CDM defines various properties of entities, attributes, and relationships. The properties are more than just the name or data type; they are the range of values, their display names, and traits such as whether they are editable, mandatory, or can be set to a null value.
This metadata can be leveraged by apps to affect how the user interacts with data. Dynamics 365 and Power Platform apps make use of this metadata to control and improve the user experience.
Microsoft realized that others have valuable contributions to make when it comes to creating a shared data language and has opened the CDM to others via the Open Data Initiative.
