Properties dialog box - Attributes page/Attribute Assignment dialog box

Home > Properties dialog box - Attributes page/Attribute Assignment dialog box

Assign attributes a value at various stages of transaction processing by the activity. To display the Properties dialog box, right-click on a shape and choose Properties. Or, with the shape selected, on the Edit menu, choose Properties.

An attribute is a variable that keeps track of model information during simulation. For example, you can use attributes to track data using custom terminology, calculate your own statistics, or make a decision in the flowchart depending on an attribute value.

Rows contain attributes whose values you are setting at an activity.

Columns specify active assignment, location, name, and value for the attribute

Assignments made on the Attributes page apply to all transactions, regardless of how they leave the shape. If you want to assign attributes on specific paths, you can do so on the Properties dialog box - Outputs page - Normal tab or Properties dialog box - Outputs page - Exceptions tab.

Adding Attribute Assignments

Click the Add button and choose when an attribute value is assigned:

Element	Description
Enter	As the transaction reaches the activity, before the Inputs page.
Post-Input	After the Inputs page (e.g. post-collection), and before Resources page.
Pre-Task	Prior to start of the task duration, and after all resources are acquired.
Post-Task	After task duration has competed, and before output.
Exit	Activity complete.

Note: To define an attribute so that it may be assigned, click the button (Create/Modify/Initialize Attributes button).

Note: To re-order when an attribute is assigned, simply drag-drop the assignment using the left-most column, or you may select the row and use the spinner buttons.

Note: To Delete an attribute, select it in the list and choose the Delete button.

Setting Attribute Value

Once an attribute has been added, you may then define information for each assigned attribute.

Element	Description
Active	By default, the attribute is active. Uncheck this box if you do not want the attribute assigned a value at this stage of activity processing.
Location	Provides a scope or boundary for the attribute and controls which activities have access to the attribute. Please see Attribute Locations for more information.
Name	Attribute names must begin with a letter. The name can contain up to 32 alphanumeric characters and underscores. The name cannot use spaces.
Value	The value of the attribute. Click in the Value column to type a value, or choose a value from the drop-down menu. The drop-down menu for Value type attributes offers 3 time-saving choices: <build expression>: Build an expression; displays the Expression Builder dialog box. You may instead click the button. <Add one>: Add one to the attribute value. For example, T.MyAttr + 1. <Subtract one>: Subtract one from the attribute value. For example, T.MyAttr - 1. The value should be within the range of its type. For example, a Value can be any number, a string, etcetera, while a Boolean YesNo type may have a value of Yes or No.

Note: Resource attributes can only be changed when the resource has been acquired and not yet released.

Priority and Preempt Attributes

There are two built in attributes that affect queue order and resource acquisition: Priority and Preempt. Please see Priority and Preempt Transaction Attributes for more information.