Attributes & Values Configuration

Note: this is one of a series of topics outlining the syntax expected in a Studio Mapper System Configuration File.

Warning: updating the system configuration file will affect all Studio Mapper projects with which it is associated. Changes should only be made if you are familiar with the XML format, and changes should be tested in an appropriate environment before rolling out to a live system.

Syntax

In the table below, each XML "tag" refers to an enclosed XML node that may be subordinate to a "parent" node or have one or more child "elements".

Tag Req? Description Parent(s) Element(s)
<Attributes> No Contains attribute definitions

<Properties>

<ObjectType>

<Attribute>
<Attribute> No Contains attribute type and validation settings <Attributes>

<Assay> (c. samples)

<ColumnLabel>

<FieldName>

<Unique>

<EntryProperties>

<TargetItem>

<Assay> No

Indicates if a Channel Sample attribute represents a mineral assay value. Either TRUE or FALSE. Default is FALSE.

Warning: If defining an assays-type attribute for a channel sample (<ASSAY>TRUE</ASSAY>), <NULLABLE> must be TRUE to permit absent assay values to be recorded.

 <Attribute> None
<ColumnLabel> Yes String displayed in user interface representing attribute <Attribute> None
<Default> No

Define the default value for any map, feature or channel sample attribute.

If set to “_NONE”, the attribute will default to an absent data indicator.

  • If the attribute <Type> is NUMERIC, the default is interpreted as a number.

  • If the <Type> is TEXT, the default is a character string.

  • If the <Type> is LOOKUP, the default is interpreted as the type for the lookup table corresponding to that attribute.

The <Default> defines the value stored in the data table. When defining the default for <Type> LOOKUP, the default should is equal to the lookup item value, not the name.

If a default value is not specified, an absent indicator will be shown.

A Default value cannot be used in combination with an evaluated attribute.

<EntryProperties> None
<EntryProperties> Yes Defines the type and validation settings for user attribute specification. <Attribute>

<Type>

<Default>

<EvaluationField>

<EvaluationMode>

<EvaluationWeightField>

<LookupValue>

<Nullable>

<Length>

<Minimum>

<Minimum inclusive>

<Maximum>

<Maximum inclusive>

<Source>

<Type>

<EvaluationField> No Required if <Type> is EVALUATED. An attribute in the <Source> object or object collection containing the values to be evaluated. <EntryProperties> None
<EvaluationMode> No Required if <Type> is EVALUATED. Define how map object attribute values will be reported, either AVERAGE, DOMINANT or ACCUMULATED. If not specified, the default AVERAGE mode will be used. <EntryProperties> None
<EvaluationWeightField> No Optional if <Type> is EVALUATED. An attribute in the <Source> object or object collection containing weighting values to be used in conjunction with the <EvaluationField> for evaluation. <EntryProperties> None
<FieldName> Yes

Name of attribute as stored in map object/table. This can be a standard attribute name (up to 24 characters on a long-field-supported system) or any of the following calculated/virtual attribute names:

  • _AREA

  • _AZIMUTH

  • _DIP

  • _GRAD

  • _GRADDEG

  • _GRADPER

  • _GRADRAT

  • _LENGTH

<Attribute> None
<LookupValue> No

Required if LOOKUP <Type> is set.

A string that matches a definition in <LookupTables>.

<EntryProperties> None
<Maximum> No The upper threshold of a numeric range (value is not permitted) <EntryProperties> None
<Maximum inclusive> No The upper threshold of a numeric range (value is permitted) <EntryProperties> None
<Minimum> No The lower threshold of a numeric range (value is not permitted) <EntryProperties> None
<Minimum inclusive> No The lower threshold of a numeric range (value is permitted) <EntryProperties> None
<Nullable> No

Either TRUE (default) or FALSE. TRUE signifies an attribute value can be absent. If FALSE, a non-absent value specification is mandatory.

Warning: If defining an assays-type attribute for a channel sample (<ASSAY>TRUE</ASSAY>), <NULLABLE> must be TRUE to permit absent assay values to be recorded.

 <EntryProperties> None
<Source> No Required if <Type> is EVALUATION. The mapping object containing values to be evaluated, e.g. “FEATURES” <EntryProperties> None
<TargetItem>  

A parameter to define if an attribute is implicit or explicit, within the scope of the target sample (either channel or stratigraphic):

  • CHANNEL—the attribute is implicit and applies to the entire channel sample.

  • SECTION—the attribute is implicit and applies to the entire vertical (stratigraphic) section.

  • SAMPLE—the attribute can be set on a per sample basis (either in channel samples or stratigraphic sections).

 <Attribute> None
<Type>  

Valid values:

  • NUMERIC
    Attribute is numeric and is validated for numeric data entry and other parameters defined in <EntryProperties>.

  • TEXT
    Attribute is alphanumeric and is validated against parameters defined in <EntryProperties>.

  • LOOKUP
    If LOOKUP is specified, <LookupValue> is mandatory.

  • EVALUATED (Map Properties only)
    A read-only field with value calculated from feature data values, optionally weighted. Requires <Source>, <EvaluationMode>, <EvaluatonField>. If weighting is required, <EvaluationWeightField> is also required.

<EntryProperties> None
<Unique> No

Determines if all attribute values for the data object must be unique. Typically used for instances where a unique ID is required, such as a channel sample ID, for example.

Can be TRUE or FALSE:

  • TRUE—a check is made each time a value is entered into the table grid for uniqueness. If another identical value is found for the same object, a validation warning is issued, and the previous value is reinstated.

  • FALSE—ensures no check for uniqueness is made when a value is added to the target object via the Studio Mapper interface (default).

 <Attribute> None

Examples

Map Properties panel text attribute with default value. The text field is limited to 255 characters and can be blank.

<MappingConfiguration>
 <MappingObjects>
  <Properties>
   <Attributes>
    <Attribute>
     <ColumnLabel>Heading</ColumnLabel>
     <FieldName>Heading</FieldName>
     <EntryProperties>
      <Type>TEXT</Type>
      <Length>255</Length>
      <Nullable>TRUE</Nullable>
     </EntryProperties>
     <Default>ODN</Default>
    </Attribute>
   </Attributes>
  </Properties>
 </MappingObjects>
</MappingConfiguration>

Map Properties panel numeric attribute with no default value. Note the use of the reserved value "_NONE" to indicate no data.

<MappingConfiguration>
 <MappingObjects>
  <Properties>
   <Attributes>
    <Attribute>
     <ColumnLabel>Number</ColumnLabel>
     <FieldName>NUM</FieldName>
     <EntryProperties>
      <Type>NUMERIC</Type>
     </EntryProperties>
     <Default>_NONE</Default>
    </Attribute>
   </Attributes>
  </Properties>
 </MappingObjects>
</MappingConfiguration>

Map Properties panel numeric attribute with constrained range of 0 to 99. In this example, the "Minimum inclusive" and "Maximum inclusive" bounds are set. If data is entered outside of this range in the UI, it isn't accepted and the previous value is reinstated (if any).

<MappingConfiguration>
 <MappingObjects>
  <Properties>
   <Attributes>
    <Attribute>
     <ColumnLabel>Number</ColumnLabel>
     <FieldName>NUM</FieldName>
     <EntryProperties>
      <Type>NUMERIC</Type>
      <Minimum inclusive="TRUE">0</Minimum>
      <Maximum inclusive="TRUE">99</Maximum>
     </EntryProperties>
     <Default>_NONE</Default>
    </Attribute>
   </Attributes>
  </Properties>
 </MappingObjects>
</MappingConfiguration>

Map Properties panel lookup alphanumeric value. Here, values for the field are provided as a list of valid values. In the example, below, the lookup value list reference is "Author", which requires a <LookupTable> entry to work. The example below provides the syntax for the map property field display and the corresponding lookup table. Note the use of <NULLABLE>FALSE</NULLABLE> to ensure a value exists.

Note: lookup values have a <Name> which is displayed in the user interface and a corresponding.<Value> which is added to the underlying data table.

<MappingConfiguration>
 <MappingObjects>
  <Properties>
   <Attributes>
    <Attribute>
     <ColumnLabel>Number</ColumnLabel>
     <FieldName>NUM</FieldName>
     <EntryProperties>
      <Type>LOOKUP</Type>
      <LookupValue>Author</LookupValue>
      <Nullable>FALSE</Nullable>
     </EntryProperties>
     <Default>Jimmy Oldsea</Default>
    </Attribute>
   </Attributes>
  </Properties>
 </MappingObjects>
 
 <LookupTables>
  <LookupTable name="Author" type="text">
   <Item>
    <Name>Lawrence Lecron</Name>
    <Value>LC</Value>
   </Item>
   <Item>
    <Name>Jimmy Oldsea</Name>
    <Value>JMN</Value>
   </Item>
   <Item>
    <Name>Katherine Huntsman</Name>
    <Value>KH</Value>
   </Item>
  </LookupTable>
 </LookupTables>
</MappingConfiguration>

Another Map Property attribute, this time an evaluated field that calculates the average face grade for AU, weighted by a calculated area field (_AREA). The grade assessment is performed in relation to the active channel samples object:

<MappingConfiguration>
 <MappingObjects>
  <Properties>
   <Attributes>
    <Attribute>
     <ColumnLabel>Number</ColumnLabel>
     <FieldName>NUM</FieldName>
     <EntryProperties>
      <Type>EVALUATED</Type>
      <Source>FEATURES</Source>
      <EvaluationMode>AVERAGE</EvaluationMode>
      <EvaluationField>AU</EvaluationField>
      <EvaluationWeightField>_AREA</EvaluationWeightField>
     </EntryProperties>
     <Default>_NONE</Default>
    </Attribute>
   </Attributes>
  </Properties>
 </MappingObjects>
</MappingConfiguration>

Similar to the example above, this snippet configures another evaluated field, this time assessing the dominant face lithology based on the channel samples LITH field, also weighted by area:

<MappingConfiguration>
 <MappingObjects>
  <Properties>
   <Attributes>
    <Attribute>
     <ColumnLabel>Number</ColumnLabel>
     <FieldName>NUM</FieldName>
     <EntryProperties>
      <Type>EVALUATED</Type>
      <Source>FEATURES</Source>
      <EvaluationMode>DOMINANT</EvaluationMode>
      <EvaluationField>LITH</EvaluationField>
      <EvaluationWeightField>_AREA</EvaluationWeightField>
     </EntryProperties>
     <Default>_NONE</Default>
    </Attribute>
   </Attributes>
  </Properties>
 </MappingObjects>
</MappingConfiguration>