Chapter 3 Building Conceptual Data Models

Specifying a data type for a data item

You can specify a data type for a data item in either of the following ways.

• Attach the data item to a domain - The domain dictates a standard data type, a length, and a level of precision, as well as optional check parameters. See
• Manually select a data type - You select a standard data type along with a length, a level of precision, and optional check parameters

To select a data type for a data item:

1. Open the data item property sheet by double-clicking its Browser entry or from the List of Data Items.
   
2. Select a data type from the Data Type list (or click the Question mark button to the right of the list to display and select from a list of standard data types).
   
   
      Undefined data type
   If you do not want to select a data type immediately, you can choose the <Undefined> data type.
   
   
3. [optional] For data types (such as Characters) that may have different lengths, type the maximum number of characters to be permitted in the Length box.
4. [optional] For data types (such as Decimal) that take a decimal point, type the number of places permitted after the decimal point in the Precision box.
5. Click OK to close the data item property sheet and return to the model.

Copyright (C) 2007. Sybase Inc. All rights reserved.