Developing a common set of federal NDR’s Mark Crawford Draft April 28, 2005

Non Controversial versus Valuable Every developer has their own perspective on how best to create schema Non-controversial rules typically add little value to any sort of standardization or interoperability For rules to have value, they must be cohesive –they must bind together to create an environment where a specific set of schema can be developed

Focus Areas Modularity –are we going to adopt the generally accepted modularity models to maximize reuse Common schema by agency Common schema for federal government Namespaces –Promulgate a federal namespace strategy similar to what LMI has previously proposed Versioning –major/minor Element declarations –local/global Attributes –yes/no/maybe/limited

Focus Areas Type definitions –named/anonymous –simple/complex Rules for type compositors Naming rules Extension/restriction/redefinition/ customization Code lists as enumerations or modules Annotation Documentation

Issues Adoption of W3C XSD as preferred solution Processing instructions in schema Differentiations between document centric and data centric rules Role of schematron Support for polymorphic processing Role of other XML specifications Modeling Methodology

Sources Voluntary Consensus Standards –OASIS UBL –UN/CEFACT Government Proprietary –DON –Global Justice –EPA – Others

Some Examples – Simple Changes UBL XML element, attribute and type names MUST be in the English language, using the primary English American spellings provided in the xx version of the Oxford English Dictionary. UBL XML element, attribute and type names MUST be consistently derived from CCTS conformant data element ISO dictionary entry names. UBL XML element, attribute and type names constructed from ccts:DictionaryEntryNames data element ISO dictionary entry names MUST NOT include periods, spaces, other separators, or characters not allowed by W3C XML 1.0 for XML names. Text appearing in courier underline would be deleted Text appearing in red italic font would be added

Some Examples – Simple Changes A UBL global element name based on a ccts:ABIE object class MUST be the same as the name of the corresponding xsd:complexType to which it is bound, with the word "Type" removed. A UBL global element name based on an generic data element unqualified ccts:BBIEProperty MUST be the same as the name of the corresponding xsd:complexType to which it is bound, with the word "Type" removed. Text appearing in courier underline would be deleted Text appearing in red italic font would be added

Some Examples – Simple Changes For every class identified in the UBL model, a named xsd:complexType MUST be defined. A UBL xsd:complexType name based on an object class ccts:AggregateBusinessInformationEntity MUST be the ccts: Dictionary Entry Name of the class with the any separators removed and “ith the”"Details" suffix repla“ed w”th and the word "Type“ appended. Text appearing in courier underline would be deleted Text appearing in red italic font would be added

Some Examples - Modularity Concepts redefined Some modules renamed New agency modules Reusable Class Module Source Standards Module

Some Examples - Namespace Rules Every UBL-defined or -used schema module, except internal schema modules, MUST have a namespace declared using the xsd:targetNamespace attribute. Every UBL-defined or -used schema set version MUST have its own unique namespace. urn:un:unece:uncefact: : : :.0.[ ] urn:us:gov:dod:don:usn:log:navsup:1.0 Text appearing in courier underline would be deleted Text appearing in red italic font would be added

Recommended Course of Action Pick initial source –Recommend UBL for NDR –UN/CEFACT for datatyping schema Determine canonical form –Recommend W3C XSD Categorize rules by –Ability to auto validate –Ability to auto generate –Contribution to interoperability –Support for DRM concepts Recommend solutions to issues

Recommended Course of Action Strip off all modeling methodology aspects of rules –Transform any CCTS constructs to generally accepted data element constructs (Class/Atributes/Representation/Association) –Transform modularity to reflect revised data element constructs –Transform namespaces to federal namespace recommendation Approve draft rules Create draft schema and sample instances Develop Federal NDR Document