Feature Type and Attribute Property Menus

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Working with Reader Feature Types
Working with Writer Feature Types
Working with Attributes

Working with Reader Feature Types

Right-click on a Feature Type, and choose an option from the command menu.

Menu choices for reader feature types

Menu Choice	Description
Run	You can run partial workspaces in the following ways: Run From This (or Selected) (F6): All parts of the workspace that flow from a selected object (or objects) run. Run Just This (or Selected): Only a selected object (or objects) runs. If a collapsed bookmark is included in the selection, only the objects within the bookmark run. Run To This (or Selected) (Shift+F6): All parts of the workspace that flow to a selected object (or objects) run. Run Between Selected: All parts of the workspace that flow between the selected objects run.
Cut, Copy, Delete	Performs these functions on the selected feature type only.
Duplicate on Writer	Duplicates the feature type on the writer side, and automatically connects all the attributes.
Disable	Disables this feature type. Menu selection changes to Enable when the feature type has been disabled.
Hide (Connections)	Hides the connections to and from a transformer or feature type. The menu selection changes to Show when connections are hidden.
Enable Only Selected Feature Type(s)	Disables (and grays out) feature types that are not selected.
Connect Inspector	Connects an Inspector transformer.
Connect Logger	Connects a Logger transformer.
Connect Junction	Connects a junction. Junctions help manage connections as you build and organize a workspace.
Attach Annotation	Add a comment associated with this feature. The comment, connected by a leader line will stay joined to its associated feature type.
Show Summary Annotation	Shows hidden object information. This can be useful when printing a workspace.
Create Bookmark	Define areas of your workspace for easy access.
Copy Attributes from Feature Type/Transformer	Copy attributes from another feature type or a transformer. This is a useful function if you have many attributes to duplicate.
Bring to Front, Send to Back	Useful if you have a large workspace, with many feature types.
Zoom to Feature Type	Zooms and focuses the canvas on the selected feature type.
Update	If you add or rename an attribute, this function allows you to update feature types without having to remove and reload them.
Expose Attributes	For advanced FME users: allows you to "expose" or make visible built-in FME attributes.
Pair With	Connects selected reader and writer feature types.
Disconnect	Removes all connections.
View Source Data	Displays the data in the the FME Data Inspector.
Open Containing Folder	Opens the folder that contains the source data.
Properties	Rename the feature type, or view or edit the feature type parameters and attributes. (This is the same as clicking the gear icon above the feature type.)

Working with Writer Feature Types

Right-click on a Feature Type, and choose an option from the command menu.

Menu choices for writer feature types

Menu Choice	Description
Run	You can run partial workspaces in the following ways: Run From This (or Selected): All parts of the workspace that flow from a selected object (or objects) run. Run Just This (or Selected): Only a selected object (or objects) runs. If a collapsed bookmark is included in the selection, only the objects within the bookmark run. Run To This (or Selected): All parts of the workspace that flow to a selected object (or objects) run. Run Between Selected: All parts of the workspace that flow between the selected objects run.
Cut, Copy, Delete	Performs these functions on the selected feature type only.
Duplicate	Duplicate this feature type on the writer.
Disable	Disables this feature type. Menu selection changes to Enable when the feature type has been disabled.
Hide (Connections)	Hides the connections to and from a transformer or feature type. The menu selection changes to Show when connections are hidden.
Enable Only Selected Feature Type(s)	Disables (and grays out) feature types that are not selected.
Attach Annotation	Allows you to add a comment associated with this feature. The comment, connected by a leader line, will stay joined to its associated feature type.
Show Summary Annotations	Shows hidden object information. This can be useful when printing out a workspace.
Create Bookmark	Define areas of your workspace for easy access.
Copy Attributes from Feature Type	Duplicates the attributes from another feature type.
Copy Attributes from Transformer	Duplicates the attributes from a transformer.
Expose Attributes	For advanced FME users: allows you to "expose" or make visible built-in FME attributes.
Sort Attributes	Alphabetizes the attribute names.
Bring to Front, Send to Back	Useful if you have a large workspace, with many feature types.
Zoom to Feature Type	Zooms and focuses the canvas on the selected feature type.
View Written Data	Displays the data in the FME Data Inspector.
Open Containing Folder	Open the folder that contains the output data.
Edit (Writer) Parameters	Opens a dialog that displays the existing parameters set on the writer.
Properties	Rename the feature type, or view or edit the feature type parameters and attributes. (This is the same as clicking the gear icon on the top right-hand side of the feature type.)

Working with Attributes

Right-click on either a reader or writer attribute, and choose an option from the command menu.

Menu choices for editing attributes

Note To enable the menu choices, click the gear icon above the feature type, click the User Attributes tab, and select Manual under Attribute Definition.

Menu Choice	Description
Edit Value	Assign a fixed value to the attribute (writer attributes only). This was known in previous FME versions as Constant Value.
Rename	Type a new name and press Enter. Note You will lose any association with any previously connected attribute.
Delete	Remove attribute from the list.
Move Up/Down	Moves the attribute up or down in the list. You might want to do this so the display looks visually cleaner, or to organize attributes for ease of reference.
Properties	Rename, view, or edit the attribute. (This is the same as clicking the gear icon above the feature type, and clicking the User Attributes tab.)