Depicting Relationships Between Objects

To depict relationships between objects, use arrows as shown in the following figure.

Diagrams of metadata use these standard conventions:

• Show objects as dots
  
  
• Show relationships as arrows
  
  
• Show kinds of objects as labeled rectangles

The tabular equivalent of this graphical presentation of data is shown in the following table.

The labels in the Kind of Data column constitute a portion of an object model for storing object models. The object model for storing object models is called the Type Information Model.

Note   Each entry in the Data column describes only one thing: either an object or a relationship. The 23 entries in the Data column correspond to the 23 dots and arrows in the preceding figure.