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Data modeling

Updated on April 6, 2022

A data model visually organizes the data in your application and displays the relationships among various data elements in a digestible way. The visual representation helps you understand data dependencies and make informed decisions as you expand your application's capabilities.

Professional application design and development relies on clear and comprehensive data models that constantly evolve to adapt to dynamic business requirements. Pega Platform provides the following levels of data model to meet that goal:

Application
An interactive block diagram that captures all case types and data objects in your application. Relationships are clearly visible and the navigation is intuitive. You can open data models for individual case types and data objects directly from the application data model.

The following figure illustrates an example of an application data model:

A sample data model for an application
A sample data model for an application that includes case types, data objects and their relationships.
Case type
A list of fields and references that contribute to a specific case type. The model might include data references, case references, and so on, as seen in the following figure:
A sample data model for a case type
A sample data model for a case type that includes fields, case references, data references, and so on.
On the Data model tab, you can add further fields and reference data for use in your case types. You can also switch to the visual data model for your application, with the focus on the case type:
A sample visual data model for a case type
A sample visual data model that highlights a case type and is part of the overall application data model.
Data object
A list of fields that contribute to a specific data object, for example, Address, as seen in the following figure:
A sample data model for a data object
A sample data model for a data object that includes the fields that belong to that object.
On the Data model tab, you can add further fields to associate with the data object. You can also switch to the visual data model for your application, with the focus on the data object:
A sample visual data model for a data object
A sample visual data model that highlights a data object and is part of the overall application data model.
For example: A data model for a loan management application might include a Mortgage Request case type to handle loans. In addition to fields such as Contact number, the case type depends on two other case types, Appraisal and mySurvey, to collect other necessary information as separate subprocesses. The main case type also relies on two data objects: Address and Appraisers. While case types manage the life cycles of processes, data objects group related data into standalone entities that various case types in your application might reuse. With the help of the visual data model for your application, you collect all the elements of the process in one place for a more comprehensive analysis.
  • Basic concepts in data modeling

    Understanding the key components of the Pega Platform data model helps you define, manage, and reuse high quality data assets in your applications.

  • Configuring a basic data object

    Speed up application development by creating data objects that collect related information into reusable entities. By using data objects, you can simplify your data structure for easier reuse across interfaces.

  • Fields as building blocks for data objects

    By learning about the different types of fields that are available in Pega Platform data objects, you ensure that you can effectively capture and present information in your cases.

  • Exploring the visual data model

    Understand the relationships among case types, data objects, and fields in your application by using the data model visualization.

  • Updating your data model

    Maintain data integrity by updating your data model when changes occur.

  • Data objects overview

    Data objects define the logical data layer and hold data for your application. A data object simplifies the organization of the properties, data pages, transforms, and other elements your application needs to get the right data at the right time.

  • Exporting data records

    To get application data into an editable CSV file, create an export file.

  • Adding fields

    Use the following topics to define fields for your data object. For example, you can add choices to a picklist to control which options a user selects.

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