What is a Business DEX

A Business DEX is:

• A definition of a business term in a given context.
• A specification of how the business term maps to the ISO 10303-239 information model.

Directory structure of a Business DEX

Each business DEX is stored within the context in which it is defined. The directory structure for storing business DEXs in DEXlib is therefore as follows:

      dexlib/data/busconcept/
      dexlib/data/busconcept/[context]
      dexlib/data/busconcept/[context]/[business_concept]
    

Where [context] is the name of the context and where [business_concept] is the name of the business DEX.

An index of the contexts is provided in: dexlib/data/busconcept/context_index.xml

An index of all the business DEXs that have been defined within a given context is provided in: dexlib/data/busconcept/[context]/context.xml

Process for building a Business DEX

The process for building a business DEX is as follows.

1. Identify the context
   If the context exists, (and is identified in dexlib/data/busconcept/context_index.xml) then no action is required.
   If the context does not exist, then create a context.
2. Create the context
   Use DEXpro: Tools > Create new Business context This will create the directory: dexlib/data/busconcept/[context]
   where [context] is the name of the context which the user supplies when prompted by DEXpro. DEXpro will also create the XML files for the context. In particular: context.xml.
   The file will be populated with the documented XML which the user needs to complete.
3. Update index of contexts
   Add the context just created to: dexlib/data/busconcept/context_index.xml
   This lists the contexts that have been defined in DEXlib.
4. Create the business DEX
   Use DEXpro: Tools > Create new Business DEX
   When prompted, provide the name of the context just identified/created.
   This will create the directory: dexlib/data/busconcept/[context]/[business_concept]
   where [context] is the name of the context and where [business_concept] is the name of the business DEX.
   It will also create the XML files for the business DEX. In particular: dexlib/data/busconcept/[context]/[business_concept]/busconcept.xml.
   The file will be populated with the documented XML which the user needs to complete.
5. Update context index of business DEX
   Each context maintains an index of the business DEXs defined within that context. So update: dexlib/data/busconcept/[context]/context.xml with the new business DEX just created.