Entity Service Attribute Types (SAP Library - Creating Composite Applications)

Entity Service Attribute Types

For each entity service, you can see a tree structure listing each attribute associated with the service. The following attributes are created automatically with each new entity service:

● key – the Global Unique Identification (GUID) key of the service

● createdBy – the creator of the service

● createdAt – the time of service creation

● lastChangedBy – the performer of the last change

● lastChangedAt – the time of the last change

In the table below, you can see the icon associated with each different attribute type.

Icon	Attribute Type	Description
	Normal attribute	Attribute without any special status.
	Primary key (GUID)	The global unique identifier (GUID) is used to uniquely identify the entity service. It is used internally by CAF at runtime. All key attributes are mandatory, with a cardinality of 1..1.
	Custom key	Custom key identifier for the entity service. By default, this key is used when encapsulating external services. One entity service may contain more than one custom key (complex custom key). The custom key must be unique, so you should select it carefully. For example, you can use citizen number, car license number, or user ID as custom key. You should also select a proper data type. All key attributes are mandatory, with a cardinality 1..1.
	Complex attribute	Represents a collection of attributes. In the future, it may include multi-level nested subattributes. If an attribute is complex, its data type cannot be selected.
	Relation to other service	Represents a reference to attributes of another entity. References cannot be mapped.