---
title:  Managing Region Attributes
---

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Use region attributes to fine-tune the region configuration provided by the region shortcut settings.

<a id="managing_region_attributes__section_B6363B281A994141B9B9BDD952173330"></a>
All region attributes have default settings, so you only need to use region attributes to set the ones you want to override. See [&lt;region-attributes&gt;](../../reference/topics/cache_xml.html#region-attributes).

## <a id="managing_region_attributes__section_DDBF2810ABB54A55B1479AD786ED48DF" class="no-quick-link"></a>Define Region Attributes

Create region attributes using any of these methods:

-   Declarations inside the `cache.xml` `<region>` element:

    ``` pre
    <cache>
       <region name="exampleRegion" refid="REPLICATE">
          <region-attributes statistics-enabled="true">
            <entry-idle-time>
              <expiration-attributes timeout="10" action="destroy"/>
            </entry-idle-time>
            <cache-listener>
              <class-name>quickstart.SimpleCacheListener</class-name>
            </cache-listener>
          </region-attributes>
        </region>
    </cache>
    ```

    When the `cache.xml` is loaded at startup, declared region attributes are automatically created and applied to the region.

-   `RegionFactory` API `set`\* method calls:

    ``` pre
    // Creating a partitioned region using the RegionFactory
    RegionFactory rf = cache.createRegionFactory(RegionShortcut.PARTITION);
    rf.addCacheListener(new LoggingCacheListener());
    custRegion = rf.create("customer");
    ```

    ``` pre
    // Creating a partitioned region using the RegionFactory, with attribute modifications
    RegionFactory rf = 
      cache.createRegionFactory(RegionShortcut.PARTITION);
    rf.setPartitionResolver(new CustomerOrderResolver());
    rf.addCacheListener(new LoggingCacheListener());
    custRegion = rf.create("customer");
    ```

    ``` pre
    // Creating a client with a Pool Specification Using ClientRegionFactory
    ClientRegionFactory<String,String> cRegionFactory = 
        cache.createClientRegionFactory(PROXY);
    Region<String, String> region = 
        cRegionFactory.setPoolName("Pool3").create("DATA");
    ```

-   By issuing the gfsh `create region` command.

## <a id="managing_region_attributes__section_F69A7664F72D47BBA463D81B72C03B4D" class="no-quick-link"></a>Modify Region Attributes

You can modify a region’s event handlers and expiration and eviction attributes after the region is created.

**Note:**
Do not modify attributes for existing regions unless absolutely necessary. Creating the attributes you need at region creation is more efficient.

Modify attributes in one of these ways:

-   By loading a `cache.xml` with modified region attribute specifications:

    ``` pre
    <!-- Change the listener for exampleRegion
    ...
        <region name="exampleRegion">
          <region-attributes statistics-enabled="true">
            <cache-listener>
              <class-name>quickstart.ComplicatedCacheListener</class-name>
            </cache-listener>
          </region-attributes>
        </region>
    ... 
    ```

-   Using the `AttributesMutator` API:
    1.  Retrieve the `AttributesMutator` from the region
    2.  Call the mutator set methods to modify attributes:

    ``` pre
    currRegion = cache.getRegion("root");
    AttributesMutator mutator = this.currRegion.getAttributesMutator();
    mutator.addCacheListener(new LoggingCacheListener()); 
    ```

-   By issuing the gfsh `alter region` command. See [alter region](../../tools_modules/gfsh/command-pages/alter.html#topic_E74ED23CB60342538B2175C326E7D758).