Patent attributes
Techniques and solutions are described for defining metadata artefacts and, using a framework, which can be referred to as a decorator framework, updating data artefacts. The data artefacts can be artefacts in a virtual data model, such as data artefacts representing views that can correspond to a view, or one or more tables, of a relational database system. A metadata artefact can include semantic elements, such as annotations, that are processable by the decorator framework in updating data artefacts. Annotations can specify an operation type, such as to include, remove, replace, or synchronize, for content a metadata artefact, where the operation will be carried out on data artefacts to which the metadata artefact is applied and which contain specified content. Multiple metadata artefacts can be applied to a given data artefact, and a given metadata artefact can be applied to multiple data artefacts.