A

rule

is equivalent to a mapplet in the Informatica environment. Each rule defines a series of data analysis or data transformation operations that you can run on your data. You add a rule to a mapping, and you connect the mapping to a data source.

A

dictionary

is a text file that contains the correct or expected versions of a set of data values. Typically, a dictionary also contains one or more incorrect or alternative versions of each data value. A rule can use the dictionary values as reference data in operations that parse, standardize, or validate your data.

You import the rules and the dictionary data to the Model repository database in an Informatica on-premises environment. Use Informatica Developer to import the rules and the dictionary data. You also use the Developer tool to add a rule to a mapping and to run a mapping.