Metadata Browser view

This view is available for working exclusively with metadata properties on components and histories. The interface provides a convenient way to add metadata slots to one or more components or histories. Although you can add metadata slots directly to a component or a history from the slot view, the Metadata Browser has the ability to add metadata slots to thousands of objects in one batch job.

The interface (shown in the following image) is a view on the root station component. It filters and navigates through your histories or components so that you can selectively batch-add metadata to all the desired objects. The view runs a job for the metadata operation and reports the results in a job log. If a job runs and is unsuccessful at any point, the job log displays the reason for the failure.

 NOTE: An example of a failure might be that you are trying to add a slot type to an object that does not support that particular slot type. This exception should be indicated in the job log. 
Figure 60.   Metadata browser view
Image

The following areas comprise the main parts of the Metadata Browser view:

The Job Log pane displays after you run any of the editing control jobs to add, edit, or remove metadata. Click the >> icon to view the log or click the X icon to remove the most recent job log record.

The Metadata Properties table has two adjustable-width columns:

  • The Navigation column provides a navigation tree with root nodes at the Config (station) level and at the History level. The navigation column displays an expandable tree structure representation of the selected station. Expanding a parent node displays additional rows that you can select for editing metadata.
  • Metadata Properties displays a summary string of the properties. The metadata property name and its corresponding value are separated by a colon (:) and individual metadata properties are separated by a bar (|). For example: ZipCode:303011.
     NOTE: The history device object always displays an n/a in this column because it does not support the use of properties. 

The Editing controls pane contains the following buttons that open window boxes that you can use to add, edit, and remove metadata.

Buttons

  • Add Metadata opens the Add Metadata window.
  • Edit Metadata is available only when you select an object that already has one or more metadata properties. Clicking this button opens the Edit Metadata window.
  • Remove Metadata is available only when you select an object that already has one or more metadata properties. Clicking this button opens the Edit Metadata window.

Add Metadata window

Figure 61.   Metadata window
Image

Properties available in this window vary according to the type of property that you select. You can select multiple rows in the Metadata Browser table by using the Shift or Ctrl keys to select a range or a non-contiguous set of rows, respectively.

Property Value Description
New Name text Defines a name for the metadata item.
New Type two drop-down lists (defaults to string) Select the property type that you want to add.
Set if exists check box Choosse to edit an existing property value, if it already is present in or under the selected object(s). If this option is not selected, a new property may be added but an existing property is not edited when the Add Metadata job runs.
Apply to descendants of selected nodes check box Runs the Add Metadata job on the selected object and all of its descendant objects. If the option is not selected, only the selected object is edited.
New Value text Sets an appropriate value for the property type. For example, a string property displays for the default string type and allows you to enter the string value that is used for the property.
Flags: check boxes In addition to the default (required) Metadata flag option, other flags are available.
Facets additional properties Use this property to add facets to the slot, if needed, for the chosen property type and use.

Edit Metadata window

This window provides a Property option list that displays all metadata properties assigned to the object and allows you to select the property that you want to edit

Property Value Description
Apply to descendants of selected nodes   Applies any edits you make to this property to all descendant objects under the selected object.
New Value text Edits the selected metadata property by specifying a new value for it.

Remove Metadata window

This window provides a Property option list that displays all metadata properties assigned to the object and allows you to select the property that you want to edit

Property Value Description
Apply to descendants of selected nodes   Removes this property from all descendant objects under the selected object.