Specifying attribute names

Describes the rules for specifying attribute names.

Description

Each child in a hierarchical business object structure described by the attribute name is separated by periods. Any multiple-cardinality child business objects (BusObjArray) in the structure are represented in the element by appending front- and end-bracket symbols ([]) to the name of the child attribute. Single-cardinality child business objects must not contain brackets ([]) in the attribute name. The brackets ([]) characters are required to tell the code that parses through the child business objects in the attribute whether the object is a single business object (BusObj) or a business object array (BusObjArray).

Some example file entries corresponding to Retail_Item business object attributes include the following:
customer_data.vendorAddress
item.catalogueItem.catalogueItemChildItemLink[].catalogueItem.tradeItem.tradeItemIdentification.gtin
Because the catalogueItemChildItemLink business object is a multiple-cardinality business object array, the [] characters are appended to its name in the fully qualified attribute.
Note: If an attribute is part of a hierarchy of parent and child business objects, and any of the attribute's parent business objects does not exist in the Retail_Item, then the missing attribute code does not include the attribute in the missing attribute list. Also, the Retail_Item business object must contain an instance of its customer_data child business object for the data check code to successfully check the customer_data child business object attributes.

Converting strings

The ItemValidation collaboration object always converts mixed-case Strings to lowercase characters by using the command toLowerCase() before testing their values against known values. An exception is that attributes that are used by Java™ to reference a business object remain in mixed-case characters. An example is an attribute name that is inserted in the multiple cardinality array of Retail_Missing_Attributes business objects in the internals.customer_data_missing_attributes attribute.

Parent topic: Validating an object by requiring data for specific attributes