gdmxml: An XML Implementation of the GENTECH Genealogical Data Model Hans Fugal

GDM: What and Why? GENTECH Genealogical Data Model, by the Lexicon Working Group It models the way genealogists do things and the data they collect, not just the conclusions.

GDM Submodels Administration Evidence Conclusion

Administration Submodel Projects and researchers Research objectives and activities Source groups and surety schemes

Evidence Submodel Sources and citation parts Representations Repositories

Conclusion Submodel Personas Events Characteristics Groups Assertions

Based on a source or on lower-level assertions Links two subjects with a value or role

Useful Subject Combinations PersonaEventGroupCharacte ristic PersonaXXX EventXX GroupXX Characte ristic X

XML: What and Why? Extensible Markup Language Markup adds structure and meaning to documents Human-readable Machine-readable Many tools available for processing and transforming XML Perfect for data exchange between software

Elements Hans Fugal

Attributes …

Namespaces Define scope Extensibility (expert systems) gdmxml:

RELAX NG Well-formed vs. Valid; Schemas describe what is valid. RELAX NG is a schema language –More powerful than XSD –Easier than XSD Compact syntax easier to author

XSD Persona

RELAX NG Persona

RELAX NG Compact Syntax Persona element persona { attribute id { xsd:ID }, ( element name { text } & element description-comments { text }? ) }

RELAX NG Compact Syntax Key \activity – reference * – zero or more + – one or more ? – zero or one & – interleave | – logical OR # – comment

Walkthrough and Discussion gdmxml.rnc gdmxml.rng – generated automatically fugl.xml – A sample gdmxml document

Future Directions Use as a file export in software Conversion to and from GEDCOM Use XSLT to create HTML, PDF, or other formats in various views –Example stylesheet to show all the assertions –Pedigrees, FGR sheets, various reports We need a standard taxonomy before we can guarantee interoperability with the GDM.

Changes from the GDM: Summary SEARCH refers to REPOSITORY-SOURCE instead of REPOSITORY and SOURCE separately CHARACTERISTIC may have no PLACE reference. (What place is associated with natural hair color) GROUP may omit PLACE reference. (e.g. persona groups) Some data implied rather than explicit (e.g. sequence)

GDM Questions Raised REPRESENTATION and SOURCE –When is it a REPRESENTATION, and when is it a SOURCE or perhaps CITATION- PART? –URIs, MIME types, and encoding representations.

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