---
title: Create a Date Attribute
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "03/15/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: "mds"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: master-data-services
ms.topic: conceptual
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "creating date attributes [Master Data Services]"
  - "attributes [Master Data Services], creating date attributes"
ms.assetid: 22a8f1a3-b4f2-4cfa-8495-7daad5ce9d12
author: lrtoyou1223
ms.author: lle
---
# Create a Date Attribute (Master Data Services)

[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md-winonly](../includes/appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md-winonly.md)]

  In [!INCLUDE[ssMDSshort](../includes/ssmdsshort-md.md)], create a date attribute when you want users to enter a date as an attribute value.  
  
> [!NOTE]  
>  The attribute is called DateTime, but time values are not supported.  
  
## Prerequisites  
 To perform this procedure:  
  
-   You must have permission to access the **System Administration** functional area.  
  
-   You must be a model administrator. For more information, see [Administrators (Master Data Services)](../master-data-services/administrators-master-data-services.md).  
  
-   You must have an entity to create the attribute for. For more information, see [Create an Entity (Master Data Services)](../master-data-services/create-an-entity-master-data-services.md).  
  
### To create a date attribute  
  
1.  In [!INCLUDE[ssMDSmdm](../includes/ssmdsmdm-md.md)], click **System Administration**.  
  
2.  On the **Manage Model** page, select a model from the grid and then click **Entities**.  
  
3.  On the **Manage Entity** page, select the row for the entity that you want to create an attribute for.  
  
4.  Click **Attributes**.  
  
5.  On the **Manage Attributes** page, do one of the following and then click **Add**.  
  
    -   If the attribute is for leaf members, select **Leaf** from the **Member Types** list box.  
  
    -   If the attribute is for consolidated members, select **Consolidated** from the **Member Types** list box.  
  
    -   If the attribute is for collections, select **Collection** from the **Member Types** list box.  
  
6.  In the **Name** box, type a name for the attribute. For a list of words that should not be used as attribute names, see [Reserved Words (Master Data Services)](../master-data-services/reserved-words-master-data-services.md).  
  
7.  Optionally, type a display name, and type a description for the attribute in the **Description** box.  
  
8.  In the **Display pixel width** box, type the width of the attribute column to be displayed in the **Explorer** grid.  
  
9. From the **Attribute type** list, select **Free-form**.  
  
10. From the **Data type** list, select **DateTime**.  
  
11. From the **Input mask** list, select a format for dates.  
  
12. Optionally, select **Enable change tracking** to track changes to groups of attributes. For more information, see [Add Attributes to a Change Tracking Group (Master Data Services)](../master-data-services/add-attributes-to-a-change-tracking-group-master-data-services.md).  
  
13. Click **Save**.  
  
## To display the time portion of a datetime value  
 To have the user interface display the time portion of a datetime value, you must select an appropriate input mask for the attribute. None of the built-in masks for Datetime attributes do this, but you can add a new mask that will allow you to display time. To do so, add a row in the mdm.tblList table of the MDS database, where the built-in masks are stored. The row should have the following values:  
  
|||  
|-|-|  
|ListCode|lstInputMask|  
|ListName|Input Mask|  
|Seq|19|  
|List Option|dd/MM/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt|  
|Option ID|19|  
|IsVisible|1|  
|Group_ID|3|  
  
 After you enter a row with the above values in the mdm.tblList table, the "dd/MM/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt" mask will be available in the Input mask list box. You can then select that mask to display the date and time in a datetime attribute column of an entity in the MDS Explorer.  
  
 The Input Mask is a custom .NET DateTime format string. For more information, see [Custom Date and Time Format Strings](https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/8kb3ddd4\(v=vs.110\).aspx)  
  
## See Also  
 [Attributes (Master Data Services)](../master-data-services/attributes-master-data-services.md)   
 [Change an Attribute Name and Data Type (Master Data Services)](../master-data-services/change-an-attribute-name-and-data-type-master-data-services.md)   
 [Create a Domain-Based Attribute (Master Data Services)](../master-data-services/create-a-domain-based-attribute-master-data-services.md)   
 [Create a File Attribute (Master Data Services)](../master-data-services/create-a-file-attribute-master-data-services.md)