Reference number of working document: ISO/IEC JTC1 SC32 WG2N0722

Date: 2004-11-11

Reference number of document: ISO/IEC WD1 19773-06
[Release Sequence #1]

Committee identification: ISO/IEC JTC1 SC32 WG2

SC32 Secretariat: US

Information technology— Metadata Modules (MM) —
Part06: Data structure for unstructured array of designation-kind-value (DKV) tuples

Document type: International standard

Document subtype: if applicable

Document stage: (20) Preparatory

Document language: E

Warning

This document is not an ISO International Standard. It is distributed for review and comment. It is subject to change without notice and may not be referred to as an International Standard.

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ISO/IEC WD119773-06 [Release Sequence #1]

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ContentsPage

Foreword

Introduction

1Scope

2Normative references

3Terms and definitions

4Functional capabilities

5Conceptual model and object model

5.1General

5.2dkv_tuple_array and related classes

6Computational semantics and datatypes

6.1General

6.2Datatypes

7Bindings

8Conformance

Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IECDirectives, Part2.

The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75% of the member bodies casting a vote.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

ISO/IEC1977306 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC1, Information Technology, Subcommittee SC32, Data Management and Interchange.

ISO/IEC19773 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information technology— Metadata Modules (MM):

Part01: Framework

Part02: Data structure for reference-or-literal (reflit)

Part03: Data structure for internationalized/localized multivalue/multidata

Part04: Data structure for internationalized/localized multistring/multitext

Part05: Data structure for designation-kind-value (DKV) tuple

Part06: Data structure for unstructured array of designation-kind-value (DKV) tuples

Part07: Data structure and syntax for selections of designation-kind-value (DKV) tuples

Part08: Data structure for UPU postal data

Part09: Data structure for ITU-T E.164 phone number data

Part10: Data structure for who-what-where-when-why-how (W5H) event data

Part11: Data structure for entity-person-group (EPG) contact data

Part12: Data structure for entity-person-group (EPG) security credentials data

Part13: Data structure for entity-person-group (EPG) relationships and grouping data

Part14: Profile of global and local references

Part15: Data structure for profile of spatiotemporal data

Part16: Data structure for workflow data

Part17: Data structure for references to workflow data

Part18: Data structure for datatypes and object classifiers

Part19: Profile of document descriptive data based upon ISO 15836 Dublin Core metadata

Part20:Data structure for concept description

Part21: Profile of concept system based upon ISO/IEC 13250 topic maps

Part22: Profile of terminological data based upon ISO 12620 terminological data categories

Part23: Data structure for digitally signed elements

Partxx: xxx

Introduction

The ISO/IEC 19773 series of standards specify small modules of data that be used or reused in applications. These modules are intended to harmonize with current and future versions of the ISO/IEC 11179 series that specifies metadata registries.

Part 05 is the data structure the provides the structure of designation-kind-value (DKV) tuples, a mechanism for describing individual data values via the 3-tuple of { designation , kind , value }.

Part 06 provides the data structure for bundling an array of unstructured (or structured) data values.

© ISO2004– All rights reserved / 1

ISO/IEC WD119773-06 [Release Sequence #1]

Information technology— Metadata Modules (MM) —
Part06: Data structure for designation-kind-value (DKV) tuple

Editor's Note: Each part of 19773 is marked with a common sequence number ("[Release Sequence #N]") to indicate they are synchronized and harmonized among themselves. The mark "[Release Sequence #N]" does not imply that there are a complete set of N-1 prior drafts.

1Scope

This Part provides the data structure for bundling an array of unstructured (or structured) data values, based upon the designation-kind-value (DKV) 3-tuple structure defined in Part 05.

2Normative references

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

ISO/IEC1087-1:2000, Terminology work — Vocabulary — Part 1: Theory and application

ISO/IEC2832-05:1999, Information technology — Vocabulary — Part 5: Representation of data

ISO/IEC2832-07:2000, Information technology — Vocabulary — Part 7: Computer programming

ISO/IEC11404:—[1], Information technology — General Purpose Datatypes (GPD)

ISO/IEC19773-01:—[2], Information technology — Metadata Modules (MM) — Part 01: Framework

ISO/IEC19773-02:—[3], Information technology — Metadata Modules (MM) — Part 02: Data structure for reference-or-literal

ISO/IEC19773-03:—[4], Information technology — Metadata Modules (MM) — Part 03: Data structure for internationalized/localized multivalue/multidata

ISO/IEC19773-05:—[5], Information technology — Metadata Modules (MM) — Part 05: Data structure for designation-kind-value (DKV) tuple

ISO/IEC20944-02:—[6], Information technology — Metadata Interoperability and Bindings (MDIB) — Part 02: Common vocabulary

ISO/IEC20944-03:—[7], Information technology — Metadata Interoperability and Bindings (MDIB) — Part 03: Common provisions for conformance

3Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this document, the following terms, abbreviations, and definitions apply.

3.1

character string

string consisting solely of characters [ISO/IEC 2382-04:1999]

3.2

characterstring

ISO/IEC 11404 datatype for representing character strings [ISO/IEC 19773-02]

NOTEThe ISO/IEC 11404 characterstring datatype takes the parameter repertoire that indicates the logical set of characters. Typically, characterstring(iso-10646-1) is be used to portably store text data, i.e., its value will be preserved across all implementations of the datatype.

3.3

to dereference

to access the object to which a referent references [ISO/IEC 20944-02]

3.4

characterizing operations (of a datatype)

collection of operations on, or yielding, values of the datatype that distinguish this datatype from other datatypes with identical value spaces

3.5

datatype

set of distinct values, characterized by properties of those values, and by operations on those values [ISO/IEC 11404]

3.6

designation

representation of a concept by a sign which denotes it [ISO 1087-1]

3.7

DKV tuple

3-tuple comprised of a designation, a kind, and a value

3.8

dkv_tuple

datatype for the DKV tuple

3.9

identifier

designation that is intended to be dereferenced [ISO/IEC 20944-02]

NOTE 1An identifier is also a reference. The purpose of including this definition in this Part is to show the distinction between the concepts of identifier, designation, and reference (referent).

NOTE 2This definition is consistent with IETF RFC 2396 which describes the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) syntax and semantics.

3.10

kind

data classification category within a classification system

NOTE 1Typically, a classification system classifies extensions, intensions, or both. Within this note, the terms extension (totality of objects to which a concept corresponds) and intension (set of characteristics which makes up a concept) correspond to their use in the field of terminology (see ISO 1087-1).

NOTE 2A datatype is a specialization of a kind (i.e., "a kind of a kind"). A datatype differs from a kind in the following ways: (1) a datatype implies a value space, which is a specialization of an extension (totality of values vs. totality of objects), (2) a datatype implies characterization by properties and characterizing operations, which is a specialization of an intension (data-like properties and characterizing operations vs. characteristics in general), and (3) a datatype implies both a defined extension and defined intension, whereas a kind does not require both an extension and an intension.

NOTE 3The term kind (a characteristic of an object) should not be confused with kind of (an indication of a general concept in a generic-specific relationship, e.g., a dog is a kind of mammal).

3.11

metadata module

unit of descriptive data [ISO/IEC 19773-01]

3.12

octet string

string consisting solely of octets [ISO/IEC 19773-02]

3.13

octetstring

ISO/IEC 11404 datatype for representing octet strings [ISO/IEC 19773-02]

NOTEAn octetstring datatype can be used to portably store binary data, i.e., its value will be preserved across all implementations of the datatype.

3.14

N-tuple

tuple of length N

EXAMPLEThe tuple <x,y,z> is a 3-tuple; the tuple <x,y> is a 2-tuple (also known as a pair); the tuple <x> is a 1-tuple (note that <x>x because <x> is a list and x is a scalar); and the tuple is a 0-type (also known in mathematics as the "unit type").

3.15

to reference, verb

to create an association with a particular object [ISO/IEC 20944-02]

3.16

referent
reference, noun

result of referencing [ISO/IEC 20944-02]

3.17

reflit

datatype whose value can be accessed directly as a literal value or accessed indirectly via a reference to a value [ISO/IEC 19773-02]

3.18

tuple

ordered list of elements

EXAMPLEThe tuple <x,y,z> contains the three values x, y, and z; and <x,y,z> is not equal to <z,y,x>. In contrast to the set (whose elements are unordered), the set {x,y,z} is equal to the set {z,y,x}.

3.19

value

object whose totality can be used for computation

NOTEIn contrast to an object (used in the sense of object-oriented computing), the totality and boundary of a value is known and determinate, whereas the totality or boundary of an object can be unknown or indeterminate.

3.20

value space

set of values for a given datatype [ISO/IEC 11404]

4Functional capabilities

This Clause describes intended capabilities and applications of this Part.

The DKV tuple array data structure allows the representation an unstructured array of DKV tuples. This Part does not impose a structure of the data tuples (e.g., choice of names and their nesting), but external specifications can be layered on top of this standard that provide structuring of the data tuples.

EXAMPLEThe following examples are from the 11179-3 metamodel:

example_11179_data_element : dkv_tuple_array_as_ttt =

(

(

"data_element_administration.creation_date",

"time",

"2004-10-31"

),

(

"data_element_administration.administrative_note",

"string",

"An example note."

),

(

"representation_class_qualifier",

"characterstring",

"quantity"

),

(

"data_element_precision",

"integer",

"2"

),

(

"exemplified_by.0.data_element_example_item",

"characterstring",

"9.00"

),

),

5Conceptual model and object model

5.1General

Conceptually, a DKV tuple is 3-tuple that represents a designation, a kind, and a value (defined in Part 05). Typically, DKV tuples are used in groups (defined in this Part) and used for general data interchange where datatypes might not be known prior to data interchange. The remainder of this Clause is an object-model description[8] of a DKV tuple array and its variants. This object model is mapped to binding-independent semantics in Clause 6.

5.2dkv_tuple_array and related classes

The following is a UML presentation of the dkv_tuple_array class:


Figure 1. UML presentation of dkv_tuple_array datatype.

There are similar UML classes for dkv_tuple_array_as_ttt, dkv_tuple_array_as_ttrl, dkv_tuple_array_as_ttmd, dkv_tuple_as_bbb, dkv_tuple_as_btb, dkv_tuple_as_btmd.

6Computational semantics and datatypes

6.1General

This Clause defines datatypes using ISO/IEC 11404 notation. Provisions embedded in 11404 comments are normative.

EXAMPLE 1The provision "all components optional" written as an 11404 comment means that (normatively) the obligation attribute is "optional" for all data elements contained within the structure.

EXAMPLE 2The provision "all sizes are SPM" written as an 11404 comment means that (normatively) the size values are smallest permitted maximum values

NOTEThroughout this Clause, the abbreviation SPM is used, which means "smallest permissible maximum". The SPM value is intended to give implementers a lower limit on conforming implementations. Applications should not assume that implementations support capabilities beyond the SPM value unless prior arrangements have been made.

6.2Datatypes

Subclause 5.2 defines the datatypes for each of the variants of the DKV tuple. The following is a summary of the datatype definitions in ISO/IEC 11404 notation.

ISO/IEC 11404 definition

type dkv_tuple_array = array (0..*) of dkv_tuple,

type dkv_tuple_array_as_ttt = array (0..*) of dkv_tuple_as_ttt,

type dkv_tuple_as_ttrl = array (0..*) of dkv_tuple_as_ttrl,

type dkv_tuple_array_as_ttmd = array (0..*) of dkv_tuple_as_ttmd,

type dkv_tuple_array_as_bbb = array (0..*) of dkv_tuple_as_bbb,

type dkv_tuple_array_as_btb = array (0..*) of dkv_tuple_as_btb,

type dkv_tuple_array_as_btmd = array (0..*) of dkv_tuple_as_btmd,

7Bindings

*** TO BE SUPPLIED ***.

8Conformance

ISO/IEC 20944-03, Clause 4, Conformance, is incorporated by reference.

© ISO2004– All rights reserved / 1

[1]In revision, to be published. See " for the latest draft.

[2]To be published. See " for the latest drafts of the 19773 series.

[3]To be published.

[4]To be published.

[5]To be published.

[6]To be published. See " for the latest drafts of the 20944 series.

[7]To be published.

[8]In this Part, the classes can be considered "plain old data structures". Clause 5 presents the object-model, which is discussed in terms of classes, attributes, and relations. Clause 6 renders maps the object-model into datatypes, components, and subcomponents. While the terms "class" and "datatype" refer to different concepts, in this Part each individual class shares the same concepts with its corresponding datatype.