From the Knowledge Adviser (A-EKL) documentation:

  if PartBody\Pad.1.GetAttributeString("String.1" ) <> "String1"
  PartBody\Pad.1 .SetAttributeString("String.1","This is a test" )

  Another syntax for the same rule is:

  if PartBody\Pad.1\String.1 <> "String1"
  PartBody\Pad.1.SetAttributeString("String.1","This is a test" )

And then this from another area in the documentation (Optimizing the Evaluation of Knowledge Expert Rule Bases):

  It is strongly recommended to use attributes instead of using the GetAttribute method.

  So, instead of writing:

  P: Part
  if P->GetAttributeString("PartNumber" ) == "Part.1"
  Message("Probleme" )

  Write:

  P: Part
  if P.PartNumber == "Part.1"
  Message("Probleme" )

Why even bother with the GetAttribute and SetAttribute methods if it is simplier and more efficient to not use them?  What am I missing here...

P.S. Spaces added to code to prevent smilies from showing up. 

These functions are used to check for, create, and access user parameters attached to objects.

The documentation is speaking of the defined attributes of particular object types such as those you find using the dictionary tools.

For Each PX: Pad

PX->SetAttributeString("PAD_FUNCTION","TOOLING_TAB" )

So if I'm understanding correctly, the SetAttributeString and GetAttributeString have the ability to read and write (or create) parameter values for objects that you may not know the exact path for (or want to affect multiple parameters with varying paths).  Correct?