Story: Creating a data dictionary

A data dictionary provides a representation of the underlying data structure of a backend enterprise system, using user-friendly business terms. It contains a catalog of domain-specific objects and their associated definitions. For example, the data dictionary for an insurance domain would contain data dictionary elements (DDEs) such as customer name, age, eligibility, and so on.

When a SME creates an asset (such as a piece of text) in the Correspondence Management system, he or she can map a variable in the asset to a DD element. When the letter is rendered, the data needs to be provided to the system.

To create a data dictionary, you import an XSD file or FML file into the correspondence management system. You can also create a data dictionary manually.

For more information on creating the data dictionary, including advanced topics such as creating computed data dictionary elements see the Data Dictionary Building Block Technical Guide .

Depending on how your data dictionary is created, it can take a few minutes to several hours. If, for example, you are importing an existing XSD or FML, importing the dictionary should only take seconds. You then have the option to add, modify, and delete elements and their associated properties. Alternatively, it may take several hours if you are manually creating every element and property for an extensive dictionary using the Data Dictionary Editor.

Not applicable to this user story.

Not applicable to this user story.

There are two ways to create a data dictionary. Both of these methods use the Data Dictionary Editor in the Manage Assets UI:

• Manually: You create the data dictionary by adding each data dictionary element (DDE) one by one. You also associate the corresponding metadata with the DDEs.

• Importing a Schema (xsd): You use the Data Dictionary Editor to create a default DDEs out of an imported schema.

Data dictionaries can also be exported to FML, which can then be imported into another system, for example you can migrate your data dictionary from staging into production. For instructions on how to use the Manage Assets UI to perform these tasks, see Working with data dictionaries .

Data dictionaries are created using the Data Dictionary Editor in the Manage Assets UI.

A data dictionary is typically created by the Middleware Developer. This person is knowledgeable about a particular domain and its objects. The Middleware Developer must understand domain entities and relevant relationships between them.

• Before modifying or deleting a Data Dictionary Element, ensure that it is not being used by any assets. If you must modify the DDE, remember to also update the assets using the DDE.