Working with Object Properties in Meta Data Browser
You can display object properties to view the characteristics of individual objects.
To view properties, right-click an object, and then click Properties. This opens the Repository Object Properties dialog box. For more information about the options on this dialog box, see Repository Object Properties Dialog Box.
In addition to viewing properties, when you run Meta Data Browser as a stand-alone snap-in, you can edit property values of objects in the Contents folder. You must be a repository Administrator or Power User to edit property values. Editing property values can only be performed on objects in the Contents folder. The Information Models folder is always read-only.
To edit a property value, select a property for an object in the Contents folder and type a different value in the Value column. For more information about how to become a repository Administrator or Power User, see Selecting Browse Mode in Meta Data Browser.
Understanding Property Information
Object properties expose Class Name and a property set that reveals details about a particular object. Each object supports a property set that varies from object to object and folder to folder.
In the Contents folder, Class Name identifies the information model class used to create the object. If you understand information models, knowing about the class reveals abstract data about an object that can be useful. The property set defines object characteristics. Property values are instance data about the object. The property set originates from the properties supported by the abstract class.
In the Information Models folder, Class Name identifies the repository API definition used to build the object class. A repository API definition can be an InterfaceDef, a ClassDef, or some other definition. The property set defines object class characteristics. Type information about the object class is expressed through property values. The property set originates from the properties supported by the repository API definition.
You can search SQL Server Books Online for more information about repository API definitions and properties. For example, you can search for InterfaceDef. You can also search for specific properties, such as CreateByUser, Name, and VersionLabel.
Special Properties
Custom objects support a property set that is determined by a model designer. For more information about custom object properties, check with the author of the model.
Enumeration objects are associated with property definitions. The purpose of an enumeration object is to provide a list of predefined values for a given property. In the browser, when you view a property that is enumerated, you can select one of the enumerated values from a predefined list. The list appears in the Values column of the property.
Virtual properties are a special category of properties that typically do not have persistent data. However, if the aggregation objects are stored in the repository database, virtual properties will appear in the Meta Data Browser.
See Also
Deleting, Renaming, and Removing Objects from Collections