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question asked: May 01 '13, 1:10 p.m.
question was seen: 6,290 times
last updated: May 02 '13, 10:46 a.m.

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Can't modify attribute type

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Michael Taylor (88●6●57●64) | asked May 01 '13, 1:10 p.m.

I created a custom attribute in a new work item type that I am creating.  I added the attribute to a new editor presentation.  Now I need to change the attribute type from integer to decimal.  But the attribute type drop list is now locked and the attribute type can't be changed.  I tried removing the attribute from the editor presentation and saving but still no change.  I also deleted all (sample) work items that I had created of the new work item type.

How can I get to the point where I can unlock the attribute type drop list?

Comments
Michael Taylor commented May 01 '13, 1:21 p.m.

It appears as though once a custom attribute is added to an editor presentation, the work item type is locked.  So I removed the attribute and tried to recreate it.  RTC says an attribute with that ID already exists.  Is there a way to truely delete a custom attribute rather than just remove it from a work item type?

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sam detweiler (12.5k●6●195●201) | answered May 01 '13, 3:47 p.m.
correct. you cannot change it once created. and u cannot delete it. you can only rename it
Comments
Michael Taylor commented May 02 '13, 10:37 a.m.

Thank you.  So I suppose I could rename the attribute to "deleted...".  But it seems that after a period of time with mistakes and changes, there will be a long list of extra attributes that are dead but can't be cleaned up.

It's hard for me to believe that there is no way to remove obsolete and even unused custom attributes.  What am I missing?

sam detweiler commented May 02 '13, 10:46 a.m.

yeh.. ugly.. we use 'zzz - deprecated - old var name' as our new label for the dead variable to get it way down on the list so most users don't see it. but it makes the lists longer.

we instituted a development org to do these tests on sandbox, save the template, and destroy the sandbox so we don't replicate mistakes into production.  but we have found some side effects we didn't anticipate either..

we had a variable based on an Enum. users hated it.. so we changed the design to be a checkbox.  they love it..
then we enabled field validation (we have field that needs a specific formatted data entry)..  but now we get errors cause the enum definition was removed and there is a variable that once used it (but is no longer valid))..

how we are gonna manage this over the lifetime of RTC is gonna be a challenge

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Indradri Basu (1.8k●1●5●14) | answered May 01 '13, 5:27 p.m.
You can recreate the same attribute with different TYPE but the ID must be different. By default the attribute ID takes the same value as the NAME but you can edit it manually. Then you have to make necessary correction to the editor presentation and follow this technote to reflect the new changes in the existing work items, if any.
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sam detweiler (12.5k●6●195●201) | answered May 01 '13, 5:32 p.m.
>You can recreate the same attribute with different TYPE but the ID must be different

but then its a DIFFERENT attribute.. close to the original, but you have TWO variables.
Comments
Indradri Basu commented May 02 '13, 3:50 a.m.

I suppose the question was more on how to recreate the attribute with different TYPE and not on maintaining the same attribute ID. As far as I know, the fields once created won't get modified or deleted from the backed as it can introduce data integrity issues.

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