Links

The modeling and analysis facilities in iBase are based on the concepts of entities and links. Links represent relationships between entities, and the characteristics of those relationships.

For example:
  • People can be linked to organizations as shareholders, directors, or employees.
  • A pair of telephones can be linked by a specific call that is made between them.
You can add links to the database:
  • On an individual basis
  • By importing them
  • By using a custom data sheet, in which case you can enter an entity and its links in one operation.
Generally, you add entities and then the links between them. Each link is a separate record in the database, and has a unique record number.
Note: A link can also have a direction, as shown by an arrow, and a line style that indicates the strength, such as whether it is confirmed or unconfirmed. In the Database Explorer, you might be able to get more information about a link type by moving the pointer over it to display a tooltip. For information on which semantic types are assigned to the link types in your database, run the Database Design report.

To list the link types available to you, click the plus sign to the left of the word Links. Select a link type to display the fields for that link type in the Explorer Detail window.

To find out which combinations of entities and links can be used together, right-click on a link type, and from the menu, selecting End Types.