An Information Model Is a Template for Data

An information model is an object model stored in Microsoft® Repository. An information model accommodates the kinds of things that your software tool manipulates and thus includes classes, relationship types, and properties.

A class is a template to which stored objects must conform. For example, the book class is a template. When you store an object representing a book, it can have a title and a number of pages, but it cannot have a birthday.

A relationship type is a template to which stored relationships must conform. For example, the publication relationship type is a template. When you store a relationship to indicate the publication of a book, the relationship you store must conform to the publication relationship type.

A property is a template to which stored property values must conform. For example, when you store a birthday, you must store a date. You cannot store Abcdefg.

The typical object model stores objects that fall into three classes:

• The Property class. Each instance of this class describes a property. For example, one instance of this class describes the Birthday property.
  
  
• The Relationship Type class. Each instance of this class describes a relationship type. For example, one instance of this class describes the Authorship relationship type.
  
  
• The Class class. Each instance of this class describes a class. For example, one instance of this class describes the Publisher class.