Feature №1
The LOCdefinition or LOCstructure requires explicit unique identifiers.
Identifiers will normally be distinct from the label or description associated with a LOCdefinition or LOCstructure. Indicate if a label is used to uniquely identify a LOCdefinition or LOCstructure. Identifiers may be unique only within the scope of the managing organisation, within a framework or may be globally unique. Of particular interest to InLOC are URIs (Uniform Resource Identifier), when they are used, as they are always globally unique.
In the table notes for each stakeholder / source (or longer beneath) please note
- what has identifiers
- examples of identifiers used
Several specs have followed a tradition established in LOM of dividing identifiers into something like
- "catalog" or source
- "entry" or id within source
InLOC examples
- The ASN explicitly use URIs as identifiers.
- MedBiquitous is one body that use catalog and entry, but they balance that by offering "URI" as one value of "catalog", effectively allowing any URI as an identifier without any other explicit catalog value.
- Some sources use URIs or URLs implicitly, through a Web-based catalogue - this is the case with the UK QCF.
- Sources where Internet applications have not been envisaged may use identifiers that are only unique internally, like the e-CF or several aspects of UK NOS
InLOC treatment
See id.
InLOC recommends HTTP URIs, but they are not mandatory, except for the [RDF} binding. What is mandatory is that in any one set of InLOC information, each identifier must be given in one and only one form. For example, if an HTTP URI is shortened using a prefix, within the body of InLOC information, the shortened prefixed form must be used throughout, and not mixed with the full HTTP URI for that identifier. That is, within any single set of InLOC information, every occurrence of any one identifier must be byte-for-byte identical.