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CA Datacom Datadictionary Terminology

CA Datacom Datadictionary is a collection of information in categories that are called entities. Any data in CA Datacom Datadictionary is associated with an entity-type (such as, record type). DATABASE, AREA, and TABLE are some specific entity-types.

Each instance or value within the entity-type is an entity-occurrence (or occurrence). For example, defining a database entails storing information about the database in a DATABASE entity-occurrence. Each database is listed by its unique name as an entity-occurrence within the DATABASE entity-type.

The classification of information stored about each entity-occurrence is called an attribute. The actual information stored for each attribute is an attribute-value. The attribute-value provides specific information about the entity-occurrence.

Examples from DBID 0001

ENTITY-TYPE                   - DATABASE
ENTITY-OCCURRENCE             - HUMAN RESOURCE
ENTITY-TYPE                   - TABLE
ENTITY-OCCURRENCE             - PERSONNEL
ENTITY-TYPE                   - FIELD
PARENT ENTITY-OCCURRENCE      - PERSONNEL
ENTITY-OCCURRENCE             - STREET-ADDRESS
   ATTRIBUTE:                   VALUE:
   - JUSTIFICATION                LEFT
   - TYPE                         CHARACTER
   - SIGN                         NO
   - LENGTH                       24
   - DESCRIPTION                  EMPLOYEE STREET ADDRESS

The CA Datacom Datadictionary manages multiple copies of a structure using a combination of version numbers and status levels. The version number is a three digit number that is used to identify a specific version of a structure. That version number follows the structure throughout the Dictionary.

There are three statuses where a structure can reside:

New or altered structures start in TEST status. When it is finalized, the structure is verified and PRODDED which means that the current PROD structure moves to HIST status and the TEST structure is copied to PROD status.