---
alias: user-guide-create-parameter
description: "Create a Parameter by specifying name, type, scope, and format, then save the new object"
---

# Create Parameter

:lock: Parameter.**Create**

:lock: Parameter.**CreateTemplate**

:lock: Parameter.**CreateFromTemplate**

## Overview

This operation is used to create a **Parameter**. A template can also be created using a similar procedure and there is also the possibility of using a template to create the new object as well. This selection can be done in the main entity menu.

## Setup

No specific setup is required other than to meet the preconditions of the transaction.

## Preconditions

* The **Parameter** does not currently exist in the system.

## Sequence of Steps

### Step 1: General Data

1. Provide a name for the **Parameter**.
2. Optionally, provide a description of the **Parameter**.
3. Select the **Parameter** type. The list of possible values is taken from the lookup table *ParameterType*.

### Step 2: Information

1. Specify the display name - the display name if present will be displayed in the data collection screens.

2. Select the scope of the **Parameter**:

| Scope          | EDC | SPC | Recipe Management | KPI Management |
|----------------|:---:|:---:|:-----------------:|:--------------:|
| EDC_SPC        |  x  |  x  |                   |                |
| EDC_SPC_Recipe |  x  |  x  |         x         |                |
| Recipe         |     |     |         x         |                |
| KPI            |     |     |                   |        x       |

Table: Parameter Scope possible values

1. Select the data type of the **Parameter** (if scope is KPI, the data type must be numeric):

      * Boolean
      * DateTime
      * Decimal
      * Duration
      * Long
      * String
      * URL

2. Depending on the data type, specify the format of the **Parameter**, used for input and display purposes:

    === "Decimal and Long"

        * `0` - Zero placeholder, replaces the zero with the corresponding digit if one is present; otherwise, zero appears in the result string (example: 1234.5678 ("00000") → 01235).
        * `#` - Digit placeholder, replaces the "#" symbol with the corresponding digit if one is present; otherwise, no digit appears in the result string (example: 1234.5678 ("#####") → 1235); no digit appears in the result string, if the corresponding digit in the input string is a non-significant 0 (example: 0003 ("####") → 3).
        * `.` - Decimal point, determines the location of the decimal separator in the result string (example: 0.45678 ("0.00") → 0.46).
        * `e` - Scientific notation, the number that follows `e` is the number of decimal places of the base of the result; the exponent of the result will always have three digits (example: 1052.0329112756 ("e2") → 1.05e+003).
        * `0E00`- Custom scientific notation format - (example: 86000 ("0.###E00") → 8.6E04).
        * `c` - Currency pattern (example: 111.23 ("c3") → $111.230).
        * `f` - Fixed-point pattern (example: 50123.36 ("f3") → 50123.360).
        * `g` - General, the number that follows `g` is the maximum number of digits the number will have (example: 100 ("g3") → 100); if the number has more digits than the configured digits in the format, it is displayed in scientific notation (example: 10000 ("g3") → 1e+04).
        * `n` - Number pattern, this adds the thousand separator whenever necessary (example: 50123.36 ("n3") → 50,123.360).
        * `p` - Percentage (example: 0.523 ("p2") → 52.30%).
        * `\` - Escapes a mask character, turning it into a literal. "\" is the escape sequence for a backslash.
        * `"ABC"` - Literal string - Characters enclosed in single or double quotes are copied to the result string, and do not affect formatting (example: 1200 ("AB 000") → AB 1200).

        !!! note
            If the chosen alphanumeric character is reserved to be used to define a pattern, it is necessary to escape it (example: 1200 ("\n000") → n1200).

        !!! info
            For more information, see [Custom numeric format strings](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/base-types/custom-numeric-format-strings) and [Exponential format specifier (E)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/base-types/standard-numeric-format-strings#exponential-format-specifier-e).

    === "String"

          * `c` - Currency pattern. (example: 111.234 ("c3") → $111.234).
          * `n` - Decimal pattern, this adds the thousand separator whenever necessary (example: 50123.36 ("n3") → 50,123.360).
          * `p` - Percentage pattern (example: 111.23 ("p2") → 111.23%).
          * `d` - Digit pattern, required (example: 111.234 ("d3") → 111).
          * `#` - Digit pattern, optional. If this position is blank in the mask, it will be rendered as the character in the Placeholder property. You can add :material-plus: and delete :material-trash-can: signs (example: 111.234 ("#3.1") → 111.2).
          * `A` - Alphanumeric, required.
          * `a` - Alphanumeric, optional.
          * `L` - Letter, required. Restricts input to the ASCII letters a-z and A-Z. This mask element is equivalent to [a-zA-Z] in regular expressions.
          * `l` - Letter, optional.
          * `0` - Digit. Accepts any digit between 0 and 9.
          * `9` - Digit or space. Accepts any digit between 0 and 9, plus space.
          * `&` - Character. Accepts any character. The rule is equivalent to S in regular expressions.
          * `C` - Character or space. Accepts any character. The rule is equivalent to . in regular expressions.
          * `<` - To lower token. Must be included only once in the beginning of the mask (example: <AAA - ccc).
          * `>` - To upper token. Must be included only once in the beginning of the mask (example: \>AAA - CCC).
          * `\` - Escapes a mask character, turning it into a literal. "\" is the escape sequence for a backslash.
          * `All other characters` - Literals. All non-mask elements will appear as themselves within the editor. Literals always occupy a static position in the mask at run time, and cannot be moved or deleted by the user.

    === "Date and Time"

          * `y` - Year as a one or two digit number.
          * `yy` - Year as a two digit number.
          * `yyyy` - Year as a four digit number.
          * `M`- Month as a number from 1 through 12. A single-digit month is formatted without a leading zero.
          * `MM`- Month as a number from 1 through 12. A single-digit month is formatted with a leading zero.
          * `d`- Day of the month as a number form 1 through 31. A single digit day is formatted without a leading zero.
          * `dd`- Day of the month as a number form 1 through 31. A single digit day is formatted with a leading zero.
          * `ddd`- Abbreviated name of the day of the day of the week (example: "Fri").
          * `dddd`- Full name of the day of the day of the week (example: "Friday")
          * `h`- Hour as a number from 1 through 12. A single-digit month is formatted without a leading zero.
          * `hh`- Hour as a number from 1 through 12. A single-digit month is formatted with a leading zero.
          * `H`- Hour as a number from 0 through 23. A single-digit month is formatted without a leading zero.
          * `HH`- Hour as a number from 0 through 23. A single-digit month is formatted with a leading zero.
          * `m`- Minute as a number from 1 through 59. A single-digit month is formatted without a leading zero.
          * `mm`- Minute as a number from 1 through 59. A single-digit month is formatted with a leading zero.
          * `s`- Seconds as a number from 1 through 59. A single-digit month is formatted without a leading zero.
          * `ss`- Seconds as a number from 1 through 59. A single-digit month is formatted with a leading zero.
          * `f`- Tenths of a second in a date and time value.
          * `ff`- Hundredths of a second in a date and time value.
          * `fff`- Milliseconds of a second in a date and time value.
          * `tt`- AM/PM indicator.

    === "Duration, Boolean and URL"
        Does not need format specification.

3. Specify the units of the **Parameter**.
4. Optionally, define a scale for the **Parameter** in terms of powers of 10.

    !!! info
        This field is typically used for reporting purposes with no functional effect on the system. As an example, you can create a Megawatt parameter and set the scale to 6 representing 10^6; or a Picoampere and set the scale to -12 representing 10^-12.

5. Optionally, define a minimum value for the **Parameter** (only for numeric parameters).
6. Optionally, define a maximum value for the **Parameter** (only for numeric parameters).
7. Optionally, define a lookup table to be used as a source of values for the **Parameter** (note that depending on the type the lookup table must contain values that match that type).
8. Select **Create** to complete the operation and the new **Parameter** will be created.

![Screenshot showing a UI with a "Create" button being selected to complete an operation, resulting in a new Parameter creation.](images/create_parameter.png)