The role and purpose of attributes is described in the section on Tinderbox concepts. This note addresses the means of creating an attribute. By definition, system attributes belong to the Tinderbox program but the user is free to make as many user attributes as they please. There is no hard limit but, practically, having too many to keep track of is 'too many'.
There are three methods for making a new user attribute:
- Inspector. Using the Document Inspector's User tab. Note: this is the oldest, and primary, method and allows setting/editing all attribute properties.
- Text pane. By adding a new name to the text pane's Text tab's pop-over for picking Displayed Attributes and then completing the resulting Define Displayed Attributes pop-over. This allows setting only the new attribute name and data type.
- Action code. The action code operator createAttribute(). This is generally only associated with more complex/export use of action code in libraries and functions. The operator allows the same range of settings as manually using the Inspector (as above)
The quickest method is the second, although only attribute name and data type may be specified. The first and last methods allow access to all possible properties of the new attribute. The differences are more fully examined in the linked articles above.
If new to creating attributes, it is strongly recommended to first read about attribute naming rules and conventions.
Attributes can be renamed, see that article for some considerations that apply.