[Bug 655] New: - need better model for numeric domains for attributes

[bugzilla-daemon@ecoinformatics.org]

http://bugzilla.ecoinformatics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=655

           Summary: need better model for numeric domains for attributes
           Product: EML
           Version: 2.0
          Platform: Other
        OS/Version: other
            Status: NEW
          Severity: blocker
          Priority: P1
         Component: eml - general bugs
        AssignedTo: jones at nceas.ucsb.edu
        ReportedBy: jones at nceas.ucsb.edu
         QAContact: jones at nceas.ucsb.edu
                CC: eml-dev at ecoinformatics.org


We've found another problem with attributeDomain that needs to be fixed for the
EML 2 release.  Currently, the numericDomain subtype does not indicate which
number type is intended, and so some legitimate numeric domains are not
expressible in EML.  This is a fatal flaw in the model, especially if domain is
required and people can't describe their domains.  For example, right now, one
can not express a domain that only incudes the positive real numbers.

To fix this, I propose that we change the content model of numericDomain to the
following:

numericDomain (numberType, (minimum|minimumExclusive)?, (maximum|maximumExclusive)?)
numberType (#PCDATA) and is a choice of the following enumeration:
  natural, whole, integer, real

One might argue that the distinction between rational and irrational is needed
(but I think not), so we might consider adding "rational" and "irrational" to
the list (which together make real numbers).  But I don't think irrational
numbers are relevant because they can't actually be written down except
symbolically (e.g., pi).  See http://www.purplemath.com/modules/numtypes.htm for
a summary of these number types.

Under this new system, someone who wanted to express a positive integral number
that was less than or equal to 10 could say:
  <numericDomain>
    <numberType>whole</numberType>
    <maximum>10</maximum>
  <numericDomain>

Under this new system, someone who wanted to express a positive fractional
number that was less than 10 could say:
  <numericDomain>
    <numberType>real</numberType>
    <minimumExclusive>0</minimumExclusive>
    <maximumExclusive>10</maximumExclusive>
  <numericDomain>

Thanks for the feedback.