Working with property types

Creating an enumerated property type

To create a new property type, which will subsequently be available for selection when defining properties, simply carry out the steps shown in the screenshot below.

Creating an enumerated property type

Steps:

1. In the tab of the explorer, select the root of your Scope Manager project.

2. Click on the "Create an enumerated property type" icon. A new enumerated property type then appears.

3. Enter a name for this new enumerated property type (in our example, "Initial cost").

Defining literals for an enumerated property type

The next step is to define possible values for the new enumerated property type you have just created, as shown below.

Defining a literal for an enumerated property type

Steps:

1. In the explorer, select an enumerated property type.

2. Click on the "Create a literal" icon.

3. Enter a name for the new enumerated property type literal.

Let's imagine we have created three enumerated property type literals for the "Initial cost" enumerated property type: "High", "Medium" and "Low". The result of this operation in terms of property creation is shown in the screenshot below.

The new type and its possible default literals

Key:

1. The new type created earlier is now available for selection in the "Type" field.

2. The three enumeration property type literals are available for selection in the "Default value" field.

Order of creation of enumeration literals

The order in which enumeration literals are created should be carefully thought out, as this order is taken into account during sorts.

For example, let's imagine that you have created three enumeration literals for an enumeration, "Low", "Medium" and "High". If you have created these literals in this order, then any sorts run will recognize that "Low" is inferior to "Medium", which in turn is inferior to "High".

However, had you created "Medium" first, then "High" and finally "Low", then a sort would consider "Medium" to be inferior to "High", which in turn would be considered to be inferior to "Low".