EAttribute

EAttribute is a concept within the Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF). It represents a structural property of an EClass, defining a single attribute that an instance of the EClass can possess. Unlike EReference, which represents relationships between objects, EAttributes hold data values. These data values are typically of primitive types or simple Java types.

An EAttribute is characterized by its name, its type, and a set of properties that further define its behavior. The type of an EAttribute specifies the kind of data it can hold, such as integers, strings, booleans, or floating-point numbers. EAttributes can also have constraints, for example, specifying if they are changeable, derived, or have a default value. The multiplicity of an EAttribute, similar to EReference, defines how many values an attribute can hold, ranging from single values to lists or sets.

In EMF, EAttributes are fundamental building blocks for defining the structure and data of metamodels. They allow modelers to represent the intrinsic data properties of their domain objects. When EMF generates Java code from a metamodel, each EAttribute typically translates into a corresponding getter and setter method in the generated EClass. This facilitates programmatic access and manipulation of the data associated with model instances. Understanding EAttributes is crucial for anyone working with EMF for metamodel design and code generation.