Editing Data dictionary (section)

==Typical attributes==

Here is a non-exhaustive list of typical items found in a data dictionary for columns or fields:

* Entity or form name or their ID (EntityID or FormID). The group this field belongs to.
* Field name, such as [[RDBMS]] field name
* Displayed field title. May default to field name if blank.
* Field [[data type|type]] (string, integer, date, etc.)
* [[Measure (data warehouse)|Measures]] such as min and max values, display width, or number of decimal places. Different field types may interpret this differently. An alternative is to have different attributes depending on field type.
* Field display order or tab order
* Coordinates on screen (if a positional or grid-based UI)
* Default value
* Prompt type, such as drop-down list, combo-box, check-boxes, range, etc.
* Is-required (Boolean) - If 'true', the value can not be blank, null, or only white-spaces
* Is-read-only (Boolean)
* Reference table name, if a foreign key. Can be used for validation or selection lists.
* Various event handlers or references to. Example: "on-click", "on-validate", etc. See [[event-driven programming]].
* Format code, such as a [[regular expression]] or COBOL-style "PIC" statements
* Description or synopsis
* [[Database index]] characteristics or specification