Managing Classes

To create a class, on the schema page (/schema), on the Classes tab, click Create, make configuration and click Save.

After you create a class, you can always return to editing it by clicking its name in the list on the schema page.

Editing Class Parameters

On the Configuration tab, on the Configuration widget, you can set class parameters:

• Name is the class name that will show on the schema page. Naming a class, follow the Schema naming convention.
• Short Name is a short alias for the class name used in SQL to simplify wording.
• Description is a description of the class.
• Super Classes sets the class's parent class.
• Over Size is the factor that sets the extra free storage space for documents. E.g. value 2 will spare free storage space twice as large as their current space. You can use this parameter for performance optimization.
• Strict Mode, checking this box will prevent documents of this class from having extra properties not defined for the class.
• Abstract, ckecking this box makes the class abstract. This prevents the creation on documents of this class. Abstract classes are used only for derivation of other classes.
• Java Class is the name of the original java class from which this class was generated. For manually created classes, its value is null.
• Cluster Selection defines the strategy for cluster selection (see http://orientdb.com/docs/last/Cluster-Selection.html).
• Document Name Property sets the property of the class, the value of which will show as the document's name in the list of documents.
• Parent Document Property allows you to introduce hierarchy between documents. It sets the property which refers to logical parent of a document of this class. Parent hierarchy allows for easier navigation through you data.
• Default Tab sets the tab that will show by default when you open a document.
• Default Sorting defines property used by default for sorting.
• Default Sort Order defines the default sorting order.

Managing Class Properties

On the Configuration tab, on the Properties widget, you can create class properties and make their basic settings. To edit more, go to the property page by clicking its name.

On the property page, on the Configuration tab, you can set the following:

• Name and Description are what it says.
• Tab: if you give a name for a tab here, the property will show on a separate tab.
• Order sets the order in which this property shows relative to other properties.
• Type sets the data type of the property (for the list of available data types see http://orientdb.com/docs/last/Types.html.
• Visualization defines the property value visualization. For the list of available visualisation types, see the supplementary.
• Linked Class lets you connect the class with another class.
• Inverse is used for link-type properties (properties containing links to other classes). It sets the property of the linked class that contains the back link.
• Mandatory makes this property mandatory for creating a document.
• ReadOnly makes this property read-only in UI and on the API level.
• UI ReadOnly makes this property read-only in the UI.
• Not Null sets that value of this property can't be null.
• Min and Max defines the limits for quantifiable properties.
• Regexp sets a pattern for value of this property (e.g. a pattern for telephone numbers). This field is filled with Java Regexp.
• Collate defines collate strategy: default or ci (case insensitive).
• Displayable says if a property will be displayed in the list of documents of this class.
• Hidden hides a property from the UI.
• Calculable makes a property calculable (may require some experience in coding).
• Default Value sets the default value of the property.

Hint. By combining parameters Mandatory, ReadOnly and Not Null, you can set the following conditions for properties at document creation:

• Mandatory:yes : when a document is created over the API, the value of the property needs to be specified.
• Mandatory:yes + ReadOnly:yes : when a document is created, the property can be edited (and it may take the empty value), but it cannot be modified later.
• Mandatory:yes + ReadOnly:yes + not null:yes : the same as above, but the property value cannot be left empty.

On the Configuration tab of a class, on the Custom properties widget, you can add custom properties to a class.

Managing Class Indexes

To create an index, on a class page, on the Properties widget, select properties that you want to be in the index and then click Create index. The index page will open.

After you create an index, you can always return to editing it by clicking its name on the class page, on the Configuration tab, on the Indexes widget. Alternatively, you can check them on the schema page, on the Indexes tab.

To learn more about indexes in OrientDB, see http://orientdb.com/docs/last/Indexes.html.

Viewing the Data Model on a Diagram

You can view your data model on a UML diagram. On the Scheme page, check the classes that you want to see on the diagram and at click View UML.