A data element name is a name given to a

data element In metadata, the term data element is an atomic unit of data that has precise meaning or precise semantics. A data element has: # An identification such as a data element name # A clear data element definition # One or more representation terms ...

in, for example, a

data dictionary A data dictionary, or metadata repository, as defined in the ''IBM Dictionary of Computing'', is a "centralized repository of information about data such as meaning, relationships to other data, origin, usage, and format". ''Oracle'' defines it ...

metadata registry A metadata registry is a central location in an organization where metadata definitions are stored and maintained in a controlled method. A metadata repository is the database where metadata is stored. The registry also adds relationships with r ...

. In a formal data dictionary, there is often a requirement that no two data elements may have the same name, to allow the data element name to become an identifier, though some data dictionaries may provide ways to qualify the name in some way, for example by the application system or other context in which it occurs. In a database driven data dictionary, the fully qualified data element name may become the primary key, or an alternate key, of a Data Elements table of the data dictionary. The data element name typically conforms to

ISO/IEC 11179 The ISO/IEC 11179 Metadata Registry (MDR) standard is an international ISO/IEC standard for representing metadata for an organization in a metadata registry. It documents the standardization and registration of metadata to make data understandab ...

naming conventions and has at least three parts: *Object, Property and

Representation term A representation term is a word, or a combination of words, that semantically represent the data type (value domain) of a data element. A representation term is commonly referred to as a ''class word'' by those familiar with data dictionaries. ISO ...

. Many standards require the use of Upper camel case to differentiate the components of a data element name. This is the standard used by

ebXML Electronic Business using eXtensible Markup Language, commonly known as e-business XML, or ebXML (pronounced ee-bee-ex-em-el, 'bi,eks,em'el as it is typically referred to, is a family of XML based standards sponsored by OASIS and UN/CEFACT whose m ...

GJXDM The Global Justice XML Data Model (GJXDM or Global JXDM) is a data reference model for the exchange of information within the justice and public safety communities. The Global JXDM is a product of the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative ...

and NIEM. __TOC__

Example of ISO/IEC 11179 name in XML

Users frequently encounter ISO/IEC 11179 when they are exposed to

XML Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language and file format for storing, transmitting, and reconstructing arbitrary data. It defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable ...

Data Element names that have a multi-part

Camel Case Camel case (sometimes stylized as camelCase or CamelCase, also known as camel caps or more formally as medial capitals) is the practice of writing phrases without spaces or punctuation. The format indicates the separation of words with a single ...

format: Object ualifierProperty RepresentationTerm The specification also includes normative documentation in appendices. For example, the XML element for a person's given (first) name would be expressed as: John Where Person is the Object=Person, Property=Given and

="Name". In this case the optional qualifier is not used, in spite of being implicit in the data element name. This requires knowledge based on data element name, rather than use of structured data.

Example of ISO/IEC 11179 name in XML

See also