What is a Data Dictionary?
Isolated words have too many interpretations
A Data Dictionary provides the authoritative descriptions of data elements in Data Models
- E.g., name, definition, data type, range of values, etc.
Data elements often included in a Data Dictionary include entities, attributes, relationships, and aspects of attribute domains (e.g., enumerates, units)
Notations vary (as is also the case for data modeling)
A Data Dictionary may span multiple Data Models
Using a common Data Dictionary improves interoperability by ensuring that the “domain things” in each Data Model share common definitions, even though they may be “assembled” in very different ways.