Product model properties, editions, and common properties

Scenarios for editions and common properties

You can use editions and common properties to manage product model properties such as usage and availability. The approach you take depends on your scenario.

Scenario: You have not created the product yet

When you create a product, the product has one edition called the base edition. Initially, the base edition does not have any rules. You can create rules on the base edition, but if the number of rules grows too large, consider creating editions. For example, you can create editions based on jurisdiction. These editions do not inherit rules from the base edition.

Scenario: Your product has a small number of rules

If your product has a small number of rules that are unlikely to undergo significant change, you may not need to use editions.

Scenario: Your product has a large number of rules

If your product has a large number of rules, consider creating editions. For example, you can create editions based on jurisdiction.

Scenario: Your product has many editions

If your product has many editions, determine whether any rules are common to multiple editions. For example, for a homeowners product, Year Built might be required for all editions. If so, consider creating common properties. Unlike editions, common properties are not segmented.

Common properties

Use common properties if you have a large number of editions, many of which share a set of common properties. For example, the United States can be divided into the following regions: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. So you might have the following sets of properties:

Northeast Region Properties
Southeast Region Properties
Midwest Region Properties
Southwest Region Properties
West Region Properties

If you have one edition for each of the 50 states, you can apply the appropriate common properties to an edition. For example, you can apply Northeast Region Properties to the Massachusetts edition.

Using common properties simplifies edition maintenance. Instead of maintaining each edition separately, you maintain the common properties. Common properties can be applied to one or more editions, but a single edition can be associated with only one set of common properties. Common properties do not inherit properties from other common properties, nor do editions inherit properties from other editions.

An edition can have both common properties and edition-specific properties. When you apply common properties to an edition, the common properties do not override the edition-specific properties.

For a demonstration, watch this video:

Convert an edition to a set of common properties

You can convert an existing edition to a set of common properties.

Procedure

Select the Editions tab.
In Editions, choose Convert to Common Properties from the edition's overflow menu.
In Create Common Properties from Edition, type a name and a description for the set of common properties.
The edition's rules are moved to the set of common properties. By default, the edition is preserved and linked to the common properties.
Select Delete the edition after conversion to delete the edition.
Choose Save.

Create a set of common properties

Procedure

Select the Common Properties tab.
In Common Properties, select Create Common Properties.
In Add New Common Properties, type the Common Properties Name and Common Properties Description.
The Common Properties Identifier is assigned automatically and cannot be modified.
Select Save.

Edit common properties details

Procedure

Select the Common Properties tab.
In Common Properties, choose Edit Common Properties Details from the overflow menu.
Edit the common properties details and select Save.

Edit common properties

Procedure

In the header, in Editions or Common Properties, choose the set of common properties from the drop-down list.
The drop-down list is labeled Editions or Common Properties depending on whether an edition or a set of common properties was edited last. Editions are listed above common properties.
Choose Lock.
Edit the properties and select Save in the Properties pane.
Save and unlock the common properties.

Link common properties to or unlink common properties from an edition

Procedure

Select the Editions tab.
In Editions, choose Use Common Properties from the edition's overflow menu.
In Use Common Properties, in Common Properties, choose a set of common properties from the drop-down list or choose None to unlink a set of common properties from the edition.
Select Continue.

Change common properties for an edition in production

If an edition, for example for the state of Maryland, is already in production, you cannot change its common properties. You must clone the edition and select a different set of common properties.

Procedure

Set the expiration date for the edition to a date in the past.
Clone the edition.
Set the cloned edition's expiration date to a date in the future.
Link the cloned edition to a different set of common properties.

Override a common property

You can override a common property with an edition-specific property.

Procedure

Select the appropriate edition and lock it.
Locate the attribute or clause whose properties you want to modify and display the Properties pane.
Locate the common property that you want to override, for example Field Usage, and expand it.
indicates that a property is a common property.
Choose Clone to Edit or Clear to Edit from the overflow menu.
Clone to Edit makes the values and any rules editable. Clear to Edit restores the default values and makes them editable. You can choose to restore the values and rules from the common property.
Select Save in the Properties pane.
Save and unlock the edition.

View and edit common properties and overrides

In the Edition Content View, you can view and edit common properties as well as any overrides.

Procedure

Select the Editions tab.
In Editions, choose View Edition Content from the edition's overflow menu.
In Edition Content View, indicates that a property is a common property and indicates that a property overrides a common property.
Select to view the common property. Select to view the property that overrides the common property.
To edit a property, select the property.
The set of common properties or the edition is available to edit.

Clone a set of common properties

Clone a set of common properties to create a new set of common properties with similar rules. For example, you want to base the rules for FY27 on the rules for FY26.

Procedure

Select the Common Properties tab.
In Common Properties, choose Clone Common Properties Details from the overflow menu.
In Clone Common Properties, type a name and a description for the new set of common properties. Choose Save.
An identifier for the common properties is automatically generated. Linked editions are not cloned.
Link the common properties to one or more editions as described in Link common properties to or unlink common properties from an edition.

Delete a set of common properties

Procedure

Select the Common Properties tab.
In Common Properties, choose Delete Common Properties from the overflow menu.
If a set of common properties is referenced by one or more editions, you are prompted to unlink the common properties from the editions.

Merge common properties

You can merge two sets of common properties in the same way that you Merge editions.

When merging two sets of common properties:

Rules are only applied to elements that do not already have rules.
The name and identifier of the merged common property set is taken from the higher priority common property set.
You can choose which common property set has higher priority.
By default, the lower priority common property set is deleted after merging, unless it is linked to any editions.