scope:

This part of ISO/IEC 11179 specifies attributes of data elements. It is limited to a set of basic attributes independently of their usage in application systems, databases, data interchange messages, etc.

This part of ISO/IEC 11179 applies to activities including:

a) the definition, specification and contents of data element dictionaries;

b) the design and specification of application-oriented data models, databases and message types for data interchange;

c) the actual use of data in communications and information processing systems;

d) interchanging or referencing among various collections of data elements.

This set of basic attributes will have to be extended with additional attributes to enable the performance of a comprehensive data management function. No logical or physical structure of the data is implied in this part of ISO/IEC 11179.

A comprehensive data management function also requires a set of rules and procedures for classifying, defining, identifying, naming and registering data elements. These rules and procedures are outside the scope of this part and are covered in the other parts of ISO/IEC 11179.

Techniques for implementing a data element dictionary using this part of ISO/IEC 11179 are outside the scope of this part of ISO/IEC 11179