Public Interface Export Function › Internal Design Objects › External Schema Definition Objects › FIELD (Field Definition) › Task

Task

Determine the attribute that the field implements.

FIELD.ATTRIBUTE_ID = ATTRIBUTE.ID

Determine the record that contains this field.

FIELD.RECORD_IS_IN_ID = RECORD.ID

Data fields are primary implementations of attributes defined in the ERD. Denormalized fields are redundant implementations of an attribute. (For performance reasons, it may be advantageous to implement an attribute in more than one table in more than one record.) The denormalized field is associated with a relationship to the entity type from which it comes.

Identify the relationship associated with a denormalized field.

FIELD.REL_DENORM_ID = RELATIONSHIP.ID

Foreign key fields are part of a linkage. They are introduced into records as part of the relationship implementation process. For example, assume a relationship between Entity Type A and Entity Type B. When A is implemented, the identifier of B is made a foreign key in A. Foreign key fields are value-based pointers, copies of the target fields.

FIELD records the following:

• Name (Name)
• Macro name (Macro_Name)
• Sequence (Seq) within the table (RECORD)
• Role:
  • P—Data
  • F—Foreign Key
  • D—Denormalized

  Role is always P for primary implementation data fields.

• Format (Format)
• Number of occurrences (Occurs) (not allowed for DB2 or Datacom)
• Length in digits or characters (Length)
• Number of decimal places (Dec_Places)
• Name of fieldproc (Fieldproc_Name)
• Optionality (Opt)

The table (RECORD_IS_IN_ID) containing the field and the attribute (Attribute_ID) implemented by the field are also recorded.

This table is maintained by the DSDs Detail Record Layout Detail Field options.