Fields

This feature is only available in the current version of Author Studio released in the fall of 2023. If you have not updated to the newest version of the product, see our Archived Author Studio Documentation here.

Fields have the same function in Author Studio as they do in irAuthor, but if you are used to authoring in irAuthor, the creation process is slightly different in Author Studio. If you are unfamiliar with the idea of Fields and their purpose, read the article, Working with Fields.

Adding a field

1. Select the rule application that has the Entity you would like to add a field to and navigate to the Entities page. 
   
   
   
2. Click on the Entity you would like to add a new field to. 
   
   
   
3. Once inside the Entity, you will see the option to add a new field. Click on New Field. 
   
   
   
4. In the property panel, you can name the entity, set a display name, write a description, select a Data Type, and choose a default value. 
   
   

Property Panel

Once the Field you want to edit is selected, you can use the Property Panel to customize it. The Functionality of fields is the same in Author Studio as it is in irAuthor, but the creation process is simplified. 

Everything in the property panel is automatically saved. The changes have been saved once the Autosave symbol disappears. 

1. Name

Specifies the name of the field. For fields that are based on an external source, this value may not be modified.

2. Display Name

Specifies the name that will be used in the business language editor when referring to this field.

3. Description

Here you can write a description of the Entity. This is helpful for other users in your organization and can serve as a way to create a helpful reminder for yourself. 

4. Data Type

Specifies the data type of the field. The available options are:

5. Default Value toggle 

This is where you can specify if the field has a default value.

6. Default Value

Specifies the default value of the field.

The default value may be specified for either value-type fields (text, integer, …) or entity fields.

For Entity Fields, the Default Value checked specifies that the field should be instantiated/assigned when the containing entity is first instantiated. The XML state of the entity may be optionally specified to set its initial state when instantiated.

For fields of type date and datetime, default values must be prefixed and suffixed by a # character. e.g., #2/4/2004#, #2004-02-04#. Optionally time zone suffix can be specified such as #2004-02-04T01:03:00 -06:00# or #2004-02-04T07:03:00Z#

Differences between Fields in irAuthor and Author Studio

If you are used to working in irAuthor, these are the things you should consider when creating and editing fields in Author Studio. 

• Everything is a field. Instead of adding an Entity collection or a Complex collection, you will add a field and select Data Type: Entity collection or Complex collection. In Author Studio all the field drop-downs and collection drop-downs are combined into one drop-down, the Data Type drop-down.
• There is no Calculations option in Author Studio
• You cannot add, view, or edit Constraints in Author Studio

Deleting a field

1. Hover over the row of the Field you would like to delete, and a trashcan icon will appear.
   
   
   
2. Click on the trashcan icon .
   
   
3. You will be prompted to confirm the deletion. Click on Delete.