Properties, Property Flags, and Value Facets

Properties present data in the form of values and additional flags.

Property values are either scalar with a single value, or non-scalar with multiple values. More information about scalar and non-scalar property values is located in the Scalar and Non-Scalar Property Values section.

Property values are defined by a property type, such as a string or an integer. More information about property types is located in the Enumerations section.

Two types of additional property flags exist:

Property level flags

Provide information about the property and are read-only. Property level flags can provide the following information about a property instance:

Metadata information

Shows whether a property in the metadata is user-defined or contains a scalar value.

Property state information

Shows whether or not a property is read-only.

Data source information

Shows whether or not a data source is calculated.

Property value level flags

Convey information about property value and can be updated.

An individual property level flag is represented by a bit field in the property flag's value. The flags are provided for information only and cannot be changed. More information about specific property flags is located in the Enumerations section.

The value level flags, or facets, convey additional data associated with property value such as if a property value was 'hardened' and cannot be changed due to inheritance.

An individual facet is identified by a numeric ID or a name and has one of three possible states: non-set, set to TRUE, or set to FALSE.

The facets are treated as part of the property value. Assigning a new value to a property places all facets in the non-set state. Similarly, a value update or removal renders all facets into the non-set state. There is only one combination of facets per property, either scalar or non-scalar. Changes in individual values of non-scalar properties do not affect the property facets. More information about specific value facets is located in the Property Bag for Application Environment section.