DataElements

In Components, data entities are defined as DataElements. DataElements are at the core of NS applicationsNS Application (NSApplication). A pre-built software stack that provides common enterprise application functionality such as CRUD, search, authentication, and business process modeling out of the box..

All data elementsData Element (DataElement). A fundamental data concept or entity within an application's domain, acting as an anthropomorphic translation of a real-life object or concept. are defined as XML files and stored within the data elementsData Element (DataElement). A fundamental data concept or entity within an application's domain, acting as an anthropomorphic translation of a real-life object or concept. directory of a component.

carRental
└── model
    ├── carRental.xml
    └── dataElements
        ├── Booking.xml
        └── Car.xml

Booking.xml

<!-- data elements should be named in PascalCase -->
<dataElement name="Booking">
  <!-- The java package to which the generated classes should be added -->
  <packageName>net.demo</packageName>
  <!-- data element types are non-functional, but can be used as a label -->
  <dataElementType name="Primary"/>
</dataElement>

DataElement Types

The type of DataElement is a (currently) non-functional identifier that is used to categorize DataElements based on their purpose or behavior.

Type	Explanation
Primary	The main type of data, usually anthropomorphic classes.
Taxonomy	Used when listing different types. (DataElementType itself is a taxonomy.)
Registry	Listings of background data. (lists of cities, time zones, etc)
Directory	Listings where the hierarchical place of the object is of importance.
History	Used for creating historical logging of some sort. (usually has a couple of Date fieldsFieldA property of a DataElement expanded to a database column and user interface input element.)
Security	Data elementsData Element (DataElement). A fundamental data concept or entity within an application's domain, acting as an anthropomorphic translation of a real-life object or concept. which handle security, such as access rights.
Proxy	Describes a remote element. This can be another data elementData Element (DataElement). A fundamental data concept or entity within an application's domain, acting as an anthropomorphic translation of a real-life object or concept., another normalized systemSystemA set of interconnected components that work together to achieve a specific purpose or function., or an external systemSystemA set of interconnected components that work together to achieve a specific purpose or function.. (like the interface to a physical device)