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The MDC-OIM Record-Oriented Database Schema is a metamodel describing record-oriented data sources. Just as with CWM, the
purpose of the record-oriented metamodel is to provide a means by which tools may exchange commonly-understood descriptions
of record-oriented data resources, with the possible inclusion of tool-specific extensions. Here are the major comparison
points between the CWM Record package and the OIM Record-Oriented Database Schema:
• Scope. OIM limits the scope of its record-oriented model to database schemas. CWM, in contrast, permits the description of a broader range of record data resources including both traditional record-oriented resources such as databases, files, and programmatic data structures and non-traditional, hierarchical data resources such as documents, reports, and forms.
• Specificity. OIM includes metaclasses supporting a number of language-specific constructs such as COBOL renaming and data structure overlay capabilities and source management constructs such as Copylibs. Many of these constructs are not reusable by other programming languages that support similar notions. CWM, on the other hand, models such capabilities in a general fashion and relegates language-specific constructs to the appropriate language extension packages.