Anybody give some idea to manage the items in a RPG game.

I think it is difficult,how can they manage the items’ display?A role can use a sword and then an arch and then hammars…etc.
Does the game have the well defined spirit maps of each items,and patch them up?
Or every item draw with the role as a set of spirit map?

I am wonder,where can i find the way?

Why not use a struct?

typedef struct {
GLint axe_sharpness ;
etc…
} Player1 ;