From: "Francis Cave" <francis@franciscave.com>
> Hang on! What is the authority that says that these country codes are
> synonymous? ISO 3166!
Common sense?
> There might be a case for the kind of datatype
> definition that you're describing, but it surely should NEVER be used to
> define equivalences in someone else's value-space.
It is certainly true that if you define a public spec that seems to override
a standard, the standards-maker's toes will feel trodden apon (is that
the correct syntax?) and they may kick up a fuss. But I think any *use*
of a code is fair game: they are there to be used.
In other words, when using a code, it is the user (i.e. the document type developer)
who decides the specifics of how a code is used. For example, when
using "AU" as a country, does this include Australia's Pacific terroritories before
1972 or are they known by their current national names?
> It seems to me that the fact that "KO" and "KOR" are codes for the same
> geopolitical entity must be entirely determined by ISO 3166 and statements
> to this effect elsewhere should always defer to ISO 3166. ISO in their
> wisdom (or folly) may at some future date decide that "KO" and "KOR" are NOT
> the same, in which case you might create an international incident by
> continuing to suggest that they were!
Sure, but the purpose of a statement of equivalence is to say describe what
people have done or will do.
> To my mind schemas should stick to defining constraints and not make
> value-judgements by defining equivalences.
Are you saying that if one lot of documents have used 2-digit codes and
another lot of documents have used 3-digit codes, that it should be impossible
to say anything (schematically) about relationships between (information
items related to) those values?
The library world has gone very far with their "crosswalks" approach, for
defining equivalences.
Cheers
Rick Jelliffe
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