subattributes

Subattributes are properties that form part of a larger attribute, representing a finer-grained facet of the attribute. They are used to describe, constrain, or qualify the primary attribute, providing additional specificity without introducing a separate top-level attribute. Subattributes are common in data modeling, metadata schemas, and knowledge representations, where complex concepts are decomposed into more granular components.

Examples illustrate their use across domains. In a data model, an address attribute may be divided into subattributes such as street, city, state, and postalCode. A user profile might include a contact attribute with subattributes like email, phone, and mailingAddress. In product catalogs, a dimensions attribute could include length, width, height, and unit. In metadata standards or ontologies, an author attribute can be refined into givenName, familyName, and ORCID.

Subattributes are often implemented as nested data structures or as separate fields. In relational databases they may be stored as individual columns, within a composite type, or inside a JSON field; in object-oriented models they may be represented as nested objects.

Benefits of subattributes include greater data granularity, improved validation, and targeted indexing, as well as better support for localization and data quality. Limitations include increased schema complexity, potential performance considerations, and the need for consistent naming and versioning to maintain data integrity.

See also hierarchical data and nested attributes.