ISO/IEC 19778-1:2008

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 19778-1
First edition
2008-05-01
Information technology — Learning,
education and training — Collaborative
technology — Collaborative workplace —
Part 1:
Collaborative workplace data model
Technologies de l'information — Apprentissage, éducation et
formation — Technologies collaboratives — Lieu de travail
collaboratif —
Partie 1: Modèle de données du lieu de travail collaboratif

Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2008
PDF disclaimer
This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but
shall not be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In
downloading this file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat
accepts no liability in this area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation
parameters were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In
the unlikely event that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.

©  ISO/IEC 2008
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or
ISO's member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.org
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword. iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope .1
1.1 Statement of scope.1
1.1.1 ISO/IEC 19778.1
1.1.2 This part of ISO/IEC 19778 .1
1.2 Subjects and aspects not currently addressed in ISO/IEC 19778 .2
1.3 Excluded subjects and aspects in ISO/IEC 19778.2
1.4 Subjects and aspects addressed in related standards .2
2 Normative references .3
3 Terms and definitions .3
3.1 Terms and definitions used to specify a representation of a Data Model .3
3.2 Terms and definitions for the Data Model Elements of this and related standards .6
4 Abbreviations and acronyms .8
5 Collaborative workplace Data Model .8
5.1 Data Model representation.8
5.2 Collaborative workplace Data Model diagram .12
5.3 Collaborative workplace Data Model specification.12
5.4 Supplementing information for DMEs of the CW DM.17
5.4.1 AE CW_General.17
5.4.2 DE CW_Name .17
5.4.3 DE CW_Description .17
5.4.4 AE CW_ID .17
5.4.5 DE CW_ID_source.17
5.4.6 DE CW_ID_value .18
5.4.7 DE CW_Life-span.18
5.4.8 AE CW_Components.18
5.4.9 AE CE_ID-Ref .18
5.4.10 DE CE_ID-Ref_source .18
5.4.11 DE CE_ID-Ref_value .18
5.4.12 AE CG_ID-Ref.18
5.4.13 DE CG_ID-Ref_source .18
5.4.14 DE CG_ID-Ref_value.19
6 Conformance.19
Annex A (informative) Alphabetical list of terms .21
Annex B (informative) A minimalistic use case .22
Annex C (informative) A rich use case.28
Bibliography .35

© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved iii

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of
ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees
established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental
and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information
technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International
Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as
an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC 19778-1 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 36, Information technology for learning, education and training.
ISO/IEC 19778 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information technology — Learning,
education and training — Collaborative technology — Collaborative workplace:
⎯ Part 1: Collaborative workplace data model
⎯ Part 2: Collaborative environment data model
⎯ Part 3: Collaborative group data model
iv © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Many activities in the field of learning, education and training are collaborative in nature, involving turn-taking,
statement-and-response or multi-thread discussions which, in turn, take place among participants over
periods of time ranging from seconds to entire human generations. For example, a question posed via text
messaging or email might receive a response in a matter of seconds, minutes or hours; commentary on a
historically-significant text might take place months, years or even generations after it has been written.
A typical collaborative event is initiated by one participant, is usually received by several other participants,
refers to a previous collaborative event, and provides a response to it. Collaborative activities can be
established in the widest imaginable range of circumstances, involving many different communicative forms
and contents.
The International Standards on collaborative technology for learning, education and training focus on a
particular subset of these collaborative activities. (Note that all terms specifically defined in these International
Standards are italicized throughout all parts of ISO/IEC 19778.) This subset of activities is characterized by:
• information exchange in small or medium-sized collaborative groups of participants (typically above two
and below a few dozen) who collaborate over relatively short periods of time (typically several days to
several months);
• information exchange taking place through the use of communication technology, using either a single,
well-defined collaborative tool supporting collaborative functions, or a set of collaborative tools, organized
in a collaborative environment;
• short intervals in establishing feedback on messages or expressions (generally seconds to hours);
• the exchange of relatively small information chunks (generally comparable to a range between a single
word and a small number of paragraphs);
• a relatively high level of responsiveness among active collaborative group members;
• information exchanged among participants (due to a number of the factors listed above) tends to be
highly context-dependent or -sensitive;
• further, important contextual information is presented by the relationship between these collaborative
group members and the collaborative environment (and its subcomponents), which all together form a
collaborative workplace.
ISO/IEC 19778 consists of three parts:
Part 1: Collaborative workplace data model provides a representation format for Data Model specification, and
specifies the Data Model structure and the Data Model Elements for the collaborative workplace in general.
Part 2: Collaborative environment data model specifies the Data Model structure and the Data Model
Elements for the technical infrastucture of a collaborative workplace.
Part 3: Collaborative group data model specifies the Data Model structure and the Data Model Elements
specifying and providing information for the membership of a collaborative workplace.
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved v

Figure 1 — Entities defined in ISO/IEC 19778
Figure 1 illustrates the relationships among the three physical entities involved. Any collaborative workplace
represents the combination of a particular collaborative environment and a particular collaborative group.
While the physical entity collaborative workplace contains its collaborative environment and its collaborative
group, the Data Model instantiations for these physical entities (and the Data Models from which these
instantiations are derived) are separate data entities.
The Data Models specified by ISO/IEC 19778 provide the structure and the concepts for information which
• supports the understanding of the application intentions of collaborative workplaces and their
components;
• is qualified for supporting the set-up and managing of collaborative workplaces;
• enables the specification of relationships among Data Model instantiations derived from
ISO/IEC 19778 or among their Data Model Element instantiations;
• enables the specification of relationships among anticipated, further Data Models or their Data Model
Elements (or their instantiations), and the Data Models or their Data Model Elements of ISO/IEC 19778
(or their instantiations).
The interrelationship among a collaborative workplace and its collaborative environment and collaborative
group, their associated Data Model instantiations, and the corresponding Data Models specified in
ISO/IEC 19778 is illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2 — The interrelationship among a collaborative workplace and its collaborative environment
and collaborative group, their associated Data Model instantiations,
and the Data Models specified in ISO/IEC 19778
vi © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

This part of ISO/IEC 19778 specifies a Data Model that provides general information on a collaborative
workplace (in Figure 2, the outer frame to the left). A collaborative workplace comprises a technical
infrastructure (Part 2, collaborative environment) and means of defining its membership (Part 3, collaborative
group).
As illustrated in Figure 2, it is important to distinguish among (from left to right)
• the physical entities of a collaborative workplace, comprising its technical infrastructure and its
members;
• the Data Model instantiations that are associated with these physical entities, and that are derived from
their respective Data Models using any conforming binding;
• the Data Models provided by ISO/IEC 19778 and specifying the (binding-independent) rules for
creating Data Model instantiations.
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved vii

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 19778-1:2008(E)

Information technology — Learning, education and training —
Collaborative technology — Collaborative workplace —
Part 1:
Collaborative workplace data model
1 Scope
1.1 Statement of scope
1.1.1 ISO/IEC 19778
ISO/IEC 19778 is applicable to collaborative technologies used to support communication among learners,
instructors and other participants. The implementation and communicative use of these technologies entails
the creation of information related to participant groups, and to the collaborative environments, functions and
tools that are set up for, and used by, these groups. This part of ISO/IEC 19778 – together with its subsequent
parts – defines Data Models that enable the portability and reuse of this data in integrated form, and allow
Data Model instantiations to be interchanged, stored, retrieved, reused or analysed by a variety of systems.
NOTE 1 A typical case of reusing a particular collaborative workplace Data Model instantiation (and its interlinked
collaborative environment and collaborative group Data Model instantiations) is the automated set-up of new collaborative
workplaces by using the specifications in the Data Model instantiations as templates.
NOTE 2 The reason for providing the specification for a collaborative workplace using several Data Models and their
instantiations is to provide flexibility in the further development of these standards in future editions. By providing optional
references to potential further specifications or standards, this approach goes far beyond the parts of ISO/IEC 19778 and
the limited number of information elements provided by them.
1.1.2 This part of ISO/IEC 19778
This part of ISO/IEC 19778 specifies a table-based approach for defining Data Models. This Data Model
specification is used for specifying the collaborative workplace Data Model. The same Data Model
specification is also used in ISO/IEC 19778-2 and ISO/IEC 19778-3 to define the related components of the
collaborative environment (ISO/IEC 19778-2) and the collaborative group (ISO/IEC 19778-3) in separate Data
Models.
NOTE 1 This Data Model specification is also used in ISO/IEC 19780.
The collaborative workplace Data Model specifies the Data Model Elements and their interrelationships that
enable the creation of collaborative workplace Data Model instantiations.
Any conforming collaborative workplace Data Model instantiation describes or specifies a particular
collaborative workplace with which it is associated.
NOTE 2 How the association of a particular collaborative workplace Data Model instantiation and a particular
collaborative workplace is implemented is outside the scope of this part of ISO/IEC 19778 (i.e. is dependent on the
implementation of the used collaboration system).
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved 1

Any conforming collaborative workplace Data Model instantiation
• references Data Model instantiations for both a particular collaborative environment and a particular
collaborative group;
• provides its particular identifier that allows this Data Model instantiation to be referenced from other
Data Model instantiations;
NOTE 3 The ISO/IEC 19778 Data Models and Data Model or Data Model Element instantiations are
referenced by ISO/IEC 19780, which provides storage formats for captured communicative contributions, along
with contextual data (relationship to other contributions, time sent, authorship, etc.).
• provides the life-span dates-and-times for the associated collaborative workplace;
• may provide a name and a textual description for its associated collaborative workplace, particularly for
the purpose of full-text seach for collaborative workplace Data Model instantiations.
1.2 Subjects and aspects not currently addressed in ISO/IEC 19778
Further parts or future new editions of the existing parts of ISO/IEC 19778 are anticipated. They include the
following.
• Internationalization (e.g. national alternatives for the values of textual, descriptive Data Elements).
• Bindings for the Data Models of Parts 1, 2, and 3 will be provided by additional parts.
• Best practice guides for the use of Parts 1, 2, and 3 will be provided by additional parts.
• Enabling the concurrent use of several international languages in Parts 1, 2, and 3 will be reflected by
future editions.
• Any lessons learnt from practicing Parts 1, 2, and 3 will be reflected by future editions of these parts.
1.3 Excluded subjects and aspects in ISO/IEC 19778
Beyond the scope of ISO/IEC 19778, communities of practice or standardization bodies may provide further
specifications or standards which are not yet identified. These anticipated specifications or standards may
either make use of ISO/IEC 19778, or may – where this is prepared for – specify value domains for Data
Elements of the Data Models of ISO/IEC 19778, or may represent extensions of ISO/IEC 19778 by providing
and referencing Data Models with supplementing information.
Subjects and aspects not provided by ISO/IEC 19778, but anticipated to be provided by further specifications
or standards, include:
• the specification of roles that collaborative group members may play, including the obligations and
permissions associated with these roles;
• the specification of collaborative tools and their collaborative functions, including their technical
capabilities and constraints;
• the specification of models for collaborative applications, including the modelling of tasks, activities and
objectives of such activities.
1.4 Subjects and aspects addressed in related standards
ISO/IEC 19778 is closely related to ISO/IEC 19780-1. This related International Standard enables the
recording, portability and reuse of the communicative contents, the messages or expressions generated in the
course of collaborative activity. The way this communicative data is recorded and captured makes use of
collaborative workplace, collaborative group and collaborative environment Data Model Elements.
2 © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 8601:2004, Data elements and interchange formats — Information interchange — Representation of
dates and times
ISO/IEC 10646:2003, Information technology — Universal Multiple-Octet Coded Character Set (UCS)
ISO/IEC 11404:2007, Information technology — General-Purpose Datatypes (GPD)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
NOTE 1 The terms defined here are closely interrelated. Terms defined in this clause are italicized elsewhere in this
part of ISO/IEC 19778 when used as defined. Where these terms are not italicized in the document, they are used with
their self-explanatory or common meanings. One exception to this rule is presented by the use of these defined terms in
clause and subclause titles, headings, or term listings, where italicization is dropped for purposes of formatting
consistency.
NOTE 2 An alphabetical list of all of the terms defined in 3.1 and 3.2 is provided in Annex A.
3.1 Terms and definitions used to specify a representation of a Data Model
NOTE This subclause defines terms used to specify the way the Data Model is represented in ISO/IEC 19778.
3.1.1
Aggregating Element
AE
DME which is neither a Root Element nor a leaf element in a Data Model tree structure, represented as a unit
of data for which an identifier, designation, definition, obligation status, and a multiplicity value are all specified
as DME attributes
NOTE AEs provide an important means of structuring the Data Model, and also provide important semantic
information.
3.1.2
Collaborative Technology standards
CT standards
International Standards family in the domain of “Information technology — Learning, education and training —
Collaborative technology”
NOTE Many of the standards in this domain are closely interrelated, implying the need for particular cross-standard
harmonization.
3.1.3
conditionally mandatory
required under certain specified conditions
NOTE 1 This is one of four permissible DME obligation status values. See also conditionally optional, mandatory and
optional.
NOTE 2 Where this DME obligation status value is assigned, the specification of the “conditions” under which the
DME's provision is mandatory is required.
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved 3

3.1.4
conditionally optional
permitted under certain specified conditions only, but not required
NOTE 1 This is one of four permissible DME obligation status values. See also conditionally mandatory, mandatory
and optional.
NOTE 2 Where this DME obligation status value is assigned, the specification of the “conditions” under which the
DME’s provision is optional is required.
NOTE 3 Adapted from ISO/IEC 11179-3:2003, definition 3.2.9.
3.1.5
Data Element
DE
DME which is a leaf element in a Data Model tree structure, represented as a unit of data for which an
identifier, designation, definition, obligation status, a DME multiplicity, the representation and permissible
values of the Data Element, and optionally value examples for the Data Element are all specified as DME
attributes
NOTE 1 In Data Model instantiations in any appropriate binding, the representation of a Data Element instantiation
requires (at least) the provision of its DME identifier and its value. The format used to achieve this is binding-specific.
NOTE 2 In CT standards, both the representation and permissible values of a Data Element are indicated through the
DE datatype. Additional constraints for the set of permissible values may be imposed by a referenced external
specification or standard.
NOTE 3 Adapted from ISO/IEC 11179-3:2003, definition 3.3.36.
3.1.6
Data Element datatype
DE datatype
specification of a set of distinct values for a DE, characterized by properties of those values and by possible
operations on those values
NOTE 1 The set of distinct values specified by the value of a DME datatype may be restricted to a subset, based on a
specification or standard which is external to the Data Model. The reference to this external specification or standard is
provided as the value of an appropriate Data Element in the Data Model. Which Data Element provides the reference to
this external specification or standard is indicated at the same place where the respective DE datatype is specified.
NOTE 2 Adapted from ISO/IEC 11404:2007, definition 3.12.
3.1.7
Data Model
DM
graphical and/or lexical representation of data, specifying their properties, structures and interrelationships
[ISO/IEC 11179-3:2003, definition 3.2.11]
3.1.8
Data Model Element
DME
Aggregating Element or Data Element
3.1.9
Data Model Element attribute
DME attribute
particular characteristic of a DME
NOTE Adapted from ISO/IEC 11179-3:2003, definition 3.1.3.
4 © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

3.1.10
Data Model Element definition
DME definition
representation of the concept of a DME through a descriptive statement which serves to differentiate it from
related concepts
NOTE Adapted from ISO 1087-1:2000, definition 3.3.1.
3.1.11
Data Model Element designation
DME designation
label for a DME, designating it in a manner which is unambiguous in the context of the Data Model
NOTE 1 DME designations are used in the wording of CT standards in order to refer to particular DMEs, as opposed to
the linguistically neutral DME identifiers, which serve a mnemonic function.
NOTE 2 Adapted from ISO 1087-1:2000, definition 3.4.1.
3.1.12
Data Model Element identifier
DME identifier
sequence of numerical branch indices, which specify the path from the general Root Element of the Data
Model to the specific DME, and thus identify it uniquely within the context of the Data Model
NOTE Adapted from ISO/IEC 11179-3:2003, definition 3.1.8.
3.1.13
Data Model Element instantiation
DME instantiation
data object in a Data Model instantiation, representing a Data Model Element
3.1.14
Data Model Element multiplicity
DME multiplicity
specification of the interval between the required minimum and the permitted maximum of DME instantiation
occurrences in a conforming Data Model instantiation
NOTE 1 Where a DME is not provided at all in a Data Model instantiation (as permitted by the value of the DME
obligation status), its DME multiplicity value does not apply.
NOTE 2 In cases where the two values (required minimum and permitted maximum occurrence) coincide, only a single
value is specified.
3.1.15
Data Model Element obligation status
DME obligation status
specification of whether, or under which condition(s), a DME is permitted or required in a conforming Data
Model instantiation
NOTE 1 The possible values for this attribute are mandatory, optional, conditionally mandatory and conditionally
optional.
NOTE 2 Adapted from ISO/IEC 11179-3:2003, definitions 3.2.9, 3.2.17, and 3.2.28.
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved 5

3.1.16
Data Model instantiation
DM instantiation
data object derived from a Data Model, providing values for its Data Elements, and generally making use of a
particular binding specification (RDF, XML, etc.)
NOTE The precise forms of the DM instantiations are dependent on the specific binding used.
3.1.17
mandatory
always required
NOTE 1 One of four permissible DME obligation status values. See also conditionally optional, conditionally
mandatory, and optional.
NOTE 2 Adapted from ISO/IEC 11179-3:2003, definition 3.2.17.
3.1.18
optional
permitted but not required
NOTE 1 One of four permissible DME obligation status values. See also conditionally optional, conditionally
mandatory, and mandatory.
NOTE 2 Adapted from ISO/IEC 11179-3:2003, definition 3.2.28.
3.1.19
Root Element
RE
root or top-most element in the tree structure of a Data Model
NOTE The Root Element represents the entire Data Model and is neither quoted in the table representation of the
Data Model nor included in the concept Data Model Element.
3.2 Terms and definitions for the Data Model Elements of this and related standards
NOTE This subclause defines terms used to specify the Data Model Elements of the Data Model in ISO/IEC 19778.
3.2.1
collaborative activity
pursuit of intended results through the efforts of several or all members of a collaborative group in a
collaborative workplace
3.2.2
collaborative effect
particular intended result, supportive or constitutive of learning, that can be achieved through the use of a
collaborative service
3.2.3
collaborative environment
single or combination of collaborative service(s) provided within a collaborative workplace for the purposes of
supporting the collaborative activities of a collaborative group
6 © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

3.2.4
collaborative function
elementary functionality or capability provided for collaborative group members and enabling particular
collaborative effects and collaborative activities that cannot be further decomposed without loss of this
functionality
NOTE A single collaborative tool frequently provides multiple collaborative functions (e.g. the combination of an
application broadcasting function and a text-based chat function), which could also be provided individually through
separate collaborative tools.
3.2.5
collaborative group
two or more participants, in their capacity as members of the same collaborative workplace and through their
involvement in the same collaborative environment
NOTE Accommodating on-the-fly changes in membership or in participation status (e.g. on-line vs. off-line) of
participants or role holders is considered outside of the scope of ISO/IEC 19778. For example, whisper (a subset of a
larger group being temporarily created for the purposes of confidential communication) is a function not directly
accommodated by ISO/IEC 19778.
3.2.6
collaborative service
service providing collaborative tools and collaborative functions to collaborative environments
NOTE Collaborative service itself is not defined in ISO/IEC 19778, because a CE DM instantiation may choose some
or all of collaborative tools from a collaborative service or it may combine different collaborative tools or collaborative
functions from multiple collaborative services into a CE. For this reason, only collaborative tools and collaborative
functions appear in CE specifications. The definition of collaborative service, e.g. how it may define collaborative tools and
collaborative functions within it, is outside of scope of ISO/IEC 19778.
3.2.7
collaborative tool
hardware and related software and data providing one or multiple collaborative functions for several or all
collaborative group members
NOTE Several collaborative tools may be integrated in a collaborative service.
3.2.8
collaborative workplace
instantiation of an entity, comprising the collaborative activities of a collaborative group defined in relation to a
collaborative environment
NOTE A collaborative workplace is usually established with the intention of facilitating collaborative activities among
the members of the collaborative group to achieve one or more collaborative effects.
3.2.9
participant
interactive entity such as a human being, artifact such as an interactive computer process (enabled by
appropriate software, data and interfaces), or set of such entities and/or artifacts acting and reacting as a
single entity
3.2.10
role
profile or listing of rights and responsibilities specified for a potential or actual member of a collaborative group
NOTE By assigning a single role or several roles to a collaborative group member, the aggregate rights and
responsibilities associated with the role(s) are transferred to this participant.
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved 7

4 Abbreviations and acronyms
NOTE Some of the abbreviations or acronyms in this clause represent terms defined in Clause 3.
AE Aggregating Element (see 3.1.1)
CE Collaborative Environment (see 3.2.3)
CG Collaborative Group (see 3.2.5)
CT Collaborative Technology (see 3.1.2)
CW Collaborative Workplace (see 3.2.8)
DE Data Element (see 3.1.5)
DM Data Model (see 3.1.7)
DME Data Model Element (see 3.1.8)
ID Identifier
HTML HyperText Markup Language
RE Root Element (see 3.1.19)
Ref Reference
URI  Uniform Resource Identifier
URL Uniform Resource Locator (world wide web address)
XML eXtensible Markup Language
XSD XML Schema Definition
5 Collaborative workplace Data Model
5.1 Data Model representation
The Data Models specified in CT standards can be represented as tree structures, where a tree structure is a
particular variant of an undirected graph and represents a hierarchical structure of Data Model Elements
(DMEs).
Corresponding to the common terminology of tree structures, we use the terms "child", "descendant", "parent",
"ancestor", "root" and "leaf". "Sibling" DMEs are child DMEs of the same parent DME.
In a tree structure of a Data Model, the top-most element is referred to as the Root Element, representing the
entire Data Model and being neither quoted in the table representation of the Data Model nor included in the
concept Data Model Element. DMEs which are leaf elements are referred to as Data Elements (DEs), as they
feature the DME attribute "Data Element datatype" (that specifies their respective data value space). DEs may
exhibit data value examples. All other DMEs are referred to as Aggregating Elements (AEs) and shall neither
feature the DME attribute "DE datatype", nor exhibit data value examples.
A graphical representation of a Data Model tree structure is not well suited for specifying the diverse
associated DME attributes. Consequently, the Data Models specified in CT standards are provided in a
lexical, tabular representation.
8 © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

Where appropriate in CT Standards, a (typically simplified) graphical diagram representation of the Data
Model is provided in form of a tree structure in a separate Subclause. This graphical representation is
provided for the sole purpose of illustrating the relationships among the DMEs and explicating the structure
implied in the Data Model table. In all CT standards, the table representation is to be taken as the authoritative
representation of the respective Data Model.
The correspondence of the tree diagram and the table of any given Data Model is indicated by the DME
identifiers. Any DME identifier specifies the path from the Root Element of the Data Model down a particular
DME, by providing the sequence of numerical branch indices along this particular path, the indices separated
by dot (".") characters. Every index sequence starts with the index of the branch leading from the Root
Element down towards the particular DME, and ends with the index of the branch directly leading to this
particular DME. Figure 3 illustrates this approach.

Figure 3 — Tree structure representation of a Data Model
(branch indices and DME identifiers noted only)
In Figure 3, the Root Element, designated "RE", is the root of the tree structure of the Data Model. The Root
Element and its indexed branches downwards are dashed in order to denote that the Root Element is not
included in the tabular representation of the Data Model. The unshaded DMEs, designated by their DME
identifiers, are Aggregating Elements (AEs). The shaded DMEs, also designated by their DME identifiers, are
Data Elements (DEs).
The relationships branching from any one DME to its child DMEs are numbered from left to right, although the
particular order of child DMEs in the tree structure is generally arbitrary (this, of course, does not exclude
other strategies of ordering the DMEs according to other rationale).
In the tabular representation of a Data Model, any row of the table (except the header row) specifies a single
DME by providing its various DME attribute values. The header row of the table denotes the assignment of the
DME attributes to the columns of the table.
The mapping between the Data Model tree structure and the corresponding Data Model table (i.e. the
sequence of rows in the table) generally reflects a top-to-bottom, left-to-right traversal of the tree structure. In
the Data Model table, any AE is directly followed by its child element with branch index 1.
The table that results from this "traversal" of the tree structure of the Data Model example in Figure 3 is shown
in Figure 4.
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved 9

Figure 4 — Mapping of a tree structure representation of a Data Model to a table representation
(branch indices and DME identifiers noted only)
The DME attributes for Data Models specified in CT standards and the corresponding columns of the Data
Model table are listed and explained below:
a) Identifier
Specifying the DME identifier (see term 3.1.12).
In CT standards, DME identifiers are sequences of branch indices, represented by decimal
natural numbers and separated by delimiting characters ".".
Where DMEs are referenced or identified in a Data Model specified in another CT standard
(cross-standard referencing), a concatenated character string "", ", "
"" shall be used, where the partial string in the middle contains a "comma"
character followed by a "space" character.
EXAMPLE Referencing the DME with DME identifier 1.3.2 of this part of ISO/IEC 19778 (the
CW_ID_value) in another CT standard would be done by using the reference "ISO/IEC 19778-1:2008,
1.3.2".
b) Designation
Specifying the DME designation (see term 3.1.11).
DME designations are used in the wording of CT standards in order to refer to particular
DMEs. In contrast to the linguistically neutral DME identifiers, they have mnemonic value; but
at the same time, they are language-specific and may be subject to internationalization.
c) Definition
Specifying the DME definition (see term 3.1.10).
10 © ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved

As the definitions provided in the Data Model table are kept as concise as possible,
supplementing information on the DMEs is provided in a separate Subclause of the standards
for explanatory purposes only. In all CT standards, the DME definition provided in the cells of
table column 3 is the authoritative definition of the DME.
d) Obligation
Specifying the DME obligation status (see term 3.1.15).
In cases of deriving Data Model instantiations from a Data Model, the applicability of the DME
obligation status of any DME shall be subject to the employment of its ancestor DMEs. For the
Data Model, this implies that DMEs with DME obligation status "optional" may well have
descendant DMEs with DME obligation status "mandatory". Also, where any DME with DME
obligation status "mandatory" has solely child DMEs with DME obligation status "optional",
any instantiation of this Data Model shall provide one or more descendant DE instantiations of
this DME.
Compare the definitions of the four permissible DME obligation status values conditionally
mandatory, conditionally optional, mandatory, and optional.
e) Multiplicity
Specifying the DME multiplicity (see term 3.1.14).
Values for DME multiplicity (in some other sources also identified as "element repeatability")
specify how frequently an instantiation of a DME shall and may occur in a conforming Data
Model instantiation. Multiplicity for a DME means that multiple instantiations of the same DME
shall or may occur in a given Data Model instantiation.
In Data Models instantiations, multiple DE instantiations are usually arranged adjacent to each
other, while instantiations of multiple AEs (aggregating substructures) result in these
substructure instantiations being represented in an adjacent or serial manner. By default, the
particular order in which multiple DME instantiations are placed or listed shall be of no
relevance. The only exception to this is if some notation for indicating order as being
significant is provided in this cell of the DME table row.
In cases where the DME obligation status of a DME has the value mandatory, the required
minimum DME instantiation occurrence shall be assumed greater than zero, even if specified
to be zero.
In cases where the two values (required minimum and permitted maximum occurrence) differ,
the interval is specified as a concatenated character string "", ".",
"", where the values for and maximum> are represented by nonnegative integers.
An unlimited permitted value for is specified using the asterisk
character "*".
In cases where the two values (required minimum and permitted maximum occurrence)
coincide, this single value is specified only.
f) Datatype
Specifying the DE datatype (see term 3.1.6).
In CT standards, this specifies the set of distinct values for a given DME, as the value of a DE
datatype. This may be restricted to a particular subset of values, based on a specification or
standard which is external to the Data Model. The reference to this external specification or
standard shall be provided as the value of an appropriate DE in the Data Model. The Data
© ISO/IEC 2008 – All rights reserved 11

Models defined in CT standards provide DEs and DME structures specifically for the purpose
of including such references.
Where such references are used, the specific Data Element enabling such references shall be
indicated in the Datatype column.
g) Examples
May provide one or more illustrations of possible DE values.
5.2 Collaborative workplace Data Model diagram
Figure 5 provides a relational overview for the collaborative workplace Data Model as specified in this part of
ISO/IEC 19778. This diagram also indicates specifications or standards which are as of yet unidentified and
out of scope for this part of ISO/IEC 19778, but which may play a significant role in its implem
...