Knowledge

Data dictionary

Source đź“ť

123:, i.e., (structured) data about information. The software package for a stand-alone data dictionary or data repository may interact with the software modules of the DBMS, but it is mainly used by the designers, users and administrators of a computer system for information resource management. These systems maintain information on system hardware and software configuration, documentation, application and users as well as other information relevant to system administration. 27: 214:, which communicates with the underlying DBMS data dictionary. Such a "high-level" data dictionary may offer additional features and a degree of flexibility that goes beyond the limitations of the native "low-level" data dictionary, whose primary purpose is to support the basic functions of the DBMS, not the requirements of a typical application. For example, a high-level data dictionary can provide alternative 186:
The data dictionary consists of record types (tables) created in the database by systems generated command files, tailored for each supported back-end DBMS. Oracle has a list of specific views for the "sys" user. This allows users to look up the exact information that is needed. Command files contain
182:
In an active data dictionary constraints may be placed upon the underlying data. For instance, a range may be imposed on the value of numeric data in a data element (field), or a record in a table may be forced to participate in a set relationship with another record-type. Additionally, a distributed
299:
features provides the ability to use DataDictionaries as class files to form middle layer between the user interface and the underlying database. The intent is to create standardized rules to maintain data integrity and enforce business rules throughout one or more related applications.
138:
When a passive data dictionary is updated, it is done so manually and independently from any changes to a DBMS (database) structure. With an active data dictionary, the dictionary is updated first and changes occur in the DBMS automatically as a result.
150:
developers can benefit from an authoritative data dictionary document that catalogs the organization, contents, and conventions of one or more databases. This typically includes the names and descriptions of various
378:
such as min and max values, display width, or number of decimal places. Different field types may interpret this differently. An alternative is to have different attributes depending on field type.
107:
is closely coupled with the DBMS software. It provides the information stored in it to the user and the DBA, but it is mainly accessed by the various software modules of the DBMS itself, such as
315:
comply with through its policy handbook. This intermediate mapping layer for MLSs' native databases is supported by software companies which provide API services to MLS organizations.
303:
Some industries use generalized data dictionaries as technical standards to ensure interoperability between systems. The real estate industry, for example, abides by a
883: 550:
Automated query optimization method using both global and parallel local optimizations for materialization access planning for distributed databases
520: 327:(DDS) to describe data attributes in file descriptions that are external to the application program that processes the data, in the context of an 175:. Another important piece of information that a data dictionary can provide is the relationship between tables. This is sometimes referred to in 723: 624: 756: 608: 236:
sometimes include high-level data dictionary facilities, which can substantially reduce the amount of programming required to build
226:. Additionally, DBA functions are often automated using restructuring tools that are tightly coupled to an active data dictionary. 46:, is a "centralized repository of information about data such as meaning, relationships to other data, origin, usage, and format". 210:
In the construction of database applications, it can be useful to introduce an additional layer of data dictionary software, i.e.
126:
If a data dictionary system is used only by the designers, users, and administrators and not by the DBMS Software, it is called a
565: 335:
table in Oracle stores information about every table in the database. It is part of the data dictionary that is created when the
183:
DBMS may have certain location specifics described within its active data dictionary (e.g. where tables are physically located).
115:
compilers, the query optimiser, the transaction processor, report generators, and the constraint enforcer. On the other hand, a
52:
defines it as a collection of tables with metadata. The term can have one of several closely related meanings pertaining to
218:
tailored to suit different applications that share a common database. Extensions to the data dictionary also can assist in
283:
data dictionary provides cross-DBMS facilities for automated database creation, data validation, performance enhancement (
244:, reports, and other components of a database application, including the database itself. For example, PHPLens includes a 259:
for multiple databases. Another PHP-based data dictionary, part of the RADICORE toolkit, automatically generates program
1228: 1267: 676: 308: 1134: 324: 1188: 749: 340: 233: 176: 1113: 814: 839: 517: 20: 1223: 1139: 834: 799: 112: 76: 57: 1092: 992: 260: 215: 179:
diagrams (ERDs), or if using set descriptors, identifying which sets database tables participate in.
160: 1257: 1013: 1008: 966: 742: 403: 375: 312: 199:(for referential integrity), etc., using the specific statement required by that type of database. 108: 1082: 351:
Here is a non-exhaustive list of typical items found in a data dictionary for columns or fields:
729: 1262: 1108: 905: 280: 256: 650: 1200: 1067: 809: 1072: 987: 855: 804: 462: 288: 223: 147: 8: 1023: 961: 878: 829: 690: 605: 467: 393:
Is-required (Boolean) - If 'true', the value can not be blank, null, or only white-spaces
39: 581: 410: 264: 241: 229: 219: 72: 48: 402:
Various event handlers or references to. Example: "on-click", "on-validate", etc. See
399:
Reference table name, if a foreign key. Can be used for validation or selection lists.
355:
Entity or form name or their ID (EntityID or FormID). The group this field belongs to.
1272: 935: 457: 452: 284: 164: 1118: 824: 237: 152: 143: 562: 1018: 982: 873: 612: 569: 524: 442: 336: 296: 268: 549: 536: 765: 487: 432: 419: 156: 16:
Set of metadata that contains definitions and representations of data elements
1251: 1195: 940: 447: 437: 248: 202:
There is no universal standard as to the level of detail in such a document.
1207: 1144: 1028: 172: 1077: 819: 252: 390:
Prompt type, such as drop-down list, combo-box, check-boxes, range, etc.
1183: 956: 272: 211: 83: 343:(FOSS) for structured and transactional queries in open environments. 1087: 930: 865: 369: 292: 168: 925: 860: 794: 120: 65: 53: 734: 26: 593: 276: 86:
that extends or supplants the native data dictionary of a DBMS
900: 895: 890: 359: 328: 103:
indicate a more general software utility than a catalogue. A
365:
Displayed field title. May default to field name if blank.
304: 245: 384:
Coordinates on screen (if a positional or grid-based UI)
537:
Database management system with active data dictionary
339:
is created. Developers may also use DDS context from
625:"Real Estate Transaction Standards (RETS) Web API" 251:to automate the creation of tables, indexes, and 1249: 68:describing a database or collection of databases 1229:Data warehousing products and their producers 777: 750: 318: 79:that is required to determine its structure 1050: 757: 743: 677:"DDS documentation for IBM System i V5R3" 267:, and SQL code for menus and forms with 25: 1250: 1165: 1049: 776: 738: 730:Data Dictionary vs. Business Glossary 651:"Handbook on Multiple Listing Policy" 563:ADOdb Data Dictionary Library for PHP 346: 499:Ramez Elmasri, Shamkant B. Navathe: 167:) plus additional details, like the 30:A simple layout of a data dictionary 764: 691:"Oracle Concepts - Data Dictionary" 13: 1114:MultiDimensional eXpressions (MDX) 552:, 28 February 1985, Honeywell Bull 14: 1284: 712: 501:Fundamentals of Database Systems 422:characteristics or specification 381:Field display order or tab order 309:National Association of REALTORS 119:is a data structure that stores 90: 724:Data Dictionaries (Web archive) 683: 669: 643: 617: 413:or COBOL-style "PIC" statements 1135:Business intelligence software 1014:Extract, load, transform (ELT) 1009:Extract, transform, load (ETL) 598: 592:Base One International Corp., 586: 574: 555: 542: 529: 506: 493: 480: 325:data description specification 1: 1083:Decision support system (DSS) 503:, 3rd. ed. sect. 17.5, p. 582 473: 372:(string, integer, date, etc.) 341:free and open-source software 234:rapid application development 205: 1109:Data Mining Extensions (DMX) 539:, 19 November 1985, AT&T 7: 1166: 870:Ensemble modeling patterns 840:Single version of the truth 488:IBM Dictionary of Computing 426: 130:Otherwise, it is called an 58:database management systems 44:IBM Dictionary of Computing 21:Dictionary (data structure) 10: 1289: 1224:Comparison of OLAP servers 582:What is a Data Dictionary? 518:What is a data dictionary? 319:Platform-specific examples 216:entity-relationship models 18: 1216: 1176: 1172: 1161: 1127: 1101: 1093:Data warehouse automation 1060: 1056: 1045: 1001: 975: 949: 914: 848: 787: 783: 778:Creating a data warehouse 772: 1268:Knowledge representation 720:Structured Analysis Wiki 594:Base One Data Dictionary 523:12 February 2009 at the 404:event-driven programming 287:and index utilization), 128:passive data dictionary. 19:Not to be confused with 1119:XML for Analysis (XMLA) 568:7 November 2007 at the 416:Description or synopsis 409:Format code, such as a 1051:Using a data warehouse 906:Operational data store 396:Is-read-only (Boolean) 305:RESO's Data Dictionary 163:) and their contents ( 132:active data dictionary 31: 1068:Business intelligence 548:U.S. Patent 4769772, 535:U.S. Patent 4774661, 224:distributed databases 29: 884:Focal point modeling 856:Column-oriented DBMS 805:Dimensional modeling 611:5 April 2018 at the 490:, 10th edition, 1993 463:Vocabulary OneSource 358:Field name, such as 289:application security 42:, as defined in the 1189:Information factory 962:Early-arriving fact 879:Data vault modeling 830:Reverse star schema 468:Metadata repository 230:Software frameworks 193:CREATE UNIQUE INDEX 187:SQL Statements for 177:entity-relationship 171:and length of each 40:metadata repository 1140:Reporting software 411:regular expression 347:Typical attributes 220:query optimization 32: 1245: 1244: 1241: 1240: 1237: 1236: 1157: 1156: 1153: 1152: 1041: 1040: 1037: 1036: 936:Sixth normal form 631:. 23 January 2015 458:Semantic spectrum 453:Metadata registry 323:Developers use a 1280: 1174: 1173: 1163: 1162: 1058: 1057: 1047: 1046: 825:Snowflake schema 785: 784: 774: 773: 759: 752: 745: 736: 735: 706: 705: 703: 701: 687: 681: 680: 673: 667: 666: 664: 662: 647: 641: 640: 638: 636: 621: 615: 604:VISUAL DATAFLEX, 602: 596: 590: 584: 578: 572: 559: 553: 546: 540: 533: 527: 510: 504: 497: 491: 484: 198: 194: 190: 136:data dictionary. 1288: 1287: 1283: 1282: 1281: 1279: 1278: 1277: 1258:Data management 1248: 1247: 1246: 1233: 1212: 1168: 1149: 1123: 1097: 1052: 1033: 997: 993:Slowly changing 983:Dimension table 971: 945: 922:Data dictionary 910: 874:Anchor modeling 844: 779: 768: 766:Data warehouses 763: 715: 710: 709: 699: 697: 689: 688: 684: 675: 674: 670: 660: 658: 649: 648: 644: 634: 632: 623: 622: 618: 613:Wayback Machine 603: 599: 591: 587: 579: 575: 570:Wayback Machine 560: 556: 547: 543: 534: 530: 525:Wayback Machine 511: 507: 498: 494: 485: 481: 476: 443:Database schema 429: 349: 337:Oracle Database 321: 297:Visual DataFlex 291:, and extended 269:data validation 208: 196: 192: 188: 117:data dictionary 101:data repository 97:data dictionary 93: 36:data dictionary 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1286: 1276: 1275: 1270: 1265: 1260: 1243: 1242: 1239: 1238: 1235: 1234: 1232: 1231: 1226: 1220: 1218: 1214: 1213: 1211: 1210: 1205: 1204: 1203: 1201:Enterprise bus 1193: 1192: 1191: 1180: 1178: 1170: 1169: 1159: 1158: 1155: 1154: 1151: 1150: 1148: 1147: 1142: 1137: 1131: 1129: 1125: 1124: 1122: 1121: 1116: 1111: 1105: 1103: 1099: 1098: 1096: 1095: 1090: 1085: 1080: 1075: 1070: 1064: 1062: 1054: 1053: 1043: 1042: 1039: 1038: 1035: 1034: 1032: 1031: 1026: 1021: 1016: 1011: 1005: 1003: 999: 998: 996: 995: 990: 985: 979: 977: 973: 972: 970: 969: 964: 959: 953: 951: 947: 946: 944: 943: 938: 933: 928: 918: 916: 912: 911: 909: 908: 903: 898: 893: 888: 887: 886: 881: 876: 868: 863: 858: 852: 850: 846: 845: 843: 842: 837: 832: 827: 822: 817: 812: 807: 802: 797: 791: 789: 781: 780: 770: 769: 762: 761: 754: 747: 739: 733: 732: 726: 714: 713:External links 711: 708: 707: 695:dba-oracle.com 682: 668: 657:. January 2015 642: 616: 597: 585: 573: 554: 541: 528: 505: 492: 478: 477: 475: 472: 471: 470: 465: 460: 455: 450: 445: 440: 435: 433:Data hierarchy 428: 425: 424: 423: 420:Database index 417: 414: 407: 400: 397: 394: 391: 388: 385: 382: 379: 373: 366: 363: 356: 348: 345: 320: 317: 207: 204: 92: 89: 88: 87: 80: 69: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1285: 1274: 1271: 1269: 1266: 1264: 1263:Data modeling 1261: 1259: 1256: 1255: 1253: 1230: 1227: 1225: 1222: 1221: 1219: 1215: 1209: 1206: 1202: 1199: 1198: 1197: 1196:Ralph Kimball 1194: 1190: 1187: 1186: 1185: 1182: 1181: 1179: 1175: 1171: 1164: 1160: 1146: 1143: 1141: 1138: 1136: 1133: 1132: 1130: 1126: 1120: 1117: 1115: 1112: 1110: 1107: 1106: 1104: 1100: 1094: 1091: 1089: 1086: 1084: 1081: 1079: 1076: 1074: 1071: 1069: 1066: 1065: 1063: 1059: 1055: 1048: 1044: 1030: 1027: 1025: 1022: 1020: 1017: 1015: 1012: 1010: 1007: 1006: 1004: 1000: 994: 991: 989: 986: 984: 981: 980: 978: 974: 968: 965: 963: 960: 958: 955: 954: 952: 948: 942: 941:Surrogate key 939: 937: 934: 932: 929: 927: 923: 920: 919: 917: 913: 907: 904: 902: 899: 897: 894: 892: 889: 885: 882: 880: 877: 875: 872: 871: 869: 867: 864: 862: 859: 857: 854: 853: 851: 847: 841: 838: 836: 833: 831: 828: 826: 823: 821: 818: 816: 813: 811: 808: 806: 803: 801: 798: 796: 793: 792: 790: 786: 782: 775: 771: 767: 760: 755: 753: 748: 746: 741: 740: 737: 731: 727: 725: 721: 717: 716: 696: 692: 686: 678: 672: 656: 652: 646: 630: 626: 620: 614: 610: 607: 601: 595: 589: 583: 577: 571: 567: 564: 558: 551: 545: 538: 532: 526: 522: 519: 515: 509: 502: 496: 489: 483: 479: 469: 466: 464: 461: 459: 456: 454: 451: 449: 448:ISO/IEC 11179 446: 444: 441: 439: 438:Data modeling 436: 434: 431: 430: 421: 418: 415: 412: 408: 405: 401: 398: 395: 392: 389: 387:Default value 386: 383: 380: 377: 374: 371: 367: 364: 361: 357: 354: 353: 352: 344: 342: 338: 334: 330: 326: 316: 314: 311:mandates its 310: 307:to which the 306: 301: 298: 294: 290: 286: 282: 279:environment, 278: 274: 270: 266: 262: 258: 254: 250: 249:class library 247: 243: 239: 235: 231: 227: 225: 221: 217: 213: 203: 200: 184: 180: 178: 174: 170: 166: 162: 158: 154: 149: 145: 140: 137: 133: 129: 124: 122: 118: 114: 110: 106: 102: 98: 91:Documentation 85: 81: 78: 74: 70: 67: 63: 62: 61: 59: 55: 51: 50: 45: 41: 37: 28: 22: 1208:Dan Linstedt 921: 719: 698:. Retrieved 694: 685: 671: 659:. Retrieved 654: 645: 633:. Retrieved 628: 619: 600: 588: 576: 557: 544: 531: 513: 512:TechTarget, 508: 500: 495: 482: 350: 332: 322: 302: 271:and complex 255:constraints 228: 209: 201: 189:CREATE TABLE 185: 181: 173:data element 141: 135: 131: 127: 125: 116: 104: 100: 96: 94: 71:An integral 47: 43: 35: 33: 1145:Spreadsheet 1078:Data mining 820:Star schema 700:13 February 655:nar.realtor 629:nar.realtor 253:foreign key 197:ALTER TABLE 148:application 82:A piece of 1252:Categories 1184:Bill Inmon 988:Degenerate 957:Fact table 661:11 October 635:11 October 580:RADICORE, 474:References 362:field name 293:data types 281:Base One's 275:. For the 212:middleware 206:Middleware 95:The terms 84:middleware 1102:Languages 1088:OLAP cube 1073:Dashboard 1024:Transform 976:Dimension 931:Data mart 866:Data mesh 835:Aggregate 800:Dimension 728:Octopai, 718:Yourdon, 561:PHPLens, 514:SearchSOA 232:aimed at 142:Database 105:catalogue 73:component 54:databases 1273:Metadata 1217:Products 1061:Concepts 926:Metadata 915:Elements 861:Data hub 849:Variants 795:Database 788:Concepts 609:Archived 606:features 566:Archived 521:Archived 427:See also 376:Measures 333:sys.ts$ 257:portably 222:against 161:entities 121:metadata 66:document 60:(DBMS): 1167:Related 1019:Extract 1002:Filling 967:Measure 285:caching 277:ASP.NET 265:scripts 261:objects 157:records 1177:People 368:Field 331:. The 165:fields 153:tables 49:Oracle 1128:Tools 901:ROLAP 896:MOLAP 891:HOLAP 486:ACM, 360:RDBMS 329:IBM i 273:joins 242:forms 238:menus 144:users 75:of a 38:, or 1029:Load 950:Fact 815:OLAP 810:Fact 702:2017 663:2020 637:2020 370:type 313:MLSs 169:type 146:and 111:and 99:and 77:DBMS 56:and 246:PHP 159:or 134:or 113:DML 109:DDL 1254:: 722:, 693:. 653:. 627:. 516:, 295:. 263:, 240:, 195:, 191:, 64:A 34:A 924:/ 758:e 751:t 744:v 704:. 679:. 665:. 639:. 406:. 155:( 23:.

Index

Dictionary (data structure)

metadata repository
Oracle
databases
database management systems
document
component
DBMS
middleware
DDL
DML
metadata
users
application
tables
records
entities
fields
type
data element
entity-relationship
middleware
entity-relationship models
query optimization
distributed databases
Software frameworks
rapid application development
menus
forms

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.

↑