{"id":6495,"date":"2021-11-13T13:52:55","date_gmt":"2021-11-13T12:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usemaps.com\/kb\/uncategorized\/managing-dictionaries-in-usemaps\/"},"modified":"2021-11-13T13:52:55","modified_gmt":"2021-11-13T12:52:55","slug":"managing-dictionaries-in-usemaps","status":"publish","type":"knowledgebase","link":"https:\/\/usemaps.com\/en\/usemaps-documentation\/data-management\/managing-dictionaries-in-usemaps\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing Dictionaries in Usemaps"},"content":{"rendered":"

The purpose of using dictionaries is to maintain data consistency by limiting the ability to enter arbitrary data. With dictionaries, when editing or adding an object, you can only select values from a predefined list. <\/p>\n

Basic Information<\/h4>\n
    \n
  1. Dictionaries are lists of values for a given Type,<\/a> which can be added as an Attribute<\/a> value.<\/li>\n
  2. Dictionaries are managed by the System Administrator.<\/li>\n
  3. Optionally, a color can be assigned to each value in the Dictionary.<\/li>\n
  4. A Dictionary assigned to an Attribute appears in multiple places, for example, during filtering.<\/li>\n
  5. It is important to carefully plan the dictionary policy before starting to edit data. Later changes will require mass updates of attribute values. <\/li>\n
  6. Dictionaries are independent of the data. They are created in Administration > Dictionaries. The same dictionary can be \u201cassigned\u201d to multiple attributes across multiple Sources. <\/li>\n
  7. Dictionaries are assigned to Data Sources, not to Layers (see the differences between a Source and a Layer). All Layers created from the same Source inherit the assigned Dictionaries. This helps maintain data consistency. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Types of Dictionaries<\/h4>\n

    The System distinguishes between:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Simple Dictionary \u2013 a closed list of values created and managed by the Administrator. This is the most commonly used option. <\/li>\n
    2. Dynamic Dictionary \u2013 created based on a Data Source. This option is used for special purposes. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Use Cases<\/h4>\n

      1. How to create a dictionary in Usemaps?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      To add a new dictionary, you should:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Go to: Data. Click on Dictionaries <\/li>\n
      2. Click the blue plus icon, then \u201cAdd Dictionary.\u201d A new window will open:\n
          \n
        1. Dictionary Name: enter the name of the dictionary.<\/li>\n
        2. Data Type: specify the Data Type<\/a> (the dictionary\u2019s data type must match the Attribute\u2019s data type. You cannot use values like \u201cYES\u201d and \u201cNO\u201d in a dictionary assigned to a field meant for numbers).<\/li>\n
        3. Fill in the dictionary values. Add as many as needed. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
        4. [Optional] A color can be assigned to dictionary values. <\/li>\n
        5. [Optional] An image can be added to dictionary values. <\/li>\n
        6. Click Save.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          2. How to edit a dictionary and manage its values?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

          To edit an existing dictionary:<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Click the three-dot menu next to the dictionary name.<\/li>\n
          2. In the opened window, add, delete, or modify dictionary values.<\/li>\n
          3. Click \u201cSave\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            \"\"<\/p>\n

            Note!<\/strong><\/p>\n

            If a dictionary is linked to an attribute and a value is already used in the attributes, it cannot be deleted or edited. You must first remove that value from the objects\u2019 attributes. <\/p>\n

            3. How to \u201cassign\u201d a Dictionary to an Attribute?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
              \n
            1. In the Data panel, click on the name of the Data Source. The Data Source Manager will open. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \n