Attribute Datatypes
A type is used to group characteristics shared by several attributes.
To type attributes of an entity, only those datatypes defined for the data model that contains this entity are proposed.
A data model is used to represent the static structure of a system, particularly the types of objects manipulated in the system, their internal structure, and the relationships between them. A data model is a set of entities with their attributes, the associations existing between these entities, the constraints bearing on these entities and associations, etc.Datatype Packages
A datatype package is a reference package owning all or a proportion of the datatypes used in the enterprise. All the other packages are declared as clients of the reference package of datatypes.When you create a data model, the "Datatype Reference" datatype package is automatically associated with it by default.
This "Datatype Reference" package owns standard datatypes "Address", "Code", "Date", etc.
Opening the explorer on this datatype package, you can see that is is referenced by several data models.
The attributes of entities of these models can therefore be typed using the datatypes “Address”, “Code”, “Date”, etc.
Creating a New Datatype Package
You can define a new reference datatype package owning the datatypes used by the enterprise.
To create your own datatype package:
1. On the desktop, click the navigation menu then Data Architecture> Logical Data Assets.
2. In the edit area, click the DataType Packages tile.
The list of datatype packages in the repository appears.
3. Click New.
The datatype package creation dialog box opens.
4. Enter its name and an owner if appropriate.
5. Click OK.
You can then add types to this package.
Creating a datatype
To create a datatype:
1. Right-click the datatype package and select Properties.
The properties dialog box of the package appears.
2. Click the drop-down list then Data Types.
3. Click New.
The datatype creation dialog box opens.
4. Enter the name of the datatype and click OK.
Compound datatype
You can create compound datatypes by adding to them a list of attributes, for example an "Address" type comprising number, street postal code, city and country.
Literal value
You can allocate to a datatype literal values that define the values it can take. Attributes based on such a datatype can take only those values defined by the datatype.
When the new datatype package has been created, it should be referenced on the client data model. See Referencing Datatype Packages.
Referencing Datatype Packages
When you define a new datatype package, you must connect it to the data model concerned.
To connect a datatype package to a data model:
1. On the desktop, click the navigation menu then Data Architecture> Logical Data Assets.
2. In the edit area, click the Data Models tile.
The list of data models appears.
3. Display all the data models.
4. Open the properties of the data model concerned.
5. In the properties window, click the drop-down list and select Characteristics.
6. In the Reference field, select the “Data type package” value.
7. Click on the arrow located on the far right then Connect Package.
The query dialog box appears.
8. Click Find.
The list of datatype packages appears.
9. Select the desired package and click OK.
Assigning Types to Attributes
When the datatype package has been referenced for the data model, the list of types it contains is available on each attribute of entities of the model. All that is required is to select the one that is suitable.
To define the type of an attribute:
1. Right-click the entity that contains the attribute and select Properties.
The properties dialog box of the entity appears.
2. Click the drop-down list then Attributes.
3. In the Datatype (DM) column that corresponds to the attribute, select the desired type in the list.
4. Click Apply.