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:

otherEntity
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: OtherEntityType
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

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
entityType
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: xs:string
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

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. This field should only be used if this is an 'other' entity and you want to specify what the 'other' entity is.
Example:
Raster Image
references
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: xs:string
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:
alternateIdentifier
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Elements: Required?: How many:
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

Description:
An additional, secondary identifier for this entity. The primary identifier belongs in the "id" attribute, but additional identifiers that are used to label this entity, possibly from different data management systems, can be listed here.
Example:
VCR3465
entityName
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: xs:string
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

Description:
The name identifies the entity in the dataset: file name, name of database table, etc.
Example:
SpeciesAbundance1996
entityDescription
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: xs:string
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

Description:
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
attributeList
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: att:AttributeListType
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:
constraint
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: con:ConstraintType
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:
physical
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: phys:PhysicalType
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:
coverage
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: cov:Coverage
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:
method
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: md:MethodsType
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:
additionalInfo
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Type: txt:TextType
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:

Description:
This field provides any information that is not characterized by the other entity metadata fields.
Example:
Multiple sampling events represented

Attribute Definitions:

id

Type: xs:string

Use: optional

system

Type: xs:string

Use: optional

scope

Type: res:ScopeType

Use: optional

system

Type: xs:string

Use: optional


Description:
The computing system within which this identifier has relevance. Generally, the identifier would be unique within the "system" and would be sufficient to retrieve the entity from the system. The system is often a URL or URI that identifies the main entry point for the data management system.
Example:
http://knb.ecoinformatics.org/knb/

Complex Type Definitions:

OtherEntityType
Content of this field: Description of this field:
Elements: Required?: How many:
A choice of (
A sequence of (
A sequence of (
entityTypeOptionalMultiple Times
)
)
OR
referencesOptionalMultiple Times
)
Attributes: Required?: Default Value:
idoptional
systemoptional
scopeoptional

Simple Type Definitions:

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