Domain Libraries

A library is not a defined object; object definitions belong to a Domain's library when they are stored directly in the Domain. Therefore you cannot have more than one library in a Domain.

Domains are intended to store only tested, validated, production-quality object definitions. Some Domains may contain production-quality objects that are suitable for reuse in many applications. Other Domains may contain object definitions currently used in production for a particular trial or project. Oracle LSH does not enforce this usage in any way; you must develop a validation policy to determine which object definitions are eligible for inclusion in a library and, if you choose, set up Oracle LSH security so that only a few people can move definitions into a Domain library and modify them there. For an example, see Project 123 Domain User Group.

Maintaining object definitions in a Domain library is not required. When a Definer creates an object in a Work Area, Oracle LSH automatically stores the definition in the Application Area that contains the Work Area. You can simply leave all object definitions in their Application Area library and still allow users with the necessary privileges to create instances of them in any Work Area or copy the definitions into any other Application Area library.

However, storing validated object definitions in a particular Domain library facilitates reusing these definitions by making it clear that these are intended for reuse. You can develop standard operating procedures requiring Definers to search first in Domain Libraries to find an existing definition that serves their purpose before searching in Application Area Libraries or creating a new definition. Reusing valid object definitions reduces your definition workload and ensures the consistency and quality of object definitions (see Reusing Object Definitions).

In general, if a Domain contains logically related Application Areas, it makes sense to use that Domain library for storing validated object definitions that have been developed or adapted specifically for that logical group of applications. If you have developed definitions that are suitable for use in many projects, trials, or applications, such as Enrollment or Demography Tables, Programs or Report Sets, you may want to create a Domain specifically for the purpose of maintaining a central library of standard reusable definitions, and call it the Standards Domain, for example.

You can make it easier to find object definitions in a library by labeling them with a classification. See Designing a Classification System for Searching and Browsing.