Customizing the Attributes file

To avoid problems in your database, you should follow certain steps when making changes to the Attributes file to insure that all appropriate files in the database are properly updated with your changes. Perform any of the following steps WITH THE DATABASE SERVER DOWN!

1. Bringing the server down

Refer to "Stopping the database server" on page 42 for details.

2. Adding new attributes/values

If adding something new to the Attributes file, that is, adding an entirely new attribute with values, or adding a NEW value to an existing attribute, you simply use any text editor, edit the Attributes file, $RAZOR_UNIVERSE_DIR/DOMAIN_01/<group>/Tables/Attributes, and add all new changes. Remember the "format" for each line in the Attributes file; there are 3 or more fields, separated by tabs (no leading or trailing "spaces"), and if a value list is used, the values must be comma separated. All new additions to the Attributes file can be made in one edit session.

NOTE: If a new value is being added to the STATE attribute, you should also edit the Bitmaps file and include the new value. For your issues Attributes file, you must also edit the Permissions file and include the value as well.

3. Changing an existing attribute

If modifying an attribute that currently exists in the database, that is, you need to remove an attribute or one of its values, or you wish to rename the attribute name or a value in its list, you must update all references in the database for that name or value (and there may be more than one reference). To insure that all locations in the database are properly updated with your modification, we have provided the following scripts to do all of the work:

rz_remove_attr <group> <attr name>
rz_remove_attr_val <group> <attr name> <attr value>
rz_rename_attr <group> <Old name> <New name>
rz_rename_attr_val <group> <attr name> <Old value> <New 
value>

You can see the convention used in these scripts. If the script name ends in _val, you're going to modify an attribute value; otherwise, you're going to modify an attribute name. You must always provide the <group>, so the correct Attributes file will be modified (whether it's in an issues, file control or threads group), the <attr name> of the attribute to be modified, and if appropriate, the attribute value.

NOTE: By using these scripts, ALL points in the database will be properly updated; this means the Attributes file, Permissions and Bitmaps files (if appropriate) and the Info files.

NOTE: If you rename or remove attributes and/or attribute values and are using IssueWeaver, remember that you may also have to update the rules files to reflect the changes.

NOTE: If you are renaming LABEL and TEXT_PANE attribute values, the <Old value> is ignored, relieving you from having to type the old value exactly, spaces and all. It won't matter what is entered for <Old Value>. This also holds true for the LABEL attribute value.

4. Restarting the server

Lastly, once all the necessary scripts have been run and new additions made, restart the database server. See "Starting the database server" on page 40.