Data Types

The following data-types are defined for Property values (see PROPERTY_VALUE) and Parameter values (see PARAM_VALUE). Although quite similar, the table indicates where there are necessary differences.

 

Properties embrace ‘orig-text’ and annotate it with a combination of ‘Key’ and/or ‘Value’ attributes. The ‘Value’ is considered optional if the orig-text contains the same textual representation, and a ‘Key’ is optional in those circumstances where an entity association is not available.

 

Parameters embrace an explicit ‘value’ and can annotate some cases with a ‘Key’ attribute. The ‘Key’ references are mandatory when interfacing to citation-templates if an object is to be passed. Parameters can also override the ‘value’ formatting using their ‘Subst’ attribute. During local Parameter substitution, the precedence is: ‘Subst’ attribute, any explicit ‘value’ (formatted according to data-type), any entity key name.

 

Data-type

Description

Property

Parameter

Text

Simple text item (default data-type).

[Value]

value

Integer

Non-negative whole number.

[Value]

value

Number

Decimal number.

[Value]

value

Measure

Decimal number with units.

Value, Units

--

Boolean

1=true, 0=false.

[Value]

value

Date

Requires an std-date date-value, or a <Date> date-entity (see Dates).

[Value]

value

Enum

Enumerated set of possible values.

[Value]

--

EnumList

As per Enum but multiple entries can be concatenated with a period to create a dependent list, i.e. where each term is interpreted in the context of the previous one.

Value

--

PersonRef

Person (or Contact) reference.

[Key]

 

Key || value (one or both)

PlaceRef

Place reference.

AnimalRef

Animal reference.

GroupRef

Group reference.

EventRef

Event reference.

PersonEL

Subject entity together with a relative EnumList value.

Key, [Value]

--

PlaceEL

AnimalEL

GroupEL

 

Prior to V4.1, a Date Parameter was restricted to ISO Gregorian dates; however, the full range of calendars is required for older sources, and a common example is citing newspapers that predate the Julian-to-Gregorian changeover.