# Importing Objects

Importing an object provides your repository with a snapshot of an object from another RIB repository. The data that you capture by importing an object is a static copy of the information maintained by the remote repository, so changes made by the other repository after you have imported the object will not be reflected in your catalog. On the other hand, interoperating with the other repository ensures that the information appearing in your catalog always stays current with the metadata in the remote repository. See help on Interoperations for more information.

To import an object, choose the "Manage Objects" tab and then choose the object's class. Next click the "Import" button. When the dialog box appears, type in the url where the object can be found on the Internet. Notice that importing an object is a recursive operation. That is, when an object is imported, any objects related to it through Relationships will be automatically imported as well. All imported objects will keep their original relationships with one another unchanged. You can edit an imported object the same way you edit a local object created by yourself. If your repository and the repository which contains the object have very different data models, then importing the object may be meaningless.