Properties of repository items can have a data type of enumerated. Enumerated properties are string properties constrained to a predefined list of valid values and stored as integer codes in the database. A TaggedPropertyEditor is registered for enumerated properties so that components like user interfaces can access the list of valid values. For these reasons, the list of valid values should be small. For example, it is not appropriate to use an enumerated attribute for something that could take on more than a hundred values. Instead, you might make a reference to another item with a single int property.
Here is an example of an item descriptor definition that creates an enumerated property named transactionType:
<!-- The "transaction" item type --> <item-descriptor name="transaction"> <table name="transaction" id-column-names="xact_id"> <property name="amount" data-type="int"/> <property name="transactionType" data-type="enumerated"> <option value="credit"/> <option value="debit"/> <option value="purchase"/> </property> </table> </item-descriptor>
In this example the list of valid String values is specified explicitly and the corresponding integer codes are generated by the SQL repository when the template is initialized. It is also possible to specify the integer codes explicitly, using the code attribute in the <option> tag:
<property name="transactionType" data-type="enumerated"> <option value="credit" code="0"/> <option value="debit" code="1"/> <option value="purchase" code="2"/> </property>
By default, an enumerated property returns its value as an integer code. You can instead configure an enumerated property so that the repository converts the integer code into a string value. Do this by using the useCodeForValue attribute in the property definition, as in the following example:
<property name="gender" data-type="enumerated">
<attribute name="useCodeForValue" value="false"/>
<option value="male" code="0"/>
<option value="female" code="1"/>
</property>
In the above property example, with useCodeForValue set to false, then if you get the gender property, the string male or female is returned. With useCodeForValue set to true, then the integer code 0 or 1 would be returned instead. If your enumerated property returns an integer code, you can get the property editor for your enumerated property and use that to create a property editor that can convert between the string value and the integer code value. See the JavaBeans specification for a description of PropertyEditors.
