Attributes

This article details the type of attributes a data model can have in a Brinqa Platform, and how to create or edit data model attributes. See Attribute references for the list of attributes each data model has.

What are attributes?

Attributes define the properties and the metadata of each data model in the Brinqa Platform.

To begin working with data model attributes, navigate to Administration on the upper-right corner and under Data, click Models. Click the data model for which you want to view or edit the attributes and click Attributes.

The attributes page allows you to create, edit, delete, or order attributes. The following table describes the columns on the attributes page:

Table 1: Attribute list view details

Columns	Description
Order	The order in which the attributes display in views. You can order the attributes by dragging them up or down the list.
Title	The title of the attribute.
Name	The name of the attribute.
Type	The type of the attribute.
Required	Whether the attribute is required for the data model.

Attribute types

The following attribute types are available when creating new attributes or changing the type of existing attributes:

Table 2: Attribute types

Type	Description
Attachments	Supports attaching files to a record.
Auto Number	Automatically assigns a unique number to each record.
BQL Predicate	A special attribute type for the SLA and Risk factor data models to ensure proper Brinqa condition language syntax.
Calculated	Performs calculation based on other values or attributes. For additional information, see Calculated attributes.
Comments	Captures and displays user comments.
Currency	Displays a number in the currency format. You can configure the length and decimal places.
Data Source	Represents the data source providing the data.
Date	Displays date in the dd MMM yyyy format.
Date/Time	Displays date and time in the dd MMM yyyy hh:mm aa format.
Email	Displays email addresses with a default of 320 characters.
HTML	Displays strings with a built-in HTML editor.
Labels	Displays any combination of letters, numbers, or symbols representing a tag.
Master Detail	Defines a parent-child relationship between datasets where the parent dataset controls certain behaviors of the child dataset. For example, when a parent dataset is deleted, its child datasets are also deleted.
Multiple Choice	Displays a list of choices where multiple selections are allowed.
Number	Displays a number. You can configure the length and decimal places.
Password	Displays a text field that stores passwords with one-way encryption. One-way encryption stores the password as a secure hash value that cannot be decrypted.
Percentage	Displays a number representing percentage. You can configure the length and decimal places.
Phone	Displays a text field that provides formatting and validation for telephone numbers.
Reference	Stores a reference to an attribute of another data model. For example, the Targets attribute of the Vulnerability data model has a reference to the Host data model.
Simple Choice	Displays a list of choices where a single selection is allowed.
Status	Displays a list of choices and default values representing statuses.
Text	Displays any combination of letters, numbers, or symbols. You can set a maximum length. The default is 256 characters.
Text Area	Displays any combination of letters, numbers, or symbols that display on multiple lines. You can set the maximum length and number of visible lines. The default is 500 characters and 3 visible lines.
Time	Displays the time of day.
True False	Provides a true or false selection.
URL	Displays a clickable Uniform Resource Locator (URL). The URL opens in a separate browser window or tab when clicked. The default length is 2048 characters.
Unique Identifier	A special attribute type to enforce uniqueness of the attribute.

info

While it is possible to add calculated attributes to Source Data Models (SDMs), it is generally not recommended. The primary reason is to keep the raw data from the source unmodified to ensure the integrity of the data. Modifications and calculations should typically be performed at the Unified Data Model (UDM) level, depending on the use case. However, if your specific use case requires calculated attributes at the SDM level, please consult with your Brinqa Support specialists to determine the best approach.

Attribute options

An attribute contains the following options:

Table 3: Attribute options

Option	Description
Active	Marks the attribute as active. Inactive attributes do not lose their values, but they are not shown on views and are not included in calculations.
Exportable	Indicates whether the attribute can be exported to a seperate data model.
Hidden	Marks that the attribute is hidden. Hidden attributes are not displayed in views.
Index	Enables full-text searching for this attribute.
Read only	Marks the attribute as read only. Users cannot edit read-only attributes.
Required	Marks that the attribute is required for the data model.

Create a new attribute

1. Navigate to Administration on the upper-right corner and under Data, click Models.

2. Locate and click the data model to which you want to add an attribute.

3. Click Attributes on the navigation menu.

4. Click Create.

   • Title: The title of the attribute.

   • Name: The name populates using the attribute's title. The name can only contain alphanumeric characters and must be unique for a given data model. It must begin with a letter and not include spaces, symbols, or underscores.

   • Description: The description of the attribute.

   • Help: The text that appears on the list pages.

   • Type: The type of the attribute. Select an attribute type from the list. See Attribute types for additional information.

   • Default renderer: The default renderer for the attribute. The renderer determines how the attribute displays on the list or show page.

   • Options: The options available for the attribute. See Attribute options for additional information.

5. Click Create.

The attributes page reloads and you can drag the newly created attribute up or down on the table to set the order. Attribute order is used when performing calculations.

Edit or delete an attribute

You can edit or delete existing attributes if the data model does not extend another data model. Hold the pointer over the entry and click Edit or Delete to modify an existing attribute.

When a data model extends another data model, the attributes exist on the parent data model, so you cannot edit the attributes in the child data model. You can, however, use the Override option to change the behavior of that attribute for the child.