New DC

Data category specification creation function

Click on "My Workspace" at the top of the browser pane to view the Workspace control bar. The "New Group", "New DCS", and "New DC" icons appear at the top of the DCS pane. Click on the New DCS icon to create a new DCS or on the New DC icon to create a new data category in your private space. You can also simply add a new DC to your private space or to an existing DCS. Before adding a DC for the first time, please check out the specifications in the DCR Guidelines. The authority and credibility of the DCR depend on your careful compliance with basic naming and definition principles.

Creating a new DCS

If you choose to create a new DCS, the New DCS pop-up menu will appear. Enter a name for your DCS and select "Create".

You can now add new DCs and save them to your new DCS. They will appear in the basket pane at the bottom of the screen. Or you can open other DSCs and select items to add to the new DCS in the basket pane. You can save new basket pane contents as desired.

Creating a new DC

The New DC template is divided in three sections, reflecting the ISOcat data model. As you move through the template, tab from field to field in any given row. In the description section, use the blue plus sign to create new fields. Click in a new field in order to enter data.

Administration Information Section, Identification

The first screen that appears is the Administrative Information Section. The system assigns a non-mnemonic numerical identifier to your new DC when you save the specification. This numerical identifier forms the base for the non-mnemonic persistent identifer (PID) assigned to the DC. You begin your work by filling in the attributes in the Identification class.

Identifier

The identifier is a mandatory field. Enter a unique camel case string in the Identifier field. It should be a meaningful name, such as the camel case form of the preferred English data element name. It will be used together with the PID to access the data category both inside the DCR and as a reference from other external language resources.

The identifier checker checks whether:

• that identifier is a valid XML local name (see the DCR Guidelines for info on XML names);
• that identifier already exists in your private workspace;
• a DC with that identifier exists in the public space that you can use instead.

After you have checked out these options, if you still want to create the new DC (maybe you need a different definition), the checker should display a green check mark and you can move on. If the data category definition in the existing field is the same as that for your DC, you can simply add your profile to the existing data category specification rather than creatin a new one. Check the profile page for instructions on how to do this. If you need a different conceptual domain from the existing one, you can create it when you get to the Conceptual Domain section of the template.

Version

The Version number is set to 0.0.0. If you keep this DC in your private space, it stays at this level. If you ever submit to a TDG for standardization and it is accepted as a standard DC, the version number will change.

(Data Category) Type

There are four kinds of data categories included in the DCR:

1. complex data category — open DC
2. complex data category — closed DC
3. complex data category — constrained DC
4. simple data category
5. container data category

Select the desired data category type from the dropdown menu. Take care not to make an error because this categorization strongly affects the structure and behavior of your data category specification. It can be changed, however, but if you do that, check back through the entire entry carefully to make sure the specification is complete and correct.

Justification

The Justification field is mandatory. Enter the reason why this data category is important to a community of practice working with language resources. Make a clear statement because someone outside this community may not immediately see the relevance of the DC, especially if it is ever proposed for standardization. Do not repeat the definition here — just explain why the DC is useful. This can be simple: Used commonly in Terminology Management; present in ISO 12620:1999.

Origin

State the source (document, project, discipline or model) for the data category specification.

Status

When you create a new DC specification in your private space, the administration status is set to -private- and remains at this setting, even if you change the scope to -shared-. If, however, you choose to submit your DC to a TDG for standardization, this value will change accordingly as the DC passes through the standardization process, as indicated by the Administration status.

The Registration status indicates the status of the data category in the registration life-cycle.

Dates

If you wish to set a range of dates indicating the validity of a particular DC, click on the Calendar icons to select your dates.

Additional information

The additional information fields (Explanatory comments and Unresolved issues) provide space for the creators and editors of the DC to record notes on their work and document outstanding problems. These fields are not subject to any particular constraints and can be used as deemed fit.

Cancel/Next

Use Cancel to discontinue work on the DC, and Next to move on to the next section of the New DC template.

Description section

The description section contains one or more language sections and one or more names assigned to the data category either in standards or in various working environments and communities of practice.

Profile

The default Profile value is -private-. Leave this profile value as is if you do not want to submit the data category specification for standardization at this time. If you want to declare it as part of an existing profile or profiles, click on the pencil symbol to open the picklist of values. Scroll down in the box and click in the selection box following the relevant profile name or names. If you do not want the -private- value to remain in addition to your selected profiles, you must unclick it. Click the green check symbol to close the dropdown box. For all simple data categories, be sure that the profile value is the same as that for the close data category with which they are associated. If this is not the case, the validation checker will register errors.

Data element names

You can enter as many data element names as are relevant in the Data Element Names section, including both the preferred name or names, as well as alternate names that are used in specific projects, other standards, etc. Be certain that the names you list all refer to the same data element concept as reflected in the data category definition. This field is not mandatory, however, if you use it, you must add a source for each name, particularly any application or other resource that uses a specific name.

Language section

Enter at least one English data element name in the English language section and indicate its status by clicking in the Status field and selecting a value from the drop down Status list; enter a properly documented data category definition in the English Definitions section. Names and definitions should conform to the DCR Guidelines. Additional information should NOT be added to the Definition field. It can be entered in the Example or Comment fields.

Click on Language along the right margin of the screen. Select the language from the pop-up list for any language sections you wish to add. If you do not find your language in the list of languages, contact the ISOcat administration with a request to add your language or languages. Theoretically at least any Unicode-enabled language can be added to the list. Fill in your target language equivalent for the data category name and the translation of the definition as you find it in the English language section. Be sure to include source information in the source field, as this becomes a mandatory field once you add information in the definition field for that language.

Enter examples, explanations, and notes as needed to further describe the data element concept or the way the data category is used.

Conceptual domain and linguistic sections

The default value for the conceptual domain is simply String, but you have a list of options to choose from. Note that /grammar/ is a complex open DC, so you do not specify a value domain.

To add simple data categories to the conceptual domain of a closed data category, click on the blue plus sign in the Conceptual Domain display and then click on your desired data categories in the DC Selector menu. Be careful to pick items that have been identifed as belonging to the same Profile as that of the Closed Data Category. (Conversely, be sure to declare any desired values as belonging to the appropriate Profile when you are working in the respective simple data category specifications.) Click Select to save the items you have selected.

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Your selected items will appear in the Value Domain window.

Save specification

Click the Save button in the lower right hand corner when you have completed entering all the data. Fill in any relevant change data in the Change description pop up and click Save. Unless otherwise assigned, you will find your new specification in the global DCS list for your Pivate workspace.