Defining Metadata

Definition: Metadata for OLAP DML objects

Metadata is a group of data objects that describes the OLAP DML objects that you define.

Why and how to use metadata

The purpose of metadata is to provide you with the flexibility to specify how the OLAP DML objects will be displayed in applications. Therefore, you should use metadata when the way in which OLAP DML objects are displayed matters.

You must define metadata and set its property to YES in order to use that metadata.

Using the metadata appendix

This guide provides an appendix that describes all of the metadata that you can define and use. Refer to Appendix A to learn the following:

• What metadata is available -- You may or may not need to define all possible types of metadata, depending on your needs. Read the appendix thoroughly in order to understand what kind of metadata is possible to define, then decide which metadata you need.

• The purpose of each metadata object -- Each metadata object serves a specific purpose. The description of each metadata object explains its purpose and use.

• How to define metadata -- The description of each metadata object includes the syntax for defining that metadata object, as well as an example.

• How to set the metadata's property to YES -- The description of each metadata object includes an example of how you set its property to YES, which is what makes that object functional.