Attributes
An attribute defines a piece of information that you want to gather from a user. For example, the information can be text, integers, dates, or a choice from a predefined list. In Marketing Operations, you define attributes to collect these different types of information, and then place them on forms. Then, you can add or more forms to templates as tabs. When users create items, they select a template. Each attribute that is included in the template corresponds to a field or other user interface control on the tabs that collect information.
Standard and custom attributes
Marketing Operations delivers a set of standard attributes that can be used to collect information for all marketing objects. The standard attributes include name and description. To collect additional information, you create custom attributes, enable them, and add them to forms.
Before you begin to create custom attributes, Marketing Operations attributes can be shared or local, and that they are categorized based on how they can be used on forms.
Shared and local attributes
- Shared attributes can be imported into and used on any form. You create a shared attribute by clicking Settings > Marketing Operations Settings > Template Configuration > Shared Attributes.
- Local attributes apply to a single form only. You create a local attribute directly on that form by clicking Create a New Custom Attribute.
Attribute categories
Custom attributes are grouped into categories that are based on how they can be used to collect information. The attribute categories follow.
- Form attributes can be placed on any form.
- Grid attributes can be used in a grid interface.
- Campaign attributes can be used in campaign project templates.
- Cell attributes can be used in Target Cell Spreadsheets.
- Offer attributes can be used in offer templates. Offer attributes are available when optional offer integration is enabled.
Campaign, cell, and offer attributes are available only as shared attributes.
Marking attributes as required
When you create an attribute, you can specify special behavior characteristics for the attribute, including whether the attribute is Required. When you select this special behavior for an attribute and the attribute is implemented on a form, a red double asterisk (**) appears next to the corresponding field. The system also checks to assure that a value is supplied. Users receive an error if they try to save without selecting a value.
Marking attributes as required based on other attributes
In projects, you can also make an attribute required based on a single-select drop-down attribute. To make attributes required based on other attributes, you must define rules at the form level. For example, you can configure a form to require the postal code attribute if the user selects "United States" from the Country attribute drop-down.
In this case, the postal code attribute is not marked with a red double asterisk (**). Instead, if the user enters a value for an attribute that causes another attribute to become required, Marketing Operations prompts the user to enter a value for the required attribute. For example, if a user selects "United States" for the country, the user receives an error if the user tries to save the form without entering a postal code.