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A data element name is a name given to a data element in, for example, a data dictionary or metadata registry. In a formal data dictionary, there is often a requirement that no two data elements may have the same name, to allow the data element name to become an identifier, though some data dictionaries may provide ways to qualify the name in some way, for example by the application system or other context in which it occurs.
In a database driven data dictionary, the fully qualified data element name may become the primary key, or an alternate key, of a Data Elements table of the data dictionary.
The data element name typically conforms to ISO/IEC 11179 metadata registry naming conventions and has at least three parts:
- Object, Property and Representation term.
Many standards require the use of Upper camel case to differentiate the components of a data element name. This is the standard used by ebXML, GJXDM and NIEM.
Example of ISO/IEC 11179 name in XML
Users frequently encounter ISO/IEC 11179 when they are exposed to XML Data Element names that have a multi-part Camel Case format:
Object [Qualifier] Property RepresentationTerm
The specification also includes normative documentation in appendices.
For example, the XML element for a person's given (first) name would be expressed as:
<PersonGivenName>John</PersonGivenName>
Where Person is the Object=Person, Property=Given and Representation term="Name". In this case the optional qualifier is not used, in spite of being implicit in the data element name. This requires knowledge based on data element name, rather than use of structured data.
See also
- Data dictionary
- Data element
- Data element definition
- ISO/IEC 11179
- Representation term
- Semantic spectrum
References
This article does not cite any sources Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Data element name news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2009 Learn how and when to remove this message A data element name is a name given to a data element in for example a data dictionary or metadata registry In a formal data dictionary there is often a requirement that no two data elements may have the same name to allow the data element name to become an identifier though some data dictionaries may provide ways to qualify the name in some way for example by the application system or other context in which it occurs In a database driven data dictionary the fully qualified data element name may become the primary key or an alternate key of a Data Elements table of the data dictionary The data element name typically conforms to ISO IEC 11179 metadata registry naming conventions and has at least three parts Object Property and Representation term Many standards require the use of Upper camel case to differentiate the components of a data element name This is the standard used by ebXML GJXDM and NIEM Example of ISO IEC 11179 name in XMLUsers frequently encounter ISO IEC 11179 when they are exposed to XML Data Element names that have a multi part Camel Case format Object Qualifier Property RepresentationTerm The specification also includes normative documentation in appendices For example the XML element for a person s given first name would be expressed as lt PersonGivenName gt John lt PersonGivenName gt Where Person is the Object Person Property Given and Representation term Name In this case the optional qualifier is not used in spite of being implicit in the data element name This requires knowledge based on data element name rather than use of structured data See alsoData dictionary Data element Data element definition ISO IEC 11179 Representation term Semantic spectrumReferences
