2.3. Creating InfoObjects—Characteristics

Now we are ready to create characteristics.

Work Instructions

Step 1.	Right-click InfoObject Catalog – demo: characteristics, and then select Create InfoObject…. SCREEN 2.8
Step 2.	Enter a name and a description, and then click  to continue. SCREEN 2.9
Step 3.	Select CHAR as the DataType, enter 15 for the field Length, and then click the tab Attributes. SCREEN 2.10
Step 4.	Enter an attribute name IO_MATNM, and then click  to create the attribute. Note Notice that IO_MATNM is underlined. In BW, the underline works like a hyperlink. After IO_MATNM is created, when you click IO_MATNM, the hyperlink will lead you to IO_MATNM's detail definition window. SCREEN 2.11
Step 5.	Select the option Create attribute as characteristic, and then click  to continue. Note Section 11.3, “Creating a Characteristic in BW,” discusses an example of the key figure attribute. SCREEN 2.12
Step 6.	Select CHAR as the DataType, and then enter 30 for the field Length. Notice that the option Exclusively attribute is selected by default. Click  to continue. Note If Exclusively attribute is selected, the attribute IO_MATNM can be used only as a display attribute, not as anavigational attribute. Section 7.2, “InfoCube Design Alternative I— Time-Dependent Navigational Attributes,” discusses an example of the navigation attributes. Selecting Exclusively attribute allows you to select Lowercase letters. If the option Lowercase letters is selected, the attribute can accept lowercase letters in data to be loaded. SCREEN 2.13 If the option Lowercase letters is selected, no master data tables, text tables, or another level of attributes underneath are allowed. Section 7.1, “BW Star Schema,” describes master data tables and text tables, and explains how they relate to a characteristic.
Step 7.	Click  to check the characteristic. If it is valid, click  to activate the characteristic. SCREEN 2.14
Step 8.	A window is displayed asking whether you want to activate dependent InfoObjects. In our example, the dependent InfoObject is IO_MATNM. Click to activate IO_MAT and IO_MATNM. SCREEN 2.15