User-Defined Item Attributes and Attribute Groups

User-defined attributes are based on extensible flexfields. Create an attribute group to determine which attributes are used at runtime. Extensible flexfields or user-defined attributes aren't available to customers who only license Product Model.

User-defined attributes can have a static or dynamic list of valid values, or a range of values. You can define the values for user-defined attributes when you create the item and the values remain the same for the life cycle of the item.

You can save user-defined attributes within attribute groups. You can associate user-defined attributes with items by adding attribute groups to item classes.

For example, items that are part of the Small Gasoline Engines item class include the following specifications:

• RPM
• Power
• Oil and fuel mixture
• Weight

You can define an attribute for each of these specifications and then group these attributes together as the Engine Performance attribute group.

You can create attribute groups on the Manage Attribute Groups page.

Note:

• Avoid creating similar names for the item class and flexfield attribute groups. Distinct names help ensure that rules run without error.
• Avoid using ItemCategory in the Display Name and API name fields for extensible flexfields and extensible flexfield attribute groups created on items.
• For user-defined attributes, you can optionally define validation rules to be applied when the user inputs data.
• When you create an attribute group, make sure you specify the API name.

An attribute group can be a single row, multirow, or variant.

Multirow attribute groups enable you to associate multiple sets of attribute values with the same object instance. It gives you the ability to store multiple additional attributes that are dependent on the item, organization, attribute group, and a unique value within the attribute group.

For example, if your item is a book, you can create an attribute group named Chapters that contain the following attributes:

• Chapter number

• Name

• Number of pages

You can associate multiple rows of Chapters with a book, while Name and Number of pages require a single row each. The Chapter number attribute is identified as a part of the unique key.

Note: Don't add more than 20,000 rows of data to a multirow attribute group for a single item. For optimal performance, it's recommended not to add more than 1000 rows. If you've to add more rows, consider configuring additional multirow attribute groups or custom objects.

After you create the attribute group and attributes, perform these tasks to complete the extensible flexfield setup:

• Associate the attribute to the item class using the Manage Item Class task.

• Deploy the attribute using the Deploy Item Extensible Flexfields task.

Tip: Sets of user-defined attribute groups can be organized on a single page that can then be linked from the Specifications tab.