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Contenta Objects

This topic describes the different object types available in a SDL Contenta database.

The Contenta database contains Contenta objects. The Contenta user interface displays these objects in a hierarchical organization which users can navigate through to access the information in the database.

Contenta stores each level of information in your publications hierarchy as an object. Each object has an associated icon that the Contenta application displays in the hierarchy. The hierarchy is comprised of the different Contenta objects, each having their own characteristics and containment rules. For example:

Figure 1. Emperor's table cookbook object hierarchy

An object that is above another object in the hierarchy is called a parent object. Parent objects are container objects; that is, they contain other container objects and/or data objects. The objects below a parent object are called its children. In the graphic above, the Configuration, Group, Document, and CompoundDoc objects are parent objects.

  • Parent objects can be parent and child objects concurrently. Just as in a family, your parents are children to your grandparents. So when am object is located under another object in the hierarchy, it is a child object. However, when it has objects under it, it is also a parent object. For example, in the graphic above:
    • Emperor's Table is the parent object to the Appetizers object so Appetizers is a child object.
    • Appetizers has seven appetizer recipes listed under it so it is also a parent object; parent to the seven appetizer recipes under it.
  • Some objects are container objects only; they only contain other objects and never contain data of their own.

    For example, in the graphic above, the Configuration object (Gourmet), the Group (International) and Document (Chinese and Emperors Table) objects are container objects only.

  • Some objects are container objects and data objects. That is, in addition to being a container (parent) for another objects, it can also contain data.

    For example, in the graphic above, the CompoundDoc objects, Appetizers and Soups, are container objects that also contain data of their own.

In addition to the characteristics described above of the objects (container only, conrtainer and data, child, etc.) the hierarchy must follow containment rules. For instance, the Document container object may contain CompoundAscii objects but may not contain a Configuration object. The Configuration object may contain Groups, Documents, etc. but not contain Workpools or Desktops (which are different types of Contenta objects.)