[DDI-SRG] Data types and Numeric types

[Wendy Thomas]

Here is a recap of the related items on MANTIS. This will not get resolved 
in the next version (due by October 10) as we feel we need to sit down in 
Germany and hammer it out in person.  If you have comments, please put 
them in mantis under the appropriate item.  wendy

0000020
Summary  0000020: Numeric representation types inadequately defined
Description  Numeric representation type on variable - I have to admit I 
have no clue what those choices mean - I know what an Integer is, but Big 
Integer? Long?Short? Float? Double? Count? Incremental? Can you provide 
short explanations/examples - I think they are needed in the documentation 
too. Integer is a type of number, as is decimal. But count and incremental 
seem to belong to a different category (not types of numbers, but what the 
number represents, and how the counting is done?)
Proposed Solution  Pull definitions from W3C and add to field level 
documentation (reflect in high level documents)

>From the TIC meeting discussion, I-Lin provided the following links for 
use in specificiation.
http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/REC-xmlschema-2-20010502/ [^]

or more specifically
http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/REC-xmlschema-2-20010502/#built-in-datatypes [^]

>From this chart enter
http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/REC-xmlschema-2-20010502/# [^] followed by the 
name of the data type (such as integer and it will take you to a 
definition. This information needs to be added to field level 
documentation and high level documentation.

(0000008)
wthomas
08-03-07 06:57

I have added a file of Achim's emails regarding data types. I think these 
should inform the decision we make. We need to decide which data type tree 
(XML, Java, SAS...) we are using where (generic areas of DDI vs software 
specific). I'll try to sort some of this out over the weekend and get a 
proposed solution around to all (and posted on mantis).

(0000009)
wthomas
08-03-07 06:58

  http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/Europe/200301/x2r/ht/a1/standardBuiltins.xml 
[^]

link to schema-mapping fo data types between XML and java

0000005: Issues with @type attribute in Variable Representation
Description  In Variable Representation, DateTime, Nuemric and Strin and 
an mandatory @type attribute:
- Why does it need to be mandatory?
- Not all possible xs:* data types are available (like hexbinary)
- What to do when the format does not match any of the enumerated types? 
Can we introduce the an "Other" type if all lists? Examples: quarter, 
semester (datetime), hexadecimal (strings), binary (mumeric, octal)

Proposed Solution  - Make attribute optional
- Review code lists
- Add "Other" in all code lists or (and allow for extension?)

Related Module  Logical
XPath  /Variable/Representation
Related use case  DExT


0000004: Need format attribute in all Variable Representation Numerci and 
Text representation
Description  In Variable/Representation, the DateTime has a @format 
attribute but not Numeric or Text. Such attribute is useful for all 
representation to provide extra information about the variable.
Use cases include:
- Scientific, binary, hexadecimal, currency formats for Numeric
- Custom string formats such as ZIP, social security, credit card or even 
string representation of dates (day, month, etc.)

Proposed Solution  Add @format attribute to Numeric and Text 
representation

Related Module  Logical
XPath  /Variable/Representation
Related use case  DExT


SORT THIS ONE OUT IN GERMANY







Wendy L. Thomas                          Phone: +1 612.624.4389
Data Access Core Director		 Fax:   +1 612.626.8375
Minnesota Population Center              Email: wlt at pop.umn.edu
University of Minnesota
50 Willey Hall
225 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455