Attributes are the properties and characteristics which describe entities.

In Figure 2-5 from the Cadastral Data Content Standard shown below, attributes are listed in the box with the entity name.

The attributes which provide information about the Forest entity are Forest ID, Forest Name, and Forest Agency.

The attributes which provide information about for the Tree entity are Tree ID, Species, and Variety.

In many entities the first attribute has a name that ends with "ID", such as Forest ID. This is an attribute that serves as an identifier for each unique record or entry in the entity and is called a primary key.

(For those more experienced with data modeling, it may be worth noting that IDs are customarily used in physical models, not in logical models. In logical models, the attributes which naturally define an instance of an entity are used as natural keys. An ID is used whenever no combination of attributes produce a unique key, that is, when a natural key does not exist. To facilitate the use of foreign keys in the Cadastral Data Content Standard's logical model, the concept of a unique system-generated ID was introduced.)

Links to the Course Sections and Modules: [Quick Reference] [Introduction] [Section 1: Purpose and Benefits of the Cadastral Data Content Standard] [Section 2: How the Standard Was Developed] [Section 3: Other Standards and Related Activities] [Section 4: Data Modeling Techniques, Rules and Diagram Conventions] [Section 5: Crosswalks, Translations, and Examples] [Section 6: Understanding Compliance with the Standard] [Section 7: Maintenance of the Standard] [Section 8: User and Technical Support] [County Recorder Module] [GIS Specialist Module] [Surveyor Module] [Glossary]