Type definitions¶
Type definitions (or typedefs for short) describe the objects that exist in Atlan.
Type definitions define the structure
Think of type definitions as describing the underlying data model of Atlan itself. Or in an object-oriented programming sense, these define the class (structure) of an object.
For example:
- The model for database tables in Atlan is defined by the
Table
typedef. - The
Table
typedef describes characteristics unique to database tables, such as column counts and row counts.
Type definitions can also inherit from other type definitions.
For example:
- The
Table
typedef inherits from anAsset
typedef. (As do most other objects in Atlan.) - The
Asset
typedef describes characteristics that apply to all of these objects, such as certificates and announcements.
classDiagram
direction RL
class Asset {
certificateStatus
announcementType
}
class Table {
columnCount
rowCount
}
Asset <|-- Table : extends
What defines the instances?
While type definitions define the class of an object (its structure), specific instances are defined by entities and relationships.