SmartBox

Standard SmartObjects allows you to create SmartObject properties and their associations using the K2 SmartBox service. By default you get the five standard methods available on all SmartObjects you create this way.

Adding a SmartObject Property

The Properties tab displays all the properties and their configuration settings such as Type and Key. The ID autonumber property is added by default to all new SmartObjects. You can edit this property and change it, for example to EmpID, or delete it. A SmartObject requires at least one Key property.

To add a new property, click Add. The Add Properties page opens. You can capture the details of the property here and select a property type.

Action	Description
Add	Creates a line where you can add the property name
Edit	Edits the property information
Remove	Removes the property
Remove All	Removes all properties
Move Up	Changes the position of the property selected with the property above it
Move Down	Changes the position of the property selected with the property below it
Name	The name of the property
Description	The description of the property
Type	The type of the property
Key	The Key property identifies the property as unique, which ensures that the value of the property is always unique and no two records can contain the same data for this property. A SmartObject requires at least one Key property
Required	Creates a required property when new records are added to the SmartObject, for example from a view or a form
Unique	SQL specification that sets a requirement for this field to be unique

Property Types

The following property types are available when you create a SmartObject property:

Type	What it is
AutoGUID	Similar to Autonumber, AutoGUID is an identity type where a GUID is auto-generated when a record is created
Autonumber	When a new record is created in the SmartObject, an index number is automatically generated
Date	Allows you to set a property to display data in a date format
Date Time	Allows you to set a property to display data in a date and time format
Decimal	Allows you to enter decimal numbers in the SmartObject property
File	Stores a file of supported types
GUID	Global Unique Identifier
Hyperlink	Stores the property data as a hyperlink
Image	Stores an image of supported types
Memo	Large String
Multivalue	Use multivalue data types to store multiple values in one SmartObject property. When you use service objects that have multivalue properties, such as the Active Directory service object, the values are translated to the XML schema provided below . If the format cannot be translated, the data type is not stored. An example of the expected schema is: <collection> <object> <fields> <field> <value>2</value> </field> <field> <value>4</value> </field> <field> <value>6</value> </field> </fields> </object> </collection> The multivalue data type is typically used with a Check Box List control in views. This reads and updates the values from the multivalue property. The values shown in the Check Box List can be either static values or SmartObject list results.
Number	Allows you to input numerical values
Text	Stores ANSI standard text characters
Time	Allows you to set a property to display the data in a time format.
Yes/No	Boolean type property

Property Settings

You can configure settings that further define the SmartObject properties. The types of settings depend on the property type you edit. This means that not all settings are available on all property types. Follow the steps below to configure the property settings.

Some of the additional property settings such as Maximum Size, Time Precision, and Constant Size only apply to SmartBox SmartObjects. Other line of business systems might not support the property settings as described in the table below. When a SmartObject is a SmartBox object, several property settings may only be changed when there is no data in the SmartBox SmartObject. If there is data you may be blocked when trying to save the changes. If that is the case, you must export data from the SmartObject, delete that data, update the SmartObject, and then import the data again.

From the K2 Designer, select the SmartObject and click Edit.
Select the property and click Edit.
The Edit Property page shows.

The following table describes the available property settings:

Setting	Applies to	Description	How to Use
Name	All	The name of the SmartObject property.	Type to add or edit the value
Description	All	The description of the SmartObject property.	Type to add or edit the value
Type	All	The data type of the property.	To change the format, select a value from the drop down.
Key	All	Use this to set the property as a unique identifier for the SmartObject.	Check the check box to select property as the unique identifier.
SmartBox	Advanced SmartObject	Use this to create the property in a SmartBox table.	Check the check box to create the property in a SmartBox table.
Required	All	Use this to specify if the property requires a value before the record can be saved.	Check the check box if the property requires a value.
Unique	All	Use this to specify that the property can only contain unique values.	Check the check box to require only unique values for this property.
Encrypt Property	Decimal, Number, Text	Use this to encrypt the SmartObject data when it is written to the database. This means, even if a nefarious user obtains copies of your database files (.mdf, .ndf, .ldf or backup files) they can not access or view any of the data unless they also have a copy of the encryption key or a security certificate. Example: You create a SmartBox HR application with a Social Security Number property and mark this property as encrypted. Should another business user connect to SQL directly, they will not see unencrypted SSNs.	Check the check box to encrypt the property.

Click OK to save changes made to the properties.

When you work with Advanced SmartObjects, make sure to check the SmartBox check box to enable the additional settings.