Designer Attribute vs Data Item

In studying the Business Requirement Model, the Data Item entitiy seems to hang out there unassociated with the Attribute entity. What purpose has the Oracle designers in mind for the Data Item entity?

I am thinking about extending the repository to create an "implemented as" association between Attribute and Data Item, e.g. Attribute may be implemented as one or more Data Item. And, Data Item must be an implementation of one and only one attribute. My purpose is to gain the ability to have an official attribute name with the possibility of implemented aliase names.

Are there any unintended consequences in the Designer models that would make this a poor idea? Does anyone have a better alternative?

Jack Botteron <jbotteron_at_pps.k12.or.us> Data Administrator, Portland Public Schools Portland, Oregon Received on Tue Jul 02 1996 - 00:00:00 CEST