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Sitecore stores data in objects called Items.  Items are similar to database records or object-oriented object instances.  Items consist of a collection of fields, each of which contains a data value.  Users modify Items by editing fields in the Content Editor.  The Content Editor displays the fields using appropriate user interface controls based on the field’s data type.

 

The field’s data type and other attributes are defined in a special Item called a Field.  The Fields associated with a given Item are defined in a special Item called a Template.  A Template defines the Fields associated with a specific set of Items, similar to the way in which an object-oriented Class defines the attributes associated with a specific set of object Instances.

 

Templates organize Fields into groups called “Sections”.  This makes it easier for people editing an Item to locate the field they want to modify in the Content Editor.  Developers define the Sections associated with any given Template.  By convention, developers often create a section called “Data” which contains the most commonly used Fields in an Item, but additional sections may be created if desired.

 

Sitecore Templates support inheritance.  Typically, developers create Templates which inherit Fields from the Standard Template.  The Standard Template defines many Fields which determine how Sitecore should manage an Item, such as when it should be published, which workflow it is in, which users should be allowed to access it, and so on. 

 

Sitecore Items support versioning.  That is, a single Item contains multiple Version objects.  Each Version object is associated with a specific language and version number.  Each Version object contains a full list of Fields and their corresponding data values.  The Content Editor displays the Fields associated with a single version at a time.  Users switch between Versions in the Content Editor to access the Fields for a different language or numbered version.  Developers can decide that certain Fields should have the same value for all languages and/or numbered versions (see the shared and unversioned properties for more information). 
 

Fields are actually defined by a special set of Items based on the Template Field Template.

This section describes the field types used in Sitecore.

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