✦TL;DR

Retrieve custom metadata structures programmatically using the Atlan Python SDK (pyatlan). Use CustomMetadataDef to access metadata definitions and attributes.

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CustomMetadataDef: retrieve custom metadata

Use CustomMetadataDef in the Atlan Python SDK to programmatically retrieve custom metadata type definitions and their attributes.

You can retrieve an existing custom metadata structure:

Java

Retrieve existing custom metadata structure

CustomMetadataDef existing = client
    .getCustomMetadataCache()
    .getCustomMetadataDef("RACI"); // (1)

1. You can retrieve the current custom metadata definition using the custom metadata cache from any client. In most cases you can simply use the default client (Atlan.getDefaultClient()). Pass the human-readable name of the custom metadata structure to the cache.

Python

Retrieve existing custom metadata structure

from pyatlan.client.atlan import AtlanClient

client = AtlanClient()
existing = client.custom_metadata_cache.get_custom_metadata_def(name="RACI") # (1)

1. You can retrieve the current custom metadata definition using the client.custom_metadata_cache.get_custom_metadata_def() method and passing the human-readable name of the custom metadata structure.

Kotlin

Retrieve existing custom metadata structure

val existing = client
    .customMetadataCache
    .getCustomMetadataDef("RACI") // (1)

1. You can retrieve the current custom metadata definition using the custom metadata cache from any client. In most cases you can simply use the default client (Atlan.getDefaultClient()). Pass the human-readable name of the custom metadata structure to the cache.

Raw REST API

GET /api/meta/types/typedefs?type=BUSINESS_METADATA

{
  "businessMetadataDefs": [ // (1)
        }
      ],
      "createdBy": "jsmith",
      "updatedBy": "jsmith",
      "createTime": 1648852296555,
      "updateTime": 1649172284333,
      "version": 2
    }
  ]
}

1. Each custom metadata structure will be wrapped in the top-level businessMetadataDefs array.
2. Each custom metadata structure object will have a category of BUSINESS_METADATA.
3. The name of a custom metadata structure is a unique hashed-string, but isn't human-readable. This is how the custom metadata is uniquely referred to through the raw APIs.
4. The displayName of a custom metadata structure is the human-readable name you see in the UI.
5. Each property defined within the custom metadata structure is nested within an attributeDefs array.
6. As with the overall custom metadata structure, each attribute has a unique hashed-string name that'sn't human-readable. This is how the custom metadata property is uniquely referred to through the raw APIs.
7. As with the overall custom metadata structure, each attribute also has a displayName that's the human-readable name you see in the UI.
8. The type of the custom metadata property is its simple type, but doesn't include custom types like SQL, users, groups and so on.
9. For the precise type, you also need to look at the customType within the options, within the attribute definition.