Information Catalog Manager User's Guide


Glossary

Attachment
The category for object types used to attach additional information to another information catalog object. For example, you can attach comments to an object.

category
A classification for information catalog object types. The category designates the actions available to object types and the relationships allowed between object types in the same or different categories.

Object types belong to one of the following categories:

collection
A container for objects. A collection can be used to gather objects of interest for easy access.

Comments
A classification for objects that annotate another object in the information catalog. For example, you might attach a Comments object to a chart object that contains notes about the data in the chart.

contact
A reference for more information about an object. More information might include the person who created the information that the object represents, or the department responsible for maintaining the information.

Dictionary
The category for object types that can be used to define terminology (for example, the "Glossary entries" object type in the sample information catalog).

Elemental
The category for non-Grouping object types that are the building blocks for other object types. Elemental object types are at the bottom of object type hierarchies. "Columns in relational tables," "Presentations {electronic and printed}," and "Graphics and Images" are all examples of Elemental object types.

Grouping
The category for object types that can contain other object types. Examples of Grouping object types available in the sample information catalog are "Tables or views in a relational database" (which contains the Elemental object type "Columns in relational tables,)" and "Multi-dimensional model" (which contains another Grouping object type "Dimension)."

information catalog
The database managed by the Information Catalog Manager that contains descriptive data to help users identify and locate the data and information available to them in the organization.

Information Catalog Manager administrator
A person responsible for managing the content and use of the information catalog.

Information Catalog Manager user
A person who accesses the information available in the information catalogs.

linked relationship
A relationship between objects in an information catalog. Objects in a linked relationship are peers, rather than one object being an underlying object of the other.

multiple character wildcard
A character used to represent any series of characters of any length. By default, the multiple character wildcard is an asterisk (*). See also wildcard and single character wildcard.

object
An item that represents a unit or distinct grouping of information. Each information catalog object identifies and describes information, but does not contain the actual information. For example, an object can provide the name of a report, list its creation date, and describe its purpose.

object type
A classification for objects. An object type is used to reflect a type of business information, such as a table, report, or image.

To see a list of object types and the icons used to represent them, click Help -> Object type legend from any menu bar.

Program
The category for the Programs object type. The Programs object type is a classification for objects that identify and describe applications capable of processing the actual information described by information catalog objects.

property
A characteristic or attribute that describes a unit of information. Each object type has a set of associated properties. For example, the "Graphics and Images" object type in the sample information catalog includes the following properties:

For each object, a set of values are assigned to the properties.

single character wildcard
A character used to represent any single character. By default, the single character wild card is a question mark (?). See also wildcard and multiple character wildcard.

Support
The category for object types that provide additional information about your information catalog or enterprise (for example, the "Information Catalog Manager News" object type in the sample information catalog).

Tree view
A view that hierarchically displays an object and the objects that it contains.

wildcard
A special character that is used as a variable when specifying property values in a search. See also single character wildcard and multiple character wildcard.


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