Terminology

This section explains the terms used in the context of BOC's products.

Application Library

An application library contains a number of model types, classes, relation classes, attributes and functionality based on these elements. Application libraries can be defined by customizing in the Metamodel Management component.

Synonym: Library

Attribute

An attribute is a property of a modelling construct such as a model, object or relation. Each attribute has a type and a value.

Attribute type

The attribute type defines the possible values an attribute can have.

Class

A class is a construct that is used as a template to create objects of that class. The objects of a class are alternatively called "instances". In ADOXX two kinds of classes are distinguished:

Repository class

A repository class is a template to create reusable objects. These objects are called "repository objects" and have the following characteristics:

• They are stored in the Object Catalogue.
• They can be reused within a model as well as in different models.
• Their attributes pertain the same attribute values in all occurrences

Modelling class

A modelling class is a template to create model-context specific objects. These objects are called "modelling objects" and have the following characteristics:

• They are created and managed directly in one single model, and not stored in the Object Catalogue.
• They cannot be reused in other models.
• Their attributes are always model-context specific.

Connector

A connector is a graphical representation of a relation in a model.

Explorer

The explorer is a tool window in a workspace for displaying, using, and managing the content of an ADOXX-based product database. It usually contains two different catalogues:

Model Catalogue

The Model Catalogue is part of the Explorer. It contains models and model groups and is used to manage the models in the modelling repository.

Object Catalogue

The Object Catalogue is part of the Explorer. It contains objects and object groups and is used to manage the objects in the modelling repository.

Interref

An interref is a relation class which will be shown in an object's properties as if they were an attribute of the object. It can be used to connect to instances within other models.

Library

The term library is used as a synonym for application library. For its definition see the description of application library.

Metamodel

The metamodel is the sum of classes (e.g. the application class in ADOIT or the process class in ADONIS), model types (e.g. the BPMN model type in ADONIS), attributes (e.g. the Name or Description attribute) and relation classes (e.g. the Association relation class in ADOIT) that are available for modelling and populating the data repository. The metamodel is the definition of the kind of data that can be created and provides a ruleset how this data can be created, e.g. which modeltypes contain which attributes and instances of which classes can be connected using which relations.

Model

A model is an instance of a model type. A model can contain objects and relations of the classes and relation classes which are assigned to its model type.

Model group

A model group is a directory in the Model Catalogue and is used to organize models. Model groups can be structured hierarchically.

Modelling area

The modelling area is the visible part of the graphical editor where objects and relations of a model are shown.

Modelling bar

The modelling bar contains a well-defined number of classes and relation classes of a distinct model type. It has to be defined which classes and relation classes should be shown and in which order they should appear.

Notebook

The term notebook is used as a synonym for Properties Dialogue. For its definition see the description of Properties Dialogue.

Object

An object is an instance of a class.

Object group

An object group is a directory in the Object Catalogue and is used to organize objects. Object groups can be structured hierarchically.

Properties Dialogue

An object's or model's Properties Dialogue (also called Properties or Notebook) is a component on the user interface in which the attributes and relations of an object or model can be viewed and manipulated. The contents and order of the elements within the Properties Dialogue is configurable.

Synonym: Notebook

Relation class

A relation class is a construct that is used as a template to create relations between objects. A relation class is defined between classes. A relation is always a directed connection between objects, i.e. each relation has a from-side and a to-side. In ADOXX the following types of relation classes are distinguished:

Repository relation class

A repository relation class is a construct to create relations between repository objects, between models and repository objects and between models.

Modelling relation class

A modelling relation class is a construct to create relations between modelling objects, between modelling objects and models and between modelling objects and repository objects.

Repository

A repository is a special kind of storage in an ADOXX-based product database. There are two different kinds of repositories:

Modelling or Data repository

A modelling or data repository contains models (represented in the Model Catalogue) and objects (represented in the Object Catalogue). An application library could have none, one or many modelling repositories. Each modelling repository represents an independent storage container.

User repository

All users and user groups of an ADOXX-based product database are contained in the user repository.

User

A user is a special system-relevant object (an instanceof the special system-relevant user class) that is contained in the user repository. User objects are required to manage ADOXX users and their authentication and authorization.

User Group

User groups are object groups within the user repository that contain user objects.