Modifying Object Attributes

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

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 job	ATTRDIA.CIT	HEADER.CIT
  SAP job	ATTRDIA.SAP	HEADER.SAP
  SAP BW job	ATTRDIA.SAPBW	HEADER.SAPBW
  Siebel job	ATTRDIA.SIEBEL	HEADER.SIEBEL
  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.

  • Agent Groups (HOSTG)
  • File Transfers (JOBF)
  • Notification (CALL)
  • Scripts (SCRI)
  • Jobs (JOBS)
  • Defining Remote Task Manager Objects
  • Variables Page
  • Events (EVNT)
  • Job Groups (JOBG)
  • Schedules (JSCH)
  • Workflows (JOBP)

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 AE DB 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.