CBML Language

CBML meets al the requirements for an Information Definition Language (IDL) described in IDL properties.

A brief overview of the fundamentals of CBML

CBML ensures the definition of information meets the following criteria:

• No ambiguity over how to define a set of information, there is only one correct way.
• Once described by the CBML the definition is precise so there is no ambiguity over the meaning of the information described.
• All constructs that exist within information may be defined with precision and no ambiguity in CBML.

The model concentrates on the definition of real world objects for example ‘motor vehicle’.

This is known as an ‘entity class’ and describes the semantics for instances of ‘motor vehicle’.

The ‘entity class’ may be classified in sub-types, also ‘entity classes’ for example the ‘motor vehicle’ may be delineated by manufacturer. This is defined by a ‘classifying scheme’.

A ‘motor vehicle’ may be classified in many different ways that may or may not change with time and define aspects of the ‘motor vehicle’.  This structure is termed ‘categorisation’ in CBML and involves ‘categorising sets’ and the members of the ‘categorising sets’ the ‘categories’.

‘Entity classes’, ‘classifying schemes’, ‘categorising sets’ and ‘categories’ can all contain properties, the properties of a ‘category’ become applicable to an instance of an ‘entity class’ when that instance is categorised to that ‘category’.

The ‘Entity classes’, ‘classifying schemes’, ‘categorising sets’ and ‘categories’ are collectively referred to as ‘holders’, that is they are holders of properties.

The properties may be represented by a single value or may be complex in their structure.

A quantity, for example, represents the first level of complexity requiring an amount and what it is an amount of.

The complexity may be substantially more and may include alternatives for example a displacement on the earth surface may be represented as:

The basic property ‘Displacement as plane and height’ is defined as complex (CPX) that is it consists of several sub-parts.

These sub-parts are an ‘alternative (XOR) for ‘Horizontal plane displacement’; and a simple numeric (NUM) for ‘Vertical displacement’.

The alternatives for ‘Horizontal plane displacement’ are ‘grid defined’ and ‘latitude and longitude’ as shown.