A set attribute is a type of derived attribute. It is similar to a group attribute except that instead of a fixed set of attributes included in the group, the attributes included in a set attribute can vary on a case-by-case basis according to conditions that you define.

More precisely, a set attribute defines a collection of primary attributes, each with a condition that determines the its membership in the set for each case.

A set attribute is useful in the situation where:

  • the project deals with possibly very many primary attributes which are related, and which may or may not be relevant for each case depending on certain conditions, and
  • the comments and rules can be more simply expressed in terms of sets rather than having to deal with all the possible combinations of the individual attributes.

For each primary attribute in a set attribute, the conditions are evaluated to determine if the attribute should be included in the set, or not, for a particular case.

To create a set attribute open the Attribute Editor (Edit|Attribute Editor). From the Edit menu select “Add set attribute …” and enter a name. Use the Add button to include the appropriate primary attributes or use the Import button to import the attributes and conditions from a spreadsheet.

Adding attributes individually

    1. Click the Add button to add a new primary attribute and condition to your set attribute.
  • Use Select to choose the primary attribute, then Add to provide one or more conditions.

 

  • Enter the condition.

 

  • The primary attribute and its condition have now been added to the set attribute.

 

In the example, the aluminium primary attribute is included in the set attribute when a case has aluminum attribute with a value “detected”

Adding attributes from a spreadsheet

    1. Select the Import button.
  • Select the xslx file that contains the attribute names and associated conditional value. The system generates a condition in the form of “attribute-name is conditional-value”, e.g. carbon is “fourteen”, when carbon is given as an attribute name and fourteen is given as a conditional value in the spreadsheet. Note, the spreadsheet file should not contain a header row.

 

  • See the attributes in the table.

 

In the example, the hydrogen attribute is included in the set attribute when a case has the attributes with a value “positive”

See also:Set Conclusion