ActiveReports 10 Server User Guide
Logical Data Models
ActiveReports 10 Server User Guide > Concepts > Logical Data Models

A logical data model is an abstract model that organizes data into separate entities with defined relationships between entities. Each entity has its own set of attributes. A user selects a data model from a list of available data models, and then uses it as a basis for creating reports. 

Entities

Entities represent business objects (e.g. Contact, Product, etc.) that are included in a data model. Entities are represented to the end user in a multi-level tree. Each entity has an associated set of attributes.

You can create Ad Hoc Entities by writing SQL queries and binding them to a logical table, but certain restrictions apply.

Attributes

Attributes are associated with an entity and represent values that are used for creating a report. A calculated field is a type of attribute which calculates a value based on other attributes.

Relations

A relation is an element of a data model that represents relationships between entities.

Relation Cardinality dictates how relations are created.

As administrator, you can create new models, delete models, and edit models to provide what your end users need in order to create meaningful reports. See the Managing Models section for information on how to perform these tasks.

See Also