I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around 'Items' in EPDM.  The skimpy and cryptic material in the Admin manual just increases my confusion.  I'm hoping that some of the experienced vets here can answer some of my questions - I get the feeling that items may be a very flexible and useful construct but what they really are and what can really be done with them is quite elusive.  I don't have an EPDM installation to play with at this time (we're in the process of planning to get one) so all I have to go on is what info I can get my hands on here on the net.

Let me start with a few basic questions.

What exactly are Items?  The admin manual 'defines' them by stating that "Items capture a complete product definition".  This qualifies as one of the least useful descriptions in history.  I have gathered that an Item is a data card that may or may not be associated with a file.  Is that all?

I've read that Items may have their own Bills of Material.  What would go into that BOM?  Assemblies have BOMs based on the parts and subassemblies that are referenced by the assembly.  How does such a relationship exist for an Item?  What sort of things can go into an 'Item BOM' and how would one get them in there?

I'll stop there and hopefully some answers will help to clarify this a bit for me.  My sincere thanks in advance to all who are willing to provide their own insights.

Brian-