Entity attributes

When you define attributes for the entities, you generally work with the data administrator to decide on names, data types, and appropriate values for the attributes.

Attribute names
Naming conventions for attributes help database designers ensure consistency within an organization. Most organizations have naming guidelines. In addition to following these guidelines, data analysts also base attribute definitions on class words.
Data types of attributes
You must specify a data type for each attribute of an entity. Most organizations have well-defined guidelines for using the different data types.
Appropriate values for attributes
When you design a database, you need to decide what values are acceptable for the various attributes of an entity.

Parent topic: Logical database design with the entity-relationship model