Attribute Types & Features

Attribute types define the fields displayed on object types. Features are flags that control how attributes render, index, and behave. Choosing the right attribute types and features determines whether your package works as expected.

Core Attribute Types

The core package ships 50+ attribute types covering common metadata fields. Reuse these before creating custom attribute types.

Key	Purpose
core#name	Object name
core#description	Rich text description (is_html enabled)
core#abbreviation	Short code or acronym
core#note	Plain text note
core#url	External URL (is_url_link enabled)
core#date_created	Creation timestamp
core#date_modified	Last modification timestamp
core#external_id	Identifier from an external system
core#classification	Classification tag reference
core#count	Numeric count value
core#status	Status label

These cover URLs, dates, counts, IDs, classifications, and general-purpose text. The full set spans 50+ attribute types.

Feature Catalog

Features are key-value flags attached to attribute types. They control rendering, search indexing, and data constraints.

Rendering Features

Feature	Type	Effect
is_html	bool	Enables the rich text editor for this attribute
is_url_link	bool	Renders the value as a clickable hyperlink
is_yes_no	bool	Renders a checkbox toggle
is_yes_no_icon	bool	Renders a boolean with an icon indicator
is_date	bool	Renders a date picker
is_number	bool	Renders a numeric input field
sort_by_number	bool	Sorts values as integers instead of lexicographic strings
is_markdown	bool	Renders a Markdown editor

Use sort_by_number together with is_number. Without it, numeric values sort lexicographically (“10” appears before “2”).

Search Features

Search features control how Elasticsearch indexes the attribute values.

Feature	Type	Effect
is_search_type_text	bool	Full-text search with analysis and stemming
is_search_type_term	bool	Exact matching and facet filtering
is_search_type_bool	bool	Boolean facet in search filters
is_token_text	bool	Keyword tokenization for tags and labels
is_search_default_result_text	bool	Includes this attribute in search result snippets

An attribute without any is_search_type_* feature is not indexed. It will not appear in search results or facet filters, regardless of its content.

Data Features

Feature	Type	Effect
is_translatable	bool	Supports values in multiple languages
has_multiple_values	bool	Allows multiple values (default is single value)
is_mandatory	bool	Requires a value before the object can be saved
is_parent_inheritable	bool	Inherits value from parent object

The property acceptableCodetableValues (top-level on attribute type, not a feature) links to a codetable object type key for dropdown options.

Concept Features

Concept features apply to business glossary attributes where attributes map to semantic concepts.

Feature	Pattern	Purpose
is_attribute_type_concept_*	bool	Maps the attribute to a specific concept role (definition, example, scope)

These features are relevant for glossary and data catalog packages. Most custom packages do not need them.

For the complete list of all feature keys, see the package schema (package-schema-attributeTypes.json). The features listed above cover the most common use cases — the schema defines 60+ feature keys including script language variants (is_script_javascript, is_script_python, etc.) and specialized search variants.

Feature Type Safety

Features have explicit value types: boolean, integer, or string. The system does not coerce types.

{
  "key": "is_html",
  "value": true
}

Codetable Attributes

A codetable attribute creates a dropdown selector linked to a codetable object type. Each entry in the codetable has two fields:

Field	Purpose
label	Display text shown in the UI dropdown
value	Internal identifier used in filters and automations

Configure the link by setting the acceptableCodetableValues feature on the attribute type:

{
  "key": "acceptableCodetableValues",
  "value": "my_package#country_list"
}

The referenced codetable object type must exist and contain entries before the dropdown renders options.

Conditions on Attributes

Conditions restrict attribute visibility or editability based on the user’s relation to the object and the current workflow state.

{
  "conditions": [
    {
      "userRelationTypeKey": "core_business_owner",
      "workflowStateKey": "draft",
      "editable": true,
      "visible": true
    }
  ]
}

Both userRelationTypeKey and workflowStateKey must reference valid entities declared in the package or its dependencies. An invalid key causes the condition to silently fail, making the attribute invisible to all users in that state.

Condition Evaluation

• Multiple conditions combine with OR logic. If any condition matches, the attribute is visible/editable.
• A condition with only userRelationTypeKey (no workflowStateKey) applies in all workflow states.
• A condition with only workflowStateKey (no userRelationTypeKey) applies to all users.
• An attribute with no conditions is visible and editable by default.

Decision Tree: Choosing Features

Need	Feature	Notes
Rich text editing	is_html	Enables WYSIWYG editor
Clickable link	is_url_link	Renders as <a> element
Yes/No toggle	is_yes_no	Checkbox control
Yes/No with icon	is_yes_no_icon	Visual indicator instead of checkbox
Dropdown selection	acceptableCodetableValues	Reference a codetable objectType
Full-text searchable	is_search_type_text	Analyzed, stemmed, ranked by relevance
Exact-match filter	is_search_type_term	Facet filtering, exact value matching
Boolean filter	is_search_type_bool	Boolean facet in search sidebar
Tag-style keywords	is_token_text	Tokenized keyword matching
Date input	is_date	Calendar date picker
Numeric input	is_number + sort_by_number	Numeric field with correct sort order
Markdown editor	is_markdown	Markdown rendering and editing
Multi-language	is_translatable	One value per configured language
Multiple values	has_multiple_values	Allows adding more than one value
Required field	is_mandatory	Object cannot be saved without this value

Combining Features

Multiple features can apply to the same attribute type. Common combinations:

• is_number + sort_by_number + is_search_type_term — numeric field, sorted correctly, filterable as a facet
• is_html + is_search_type_text + is_search_default_result_text — rich text, full-text searchable, shown in search snippets
• is_translatable + is_search_type_text — multi-language text, each language indexed separately
• is_yes_no + is_search_type_bool — boolean toggle with a boolean facet filter

Gotchas

Complete Attribute Type Example

An attribute type with rendering, search, and data features:

{
  "key": "business_definition",
  "name": "Business Definition",
  "features": [
    { "key": "is_html", "value": true },
    { "key": "is_translatable", "value": true },
    { "key": "is_mandatory", "value": true },
    { "key": "is_search_type_text", "value": true },
    { "key": "is_search_default_result_text", "value": true }
  ],
  "conditions": [
    {
      "userRelationTypeKey": "core_business_owner",
      "workflowStateKey": "draft",
      "editable": true,
      "visible": true
    },
    {
      "userRelationTypeKey": "core_steward",
      "editable": true,
      "visible": true
    }
  ]
}

This attribute renders as a rich text editor, supports translations, is required, full-text searchable, and appears in search result snippets. Business owners can edit it only in draft state. Stewards can edit it in any state.

For a complete guide on conditions — including standalone condition assets, evaluation logic, and when to use inline vs standalone conditions — see Conditional Visibility.