Aviation attributes and types
Attributes refers to a specific data element or field name used in a system, database, or dataset. It includes metadata such as definition, format, data type, source, and usage.
In a data dictionary:
An attribute is a concrete item that can be mapped to a column in a database or a field in a form.Example:
Term: ActualLandingTime
Definition: The date and time that an Aircraft actually lands (touch down). Always UTC time.
Type refers to the data type assigned to an attribute or field. Specifies the format and nature of data that an attribute can hold. It determines how the data is stored, validated, and processed.
In a data dictionary:
A type defines the kind of data that can be stored in that field and how it behaves in operations.Example:
Term: DateTimeUtc
Definition: XML datetime always in UTC. NB! A 'Z' shall always be appended to indicate UTC!