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Property (of a Concept)

A property (of a concept) is a connection or association between that concept and a primitive data element, such as a text, a number, a boolean value, etc., that represents some characteristic that (instances of) the concept may have.

Where relations describe connections or associations between concepts, properties describe characteristics of concepts in terms of data attributes or values.

Properties are crucial for capturing and representing specific characteristics, attributes, or features of concepts in a model. They enable the inclusion of essential metadata and descriptive information associated with concepts.

Examples​

  1. In a product database, the "Price" property relates the "Product" concept to a numeric value representing its cost.
  2. The "Color" property of an "Apple" concept links it to a text value indicating its visual appearance.
  3. "Gender" can be a property of a "Person" (or "Animal") concept, as can "being a parent".

Notes​

  • Properties play a significant role in enriching the conceptual model with detailed attribute information for each concept.
  • Defining properties accurately is essential for maintaining consistency and accuracy in the conceptual model.