187
Reference data is a class of data that means different things to different people. Some
take it to mean any data that a system uses but does not update. Others consider it
to be data that is contained in lookup tables. These are tables that have structures
usually consisting of only a code column and a description column. The reality is
that there is no agreed-upon definition of reference data, and that this form of data
consists of several categories.
Some data that is considered to be reference data describes parties to transactions,
such as customer and product. This kind of reference data does not play a special role
in business rules, though it is important in any application. Other reference data can
include data that describes the structure ...