Using attributes in calculated expressions

[Former Member]

Is there a way to use (reference) attributes that exist in a taxonomy in my repository in the calculated expression(s) of a calculated field?

Regards,

Simon

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Simon,

I am not sure you can do that. And the reasoning seems like the following:

1. Calculated expressions are defined in the console (help configure Repository definition)

2. Attributes are defined, viewed, and manipulated in the data manager.

However, validation expressions that you write and execute in the data manager can use attributes of you taxonomy.

Thanks

Savi

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Simon & Savitri,

Please go through the following - from SP2 Console guide: Calculation fields(Page 122).

"Enter the calculation expression using the keyboard and the toolbar buttons to enter values, measurements, field names, attribute names, lookup values, attribute text values, operators, and functions."

Are we missing any specific step or the console guide is misleading us??

Regards,

Rajani Kumar

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Rajani,

Yes, we saw that in the Console guide. However, in the Calculation Expression window, the attributes pull-down menu is grayed out. We have a defined taxonomy with attributes. We even have records with the attributes populated. Why is the attributes pull-down menu grayed out? How can we activate that?

Yesterday, I posted a similar question for the Validation Expressions window. Your answer was very helpful. Is the solution that you described there applicable to the calculation expressions? If so, please provide me details.

Regards,

Simon

[Former Member]

Hi Simon and Rajani,

It is worth posting a message to SAP as a question.

The main difference I perceive is: a calculation expressions defines a field value as opposed to a valdiation expression that executes on a record and field values.

Yes, in validation expression editor, once you have taxonomy defined, using branch validation you can use attributes. For Calculations, there is no editor per say.

Thanks

Savi

[Former Member]

Hi Savi,

My feeling is SAP is using the same editor for Validations & Calculations and even the console document points to "Validating Records" in Client guide.But, as you said, there is no concept of branching in Calculations. May be SAP needs to clarify this ASAP. The greyed out "Attributes" in Calculation editor is confusing.

Regards,

Rajani Kumar

[Former Member]

Hi Everyone,

Using attributes in calculated expressions is a functionality that is currently not available.

I will post a new message when it is available.

Regards,

Richard

[Former Member]

Is this still the case with 5.5 SP5 Patch02 ?

I want to do a search expression, from the main table, on Attributes and the drop-down is greyed out.

[Former Member]

Hi Mike,

In order to do what you're trying to do, make a callable validation and add it to the search pane (or to the calculated field, as appropriate).

It's still not possible (in SP5 Patch 2) to use attributes in expressions dialog for calculated fields in the Console; other posters are correct in saying that we're using the same dialog (and the documentation for the Console was probably copied from the Data Manager's documentation -- ick!) with some things like attributes disabled because supporting attributes when a repository is not loaded is a complicated problem to solve (and nobody has had time to solve it). I would suggest if any customer out there would really like to see this behavior enabled, and the above workaround is insufficient, they should submit a feature request to SAP; then at least it will be on our radar.

Thanks,

Cleopatra

[Former Member]

Thanks for the reply,

From Record Mode I added a Validation. The Validation Expression dialog has the attributes drop-down greyed-out. Am I in the wrong spot?

I'm trying to get records for a Category that actually have more than 1 value entered for a multi-valued Text attribute. Do you think that is possible?

[Former Member]

Hi Mike,

You can only use the attributes in the validation expression when the validation expression is a branched validation (right-click on a validation and select "Add branch").

Hope this helps,

Cleopatra

[Former Member]

I did that and now I get the Attributes.

I tried COUNT(attribute_name) > 1

but that returns no results. I checked and I have several records that have selected more than one value for that multi-valued attribute.

Any ideas?

[Former Member]

Hi Mike,

I reproduced the problem you're having, and you're doing everything right -- it looks like we have a bug in the software. Please submit an OSS message so the bug gets on the development queue to be fixed!

Thanks and sorry about the problem...

Cleopatra

[Former Member]

Ok.

I'm curious....if it worked....would I be able to use this with the COM API?

[Former Member]

Hi Mike,

I'm sorry, I don't know the answer to your question (I was hoping someone else might respond by now). If I find out the answer, I will post a real response for you. I can tell you for sure, it won't work now (the problem is on the server-side) so please submit an OSS message so it gets on the queue to be fixed!

Thanks and best regards,

Cleopatra