Datatypes
A datatype is used to group characteristics shared by several attributes. Data types are implemented as classes.
A datatype package is a reference package owning all or part of the datatypes used in the enterprise. All the other packages are declared as clients of the reference package of datatypes.
Data type packages
A datatype defines the type of values that a data can have. This can be simple (whole, character, text, Boolean, date, for example) or more elaborate and composite.
To type attributes of an entity, only datatypes defined for the data model that contains this entity are proposed.
When you create a data model, the "Datatype Reference" datatype package is automatically associated with it by default.
This "Datatype Reference" package owns 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 in HOPEX Data Governance:
1. Click the navigation menu then Architecture > Hierarchy View.
In HOPEX Information Architecture, click the navigation menu then Data Architecture > Logical Data Assets.2. In the edit area, right-click the Data Dictionaries folder and click New.
3. Enter the package name and click OK.
4. Open the properties of the package.
5. Click the Characteristics page.
6. Select the “Datatype Package” stereotype.
You can then add types to this package.
Creating a datatype
To create a datatype:
1. Open the Properties of the package.
2. Click the Data Types page.
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
To connect a datatype package to a data dictionary or data model:
1. Open the properties of the data dictionary or data model.
2. Click the Characteristics page.
3. Under the Reference section, use the first arrow to select Datatype Package.
4. With the second arrow, click Connect Datatype Package.
The query dialog box appears.
5. Click the Find button.
6. Select the desired package and click OK.
Assigning Types to Attributes
When the datatype package has been referenced for a data dictionary or a data model, the list of types it contains is available on each attribute of the dictionary classes or model entities. All that is required is to select the one that is suitable.
To define the type of an attribute:
1. Open the properties of the class or the entity concerned.
2. Click the Attributes page.
3. In the Datatype (DM) column corresponding to the attribute, select the desired type in the list.
See also Data Types and Column Datatypes.