Data model

When you use the IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform to build an application, you start with the data model. The data model supports the other elements of the application such as the user interface, the reports, and the custom logic.

The data model is organized into five main parts:

• Field definitions describe individual pieces of data. A field contains an individual piece of data.
• Business objects describe sets of fields that are stored and manipulated together. Business objects are used to create records. A record contains actual data for the fields that are described by the business object.
• Associations describe how business objects relate to each other.
• Modules organize business objects. A module is a collection of business objects. Each business object belongs to exactly one module.
• State transitions control the lifecycle of records that are created from a business object. A typical lifecycle of a record follows a path of being created, modified, and deleted. But the specific lifecycle is determined by the state transitions in the business object.

The IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform provides the Data Modeler tool to describe and manage modules, business objects, associations, and field definitions. The Data Modeler is described in "Data modeling".

The Data Modeler also describes and manages the state transitions that are used by records. The IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform provides a library of predefined state transition families that you can reference when you set up your state transitions for a business object. This library is managed by the State Family Manager tool. The State Family Manager is described in "Life Cycles".