Database structure
It's almost impossible to discuss the Creo Elements/Direct Drawing Manager database without using terms such as classes, attributes, and elements. Let's discuss these terms now.
Classes, Attributes, and Elements
This table shows a portion of a company's parts data. We can say that the table contains a class of information called PARTS. The column headers are the attributes of the class. The values in each column are the attribute values, which users fill in when they create an element. The rows of the table correspond to elements of this class.
Classes
A class is a group of database elements having the same attributes.
Attributes
An attribute is a descriptor for an element. In this example, Part Number, Part Name, Rev., Ver., and Description are attributes.
The data you attach to elements are called the attribute values. The attribute values for Part Number are 45A2, 45B3, 45A5, and 45G3.
Elements
An element has a list of attribute values. Your users create elements as the means of getting data into the database by supplying data for each attribute in the element's class.
Data Dictionary
The Data Dictionary is a glossary of defined data types. Data Dictionary entries are used to specify the type of data your users can enter for attribute values when creating elements.