Fact Types

Overview

The FactTypes element aggregates the definitions of fact types present in the model. Each fact type captures its roles, readings, and associated sample data.

Attribute definitions – FactType element

Id – Unique identifier for the fact type.
Name – Name of the fact type.
IsSubtypeRelationshipFactType – true when the fact type provides identification for a subtype entity type; otherwise false.
IsObjectified – true when the fact type is objectified; otherwise false.
IsPreferredReferenceSchemeFT – true when the fact type supplies the preferred reference scheme for an entity type that does not use a compound scheme; otherwise false.
IsMDAModelElement – true when the fact type belongs to an embedded non-FBM metamodel; otherwise false.
DBName - May be used to store the name of the related Column/Property/Attribute within the database schema produced by the Model and for the Value Type.
IsObjectified - ‘true’ if the Fact Type is Objectified/Nested, else ‘false’.
ObjectifyingEntityTypeId - The identifier of the Entity Type that effectively ‘objectifies’ the Fact Type under Terry Halpin’s finite model theory interpretation of ORM. See ‘IsObjectified’ (above).
GUID - Unique GUID/UUID as commonly used to uniquely identify model elements between different modelling tools.
IsLinkFactType - ‘true’ if the Fact Type is an Implied (Link) Fact Type, else ‘false’.
LinkFactTypeRoleId - If ‘IsLinkFactType’ (above) is ‘true’, then stores the Role identifier of the Role within the Fact Type that the Implied/Link Fact Type is for.
IsDerived - ‘true’ if the Entity Type is derived, else ‘false’.
DerivationText - If the Entity Type is Derived (see IsDerived, above), then the derivation text of the derivation for the Entity Type in some form of human/machine readable/parseable logical form.
IsStored -
IsIndependent -
IsSubtypeStateControlling -
StoreFactCoordinates - Used in 4-Layer MDA (Model Driven Architecture) use of the metamodel only. ‘true’ if the X,Y diagramming coordinates for Facts (Sample Populations) are stored in the ‘ConceptInstance’ element of the XML. See /, .
LongDescription - Informal description of the Entity Type for documentation purposes. Long form.
ShortDescription - Informal description of the Entity Type for documentation purposes. Short form.

Fact types that deliver reference schemes for entity types (for example single-value reference modes) are marked with IsPreferredReferenceSchemeFT so tooling can hide or reveal them appropriately.

Attribute definitions – Role element

Id – Unique identifier of the role within the model.
Name – Optional role name when provided; otherwise blank.
HostingObjectTypeId – Identifier of the object type that plays the role.

Attribute definitions – FactTypeReading element

Id – Unique identifier for the reading.
FrontText – Text that precedes the predicate parts (e.g. “in Year”).
FollowingText – Text that follows the predicate parts (e.g. “often”).

The reading contains a PredicateParts collection, where each predicate part carries the fragments that surround a referenced role.

Attribute definitions – PredicatePart element

SequenceNr – Ordinal position of the predicate part within the reading.
RoleId – Identifier of the role associated with this predicate fragment.
PreboundText – Text that appears before the referenced role (e.g. “first” in “Person has first Name”).
PostboundText – Text that appears after the referenced role.
PredicatePartText – Core predicate wording associated with the role.

Example readings

The document illustrates predicate text with examples such as:

in Year Person of note played team-Sport for Country often
tickets for Booking are being mailed to Address
Person has first Name

XSD text

<xs:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" name="FactType">
  <xs:complexType>
    <xs:sequence>
      <xs:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" name="RoleGroup">
        <xs:complexType>
          <xs:sequence>
            <xs:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" name="Role">
              <xs:complexType>
                <xs:sequence>
                  <xs:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" name="ValueConstraint" />
                </xs:sequence>
                <xs:attribute name="Id" type="xs:string" />
                <xs:attribute name="Name" type="xs:string" />
                <xs:attribute name="SequenceNr" />
                <xs:attribute name="Mandatory" />
                <xs:attribute name="JoinedObjectTypeId" />
              </xs:complexType>
            </xs:element>
          </xs:sequence>
        </xs:complexType>
      </xs:element>
      <xs:element name="FactTypeReadings">
        <xs:complexType>
          <xs:all>
            <xs:element name="FactTypeReading">
              <xs:complexType>
                <xs:sequence>
                  <xs:element name="PredicateParts">
                    <xs:complexType>
                      <xs:all>
                        <xs:element name="PredicatePart">
                          <xs:complexType>
                            <xs:attribute name="SequenceNr" />
                            <xs:attribute name="RoleId" />
                            <xs:attribute name="PreboundText" />
                            <xs:attribute name="PostboundText" />
                            <xs:attribute name="PredicatePartText" />
                          </xs:complexType>
                        </xs:element>
                      </xs:all>
                    </xs:complexType>
                  </xs:element>
                </xs:sequence>
                <xs:attribute name="Id" />
                <xs:attribute name="FrontText" />
                <xs:attribute name="FollowingText" />
              </xs:complexType>
            </xs:element>
          </xs:all>
        </xs:complexType>
      </xs:element>
      <xs:element name="Facts">
        <xs:complexType>
          <xs:all>
            <xs:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" name="Fact" type="Fact" />
          </xs:all>
        </xs:complexType>
      </xs:element>
    </xs:sequence>
    <xs:attribute name="Id" type="xs:string" />
    <xs:attribute name="Name" type="xs:string" />
    <xs:attribute name="IsSubtypeRelationshipFactType" type="xs:string" />
    <xs:attribute name="IsObjectified" type="xs:string" />
    <xs:attribute name="IsPreferredReferenceSchemeFT" type="xs:string" />
    <xs:attribute name="IsMDAModelElement" />
    <xs:attribute name="DBName" type="xs:string" use="optional" />
    <xs:attribute name="GUID" type="xs:string" use="optional" />
    <xs:attribute name="ObjectifyingEntityTypeId" type="xs:string" />
    <xs:attribute name="IsLinkFactType" type="xs:boolean" />
    <xs:attribute name="LinkFactTypeRoleId" type="xs:string" />
    <xs:attribute name="IsDerived" type="xs:boolean" />
    <xs:attribute name="IsStored" type="xs:boolean" />
    <xs:attribute name="DerivationText" type="xs:string" />
    <xs:attribute name="IsIndependent" type="xs:boolean" />
    <xs:attribute name="IsSubtypeStateControlling" type="xs:boolean" />
    <xs:attribute name="StoreFactCoordinates" type="xs:boolean" />
    <xs:attribute name="LongDescription" type="xs:string" />
    <xs:attribute name="ShortDescription" type="xs:string" />
  </xs:complexType>
</xs:element>