Documents and the example Characteristic Is Document Property.

Since it does not make sense to use this comment function for all characteristics, you need to identify explicitly the characteristics that you want to appear in the comments.

If you set this indicator, the system generates a property (attribute) for this characteristic in the metamodel of the document management system. For technical reasons, this property (attribute) has to be written to a (dummy) transport request (the appropriate dialog box appears) but it is not actually transported.

Constants

By assigning a constant to a characteristic, you give it a fixed value. The characteristic then exists on the database side (for example, verifications), but it does not appear in reporting. Assi