Module Documentation: eml-entity
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The EML Entity Module defines the logical characteristics of every entity in the dataset. Entities are usually tables of data with a fixed logical structure, but could also be other types of data such as raster or vector image data. The "table-entity" element is used to describe all table entities, and the "other-entity" element would be used to describe all other types of entities. Specific details of non-tabular entities are left to other standards (e.g., for remote sensing data, one should include a spatial metadata module such as the FGDC Content Standard for Digitial Geospatial Metadata [CSDGM]).

Element Definitions:

table-entity
Content of this field: Description of this field:

Derived from: EntityBase (by xs:extension)

Elements: Required?: How many:
A sequence of (
orientationOptionalMultiple Times
caseSensitiveOptionalMultiple Times
numberOfRecordsOptionalMultiple Times
)
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

Tooltip:
Table Entity descriptor
Summary:
Descriptor of one table entity in the dataset.
Description:
The table entity element is a descriptor of one entity in the dataset identified by its name. The entity element can contain information about the entity's orientation, number of records, case sensitiveness, and temporal, geographic and taxonomic coverage.
Example:

Lineage:
The entity element was introduced into EML 1.4 as file.
orientation
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Elements: Required?: How many:
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:
columnorrowoptional

Tooltip:
Entity's record orientation
Summary:
Specification of the entity's record orientation.
Description:
This element contains specification of the entity's record orientation by element's attribute "columnorrow".
Example:
The valid attribute values are "columnmajor" or "rowmajor". If the attribute is not specified, "columnmajor" is used.
Lineage:
The orientation element was introduced into EML 1.4.
caseSensitive
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Elements: Required?: How many:
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:
yesornooptional

Tooltip:
Data case sensitiveness
Summary:
Specification of text case sensitiveness in the entity.
Description:
This element contains specification of text case sensitiveness of the data in the entity. It is specified from element's attribute "yesorno".
Example:
The valid attribute values are "yes" or "no". If the attribute is not specified, "yes" is used.
Lineage:
The caseSensitive element was introduced into EML 1.4.
numberOfRecords
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: xs:string
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

Tooltip:
Number of records
Summary:
The integer count of the number of records inthe entity
Description:
This element contains a count of the number of records in the entity. This is typically an integer value, and only includes records that represent observations. It would not include any details of physical formatting such as the number of header lines (see eml-physical for that information).
Example:
<numberOfRecords>975</numberOfRecords>
Lineage:
Introduced in EML 2
other-entity
Content of this field: Description of this field:

Derived from: EntityBase (by xs:extension)

Elements: Required?: How many:
A sequence of (
entityTypeOptionalMultiple Times
)
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

Tooltip:
Other Entity descriptor
Summary:
Descriptor of single non-table entity in the dataset.
Description:
The other entity element is a descriptor of one non-tabular entity in the dataset, identified by its name. The element can contain information about the entity's basic identity, its temporal, geographic and taxonomic coverage, and its type.
Example:
Photograph of rocky intertidal plot 12 from Santa Cruz Island
Lineage:
The entity element was introduced into EML 1.4 as file.
entityType
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: xs:string
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

Tooltip:
Entity type
Summary:
Contains the name of the type for this entity.
Description:
This element contains the name of the entity's type. The entity's type is typically the name of the data type represented in the entity, such as raster image, vector image, etc.
Example:
<entityType>Raster Image</entityType>
Lineage:
The entityType element was introduced into EML 1.4 as entityFormat.
identifier
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Elements: Required?: How many:
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

Tooltip:
Unique identifier
Summary:
The unique identifier of this metadata file or object.
Description:
The identifier field provides a unique identifier for this metadata documentation. It will most likely be part of a sequence of numbers or letters that are meaningful in a larger context, such as a metadata catalog. That larger system can be identified in the "system" attribute. Multiple identifiers can be listed corresponding to different catalog systems.
Example:
<identifier system="metacat">nceas.3.2</identifier>
Lineage:
The 'identifier' field is derived from the eml-dataset meta_file_id filed in EML 1.4.
entityName
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: xs:string
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

Tooltip:
Entity name
Summary:
Entity name specifier
Description:
The name identifies the entity in the dataset: file name, name of database table, etc.
Example:
SpeciesAbundance1996
Lineage:
The entityName was introduced into EML 1.4.
entityDescription
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: xs:string
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

Tooltip:
Entity description
Summary:
General description of the entity and its contents
Description:
A paragraph of text generally describing the entity, its type, and relevant information about the data in the entity.
Example:
Species abundance data for 1996 at the VCR LTER
Lineage:
Introduced in EML 2

Attribute Definitions:

columnorrow

Use: optional


Tooltip:
Attribute of orientation element
Summary:
Specification of the entity's record orientation.
Description:
This attribute specifies the entity's record orientation.
Example:
The valid attribute values are "columnmajor" or "rowmajor". If the attribute is not specified, "columnmajor" is used.
Lineage:
The columnorrow attribute was introduced into EML 1.4.
yesorno

Use: optional


Tooltip:
Attribute of caseSensitive element
Summary:
Specification of text case sensitiveness in the entity.
Description:
This attribute specifies text case sensitiveness of entity's data.
Example:
The valid attribute values are "yes" or "no". If the attribute is not specified, "yes" is used.
Lineage:
The yesorno attribute was introduced into EML 1.4.
system

Type: xs:string

Use: optional


Tooltip:
Catalog system
Summary:
The catalog system in which this identifier is used.
Description:
This element gives the name of the catalog system in which this identifier is used. It is useful to determine the scope of the identifier, and to determine the semantics of the various subparts of the identifier. Unresolved issue: can or should this be a URI/URL pointing to the catalog system, or just the name?
Example:
<identifier system="metacat">nceas.3.2</identifier>
Lineage:
New to EML 2.0.

Complex Type Definitions:

EntityBase
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Elements: Required?: How many:
A sequence of (
identifierOptionalMultiple Times
entityNameOptionalMultiple Times
entityDescriptionOptionalMultiple Times
cov:temporalCovOptionalMultiple Times
cov:geographicCovOptionalMultiple Times
cov:taxonomicCovOptionalMultiple Times
)
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

Tooltip:
Base Entity descriptors
Summary:
Basic information about an entity common to all entity types.
Description:
Basic information about all entity types, including name and coverage of the entity. The term entity is used in the sense of an entity in a relational model; it generally represents a table, but can also represent an image or other type of data.
Example:
See 'eml-coverage' for descriptions of the coverage elements
Lineage:
The eml-entity was introduced into EML 1.4 as eml-file.

Simple Type Definitions:

Derived from: xs:string (by xs:restriction)

Allowed values:

  • columnmajor
  • rowmajor

Derived from: xs:string (by xs:restriction)

Allowed values:

  • yes
  • no

Web Contact: jones@nceas.ucsb.edu