A template represents data collected when measuring a particular physical object in the real world (e. g., a tree or branch) and appears to users as a conceptual database primitive - a domain-specific data type. To a computer scientist, templates are collections of variables, each grouped as one or more relational tables, that can be composed into an end-user defined database. To a canopy researcher, templates are mechanisms for designing field databases by using conceptual structures. One template table (within a given template) might be defined to be related to another table within the same template. When more than one template is chosen, appropriate relationships between the template tables are induced. Templates carry with them table-level metadata that can later be exploited for validation, archiving and query, but are transparent to the end user.

 

A template represents data collected when measuring a particular physical object in the real world (e. g., a tree or branch) and appears to users as a conceptual database primitive - a domain-specific data type. To a computer scientist, templates are collections of variables, each grouped as one or more relational tables, that can be composed into an end-user defined database. To a canopy researcher, templates are mechanisms for designing field databases by using conceptual structures. One template table (within a given template) might be defined to be related to another table within the same template. When more than one template is chosen, appropriate relationships between the template tables are induced. Templates carry with them table-level metadata that can later be exploited for validation, archiving and query, but are transparent to the end user.

 

These templates are used to create databases in Databank.