Modifying Object Attributes

The attributes of an object can be modified both permanently or for a particular execution of the object.

This topic describes how to do both:

Modifying the Attributes for a Particular Execution

When you define an object type, you specify the general attributes that will always apply to objects with this type. In some cases, however, it might be necessary to change specific settings for a particular run of an object without modifying its general definitions. You can design your object to cater for this possibility in two ways:

  • Defining the Include objects (INCL) that specify which fields can be modified ad hoc when executing an object.

    For this purpose, client 0 is supplied with special Include objects that are already prepared for this. You can adapt them by removing the :READ statements that are not required. This way you define which fields will be editable ad hoc. The Include object must be stored both in client 0 and in your own client.

    The table below lists the Includes as well as their respective calls per object:

    Executable Object

    Include

    		 Include Call

    File transfer

    ATTRDIA.FT

    Standard program call

    BS2000 job

    ATTRDIA.BS2000

    HEADER.BS2000

    JMX job

    ATTRDIA.JMX

    HEADER.JMX

    NSK job

    ATTRDIA.NSK

    HEADER.NSK

    z/OS job

    ATTRDIA.MVS

    HEADER.MVS

    OS/400 job

    ATTRDIA.OS400

    HEADER.OS400

    PeopleSoft job

    ATTRDIA.PS

    HEADER.PS

    Rapid Automation jobATTRDIA.CITHEADER.CIT

    SAP job

    ATTRDIA.SAP

    HEADER.SAP

    SAP BW job

    ATTRDIA.SAPBW

    HEADER.SAPBW

    SQL job

    ATTRDIA.SQL

    HEADER.SQL

    UNIX job

    ATTRDIA.UNIX

    HEADER.UNIX

    VMS job

    ATTRDIA.VMS

    HEADER.VMS

    Windows job

    ATTRDIA.WINDOWS

    HEADER.WINDOWS

  • Activating the Display Attribute Dialog at activation checkbox in the Runtime Parameters section on the Attributes page when defining the object.

    The Generate Job at Runtime option must be deactivated, otherwise the ad hoc modification of object attributes is not possible.

  • Activating the Activate attributes dialog checkbox that pops up when restarting or executing once a job either from the Process Assembly or from the Process Monitoring perspective.

As a result, when executing (Execute once) and restarting the task either from the Process Assembly or from the Process Monitoring perspective, a dialog pops up displaying the fields defined in the corresponding Include object. The user must then enter the values that will apply to this object for the current execution. Once it is done, the values entered here are not valid anymore and the general definitions apply again.

Modifying the Attributes Permanently

You can specify the object attributes at different points in time and on different places:

  • When defining the objects on the Attributes Page.

  • Some executable objects allow user interaction and when they are activated, you can access their attributes and change them at runtime.

    See Modifying Object Attributes

  • For executable objects, you can also use script elements to access their attributes.

    You use the GET_ATT script function to read attributes and :PUT_ATT to set them.

  • The Automation Engine provides specific variables that also include values of attributes. They can be used in attribute fields or in Automation Engine scripts. To select them, you can use the Insert Variables dialog (see Inserting Variables/VARA Objects in Objects and Scripts).

    For more information, see User-Defined VARA Objects.

  • Some attributes can be set directly without using :PUT_ATT.

    For this purpose, enter a script variable in the object's relevant fields. This variable is replaced by the value that has been specified in the Process Pages or an Object properties variable before the object is processed.

  • The links below include documentation topics for object-specific attributes.

    • Example

    The working directory of a Windows job should be set using the script variable "&directory#". Enter the script variable in the Working Directory input field on the Windows page.

    The job script fills the variable:

      :SET &directory# = "C:\temp"

    Alternatively, you can specify the Object properties variable "directory#" to set the attribute.

    Important! Attributes can have different maximum lengths. When replacing the script variable by a value, the system does not check the value's length but truncates it to the relevant attribute's maximum length.

    You can use the attribute page available in jobs and file transfers to set specific attributes only when the object is activated.

Modifying Attributes Via the AE.DB Change Utility

Attributes can also be changed by using the AE.DB Change utility, see AEDB Change.

An exception applies for attributes that allow the values Y and N. These two letters cannot be assigned to the AE DB Change utility.

Tip: Use the number 1 instead of Y, and 20 instead of N.

Also, you cannot assign abbreviations to AE.DB Change. Always use complete attribute names (such as "GROUP" instead of " S").

This utility can also be used to modify Object variables. Do so by specifying the name "VALUE" followed by a colon and the Object properties variable's name.

Tip: You can the AE DB Change utility to change folder names. The corresponding attribute is FOLDER_NAME.