Developer Documentation Library > Data Model > Accessing the UNICOM Intelligence Data Model > Working with the Metadata Model > Working with the Metadata Model: Tutorial
 
Working with the Metadata Model: Tutorial
UNICOM Intelligence use the Metadata Model (MDM) to read and write metadata. The MDM is a COM component that is easily accessed using scripting languages such as mrScriptBasic and programming languages such as Visual Basic. The MDM is not an application, but rather an object-oriented repository that stores survey metadata. Do not try to access the metadata in an .mdd file directly; always use the MDM Document's interfaces.
This tutorial covers many of the basic principles involved in using the MDM and is based on mrScriptBasic overview.
Before starting the tutorial, read Market research data for an introduction to the market research data types, how they are handled by the UNICOM Intelligence Data Model, and the terminology used in this documentation.
For more details about the properties and methods of the MDM objects, see UNICOM Intelligence Data Model reference and MDM object reference.
Requirements
To run the examples in this tutorial, you need:
UNICOM Intelligence Data Model
UNICOM Intelligence Professional. The best tool for creating, editing, running, and debugging mrScriptBasic scripts is UNICOM Intelligence Professional. Alternatively, you can create mrScriptBasic scripts using a text editor such as Notepad, and then run them using mrScript Command Line Runner, which is supplied with the UNICOM Intelligence Data Model.
See also
Creating and saving a variable
Using Visual Basic to create and save a variable
Creating a variable without referencing the MDM component
Loading and reading a variable
Traversing the fields and variables collections
Getting the VariableInstance objects for a field
Displaying a numeric variable in UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper
LabelTypes, contexts, and languages collections
Adding to the LabelTypes, Contexts, and Languages collections
Creating text and categorical variables
Creating a grid variable
Creating a categorical question with Other Specify
Shared category lists
Sorting Element and VariableInstance objects
Name handling and object look up
Understanding the Variable and Element classes
Traversing the Routing collection
Changing the question order
Creating and reading custom properties
Introduction to versions
Document Information
Using the clone feature
Working with the Metadata Model