Package Extended Attribute Description File

AdminStudio 2025 R2 | 30.0 | Application Manager

Application Catalog uses an XML file to describe the data that appears in a package’s Extended Attributes view. The name and location of this XML file can be specified on the General tab of the Application Manager Options dialog box.

warning

The default package Extended Attribute description file is named EA_Default.xml, and is installed in the AdminStudio Shared folder. You can modify the data displayed in the Extended Attributes view, but to do this, do not edit the EA_Default.xml file. Instead, copy the EA_Default.xml file, rename it, make your edits to the new file, and then enter the new file name and location in the Extended Attribute Description File field on the General tab of the Application Manager Options dialog box.

Description File Properties

The description file, which is in XML format, contains tags for each extended attribute (up to a limit of 400 attributes). It supports text or file values. The following list explains each tag available in the description file.

Attribute	Description
UniqueIdentifier	This value, which Application Catalog uses to validate that the XML file is for extended attributes, must be set to ISASEA40.
Name	The name of the attribute as it appears in the Extended Attributes view. This cannot exceed 255 characters.
Type	The extended attribute type. This can be Text, File, or Selection. If no type is specified, then Application Catalog defaults the attribute to text.
DefaultValue	This tag, available only for Text types, provides the default value for the attribute. This optional value cannot exceed 512 characters.
DefaultFileExtension	This tag, available only for File types, provides the default file extension when you browse for the file. Examples of this could be *.txt, *.bmp, *.doc, or *.* (representing all files).
FileFilter	Provide the file types to populate the File type filter in the Browse dialog box. These must be in pairs, and in the format Longname (*.ext)|*.ext. Before the closing </FileFilter> tag, you must have two pipe symbols (||). For example, to include filters for text files, bitmaps, and all files, use the following line: <FileFilter>Text Document (*.txt)|*.txt|Bitmap (*.bmp)|*.bmp|All Files (*.*)|*.*||</FileFilter> This value cannot exceed 255 characters.
Caption	The caption for the Browse dialog box when using File types. This cannot exceed 255 characters.
Values	Used only for Selection types, this is a semicolon-delimited list of possible values for the selection. These will appear in a drop-down list for the extended attribute. The first value is used as the default. The total number of characters of all the values and necessary semicolons cannot exceed 255 characters.
HelpText	Text that appears below the value field for either Text or Selection attributes. You can use it to provide additional information to help users know what to input. This cannot exceed 512 characters.

Description File Format

An example of an extended attribute description file follows:

<Extended_Attribute UniqueIdentifier="ISASEA40">
   <AttributeDetails>
      <Name>Owner</Name>
      <Type>Text</Type>
      <DefaultValue></DefaultValue>
      <HelpText>Provide the name of the package's owner.
      </HelpText>
   </AttributeDetails>
   <AttributeDetails>
      <Name>Test Script</Name>
      <Type>File</Type>
      <DefaultFileExtension>*.*</DefaultFileExtension>
      <FileFilter>All Files (*.*)|*.*||</FileFilter>
      <Caption>Test Script Files</Caption>
   </AttributeDetails>
   <AttributeDetails>
      <Name>Program Type</Name>
      <Type>Selection</Type>
      <Values>Office Application;Utility;
      Graphic Application;Programming Application;Game;Other
      </Values>
      <HelpText>Select the type of application from the 
      above list.
      </HelpText>
   </AttributeDetails>
</Extended_Attribute> 

See Also

Extended Attributes View (Packages)