Annotations are a set of free-hand descriptive elements that accompany most, though not all HL7 v3 artifacts and sub-artifacts. They are broken up into a series of categories, each having a distinct objective and target audience. Some may have additional supplemental metadata. Each artifact or component of an artifact that allows annotations identifies exactly which types of annotations are allowed for that particular element based on what makes sense for that element. For example, formal constraints may make sense for static model elements, but have little relevance for concept domains which are purely descriptive in nature and have nothing to formally constrain.
MIF: mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations
Annotation Components
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Descriptive free-text metadata about an artifact must be able to be captured in a primary language along with translations to other languages
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| Rationale
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Many HL7 specifications are used by many countries. Even within a country, there is often a need to publish multiple languages to meet official language requirements or to satisfy the needs of local implementers.
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| MIF
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- mif-core-base.xsd\BasicAnnotation\text (multiple repetitions)
- mif-core-base.xsd\BasicAnnotation\text\@lang
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| Requirement
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In situations where multiple translations are provided for free-hand text, there is a need to know whether a given translation is up-to-date with the source.
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The person or group responsible for providing the translation is frequently not the person or group who creates or modifies the initial "primary" version. And because HL7 is a volunteer organization, the time between the primary content being updated and the update being propagated to all translations can vary. Knowing whether a given translation is up-to-date is useful both for readers (who need to know that the content is suspect) as well as those responsible for providing translations so they know where work remains to be done.
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mif-core-base.xsd\BasicAnnotation\text\@lastTranslated
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Some types of annotations, particularly those that can have multiple repetitions such as constraints, need to to be referenceable.
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| Rationale
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In derived artifacts the relationship between a given annotation in the derived model needs to be able to be linked to the corresponding annotation in the parent model. (See Constraint Derivation)
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mif-core-base.xsd\BasicAnnotation\@id
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Users must be able to control whether a given annotation appears in the graphical representation of the model.
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| Rationale
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In general, there will be too many annotations on a model and they will be too long to reasonably expose them all on a diagram. However, some annotations are of sufficiently high importance that a designer will want them to be exposed in the graphic representation.
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| MIF
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mif-core-base.xsd\BasicAnnotation\@graphicLinkId
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| Requirement
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Users must be able to control whether a given annotation appears in the graphical representation of the model.
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| Rationale
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In general, there will be too many annotations on a model and they will be too long to reasonably expose them all on a diagram. However, some annotations are of sufficiently high importance that a designer will want them to be exposed in the graphic representation.
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| MIF
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mif-core-base.xsd\BasicAnnotation\@graphicLinkId
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Annotation Types
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All major HL7 artifacts and artifact components require either a description that identifies what the element is or a definition that provides the semantic meaning for that element.
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| Rationale
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Some HL7 artifacts and components convey explicit semantic meaning, for example classes, attributes, concept domains, coded concepts, etc. Other artifacts do not represent particular meaning but still require an explanation of that the artifact is and why it exists.
Lack of documentation on an artifact or component can lead to confusion about what the artifact or component is or what it's for.
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| MIF
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- mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\definition
- mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\description
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| Requirement
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It must be possible to identify constraints to the usage of a given element that can't be formally expressed
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| Rationale
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HL7 artifacts often have constraints that can't be formally asserted using XMI or other constraint languages, possibly because they apply to content outside the instance or because there's simply no formal way to express the rule. However, these are still rules that must be followed by implementations and therefore need to be called out distinctly from implementation notes or other general recommendations.
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\usageConstraint
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| Requirement
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Designers need to provide documentation for implementers or other users on how a given artifact or artifact component is intended to be used
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| Rationale
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Artifacts are usually created with a specific use in mind. Often this use is self-evident, but often there are aspects that may not be immediately obvious to the reader of the specification. There's a need to document these aspects and to call them out so they can easily be read by implementers who may be less interested in other documentation about the artifact.
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\usageNotes
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| Requirement
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Artifacts and artifact components need to capture documentation about the rationale for why they exist and why they exist the way they do.
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| Rationale
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HL7 artifacts are often produced and maintained over a period of many years by teams of ever-changing volunteers. The reason why any given element exists or why it is modeled, constrained or otherwise represented in a particular manner will quickly be forgotten and lost if it is not captured. Capturing the rationale helps in the review process (by aiding the understanding of why the element is as it is) and also helps in ongoing maintenance by allowing proposed changes to be evaluated against the original justification.
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| MIF
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\rationale
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| Requirement
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There is a need to capture or link to the requirements that drove the creation of a particular artifact or sub-artifact.
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| Rationale
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Most HL7 artifacts and artifact components originate due to some need expressed by one or more member participants. Sometimes these needs are formally represented as requirements artifacts. However, in other circumstances the requirements are captured as part of the artifact creation. Requirements help to provide context for an artifact and can also be used to evaluate the artifacts appropriateness.
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\requirements
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| Requirement
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Artifacts and their components need a 'private' place to capture development notes
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| Rationale
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During the development process, standards developers often need to capture temporary notes to themselves about things to fix, questions about the design, future plans, etc. These comments are not intrended to be part of the "official" artifact and need to be partitioned so that they can be excluded from publication and usual display.
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| MIF
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\designComments
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| Requirement
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Design comments should be categorized
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| Rationale
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Most design comments fit into one of three categories "fix me", "to do" and general notes. It is useful to be able to search for design comments indicating things that need to be fixed or "planned" changes.
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| MIF Issues
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MIFNotUsed
No tools do this yet. (Idea stolen from Eclipse)
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| MIF
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\designComments\@tag
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| Requirement
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Users of HL7 artifacts need an idea of how stable an artifact is deemed to be and known expected sources of change.
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| Rationale
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Most artifacts produced by HL7 are in a state of evolution. However the degree of expected change can vary significantly. Some artifacts are known to be unstable, perhaps because of uncertain requirements, lack of implementation experience, active debate about appropriate solutions, etc. As an implementer, it's essential to have a sense of what things are believed to be stable and what things are likely to change (and if they change what sorts of changes are most probable). Knowing this information allows them to choose where to focus their development effort and where and how to build flexibility into their solutions.
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\stabilityRemarks
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| Requirement
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Complex artifacts need overview documentation that highlights key aspects and provides a quick summary of features and capabilities.
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| Rationale
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Many HL7 artifacts such as static models, datatype models, etc. are extremely complex and are made up of a large number of components. Even with a graphical representation, it can be challenging to identify the core areas or understand what they're for.
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| Methodology
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Complex artifacts in HL7 are expected to include a piece of documentation called a "walkthrough" that highlights the core aspects of the artifact identifying how the pieces fit together, what they are for and making recommendations for how a reader should approach reading the details of the artifact.
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| MIF
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\walkthrough
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| Requirement
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Some HL7 v3 artifacts have "addendum" documents that provide support or background for the artifact. They are published and balloted together with the primary document.
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| Rationale
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Several HL7 artifacts, including the RIM, Datatypes & Vocabulary have background or support documents addressing such things as "constraint language for datatype constraints", "methodology behind the RIM", "vocabulary data model", etc. that while not strictly part of the content of the RIM static model, datatype specification or listing of HL7 vocabulary, are key to the understanding and interpretation of those artifacts and are considered "part" of the artifact. They are maintained as part of the same source and are published together.
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\appendix
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\otherAnnotation
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\mapping
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\formalConstraint
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\openIssue
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\staticExample
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\ballotComment
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\changeRequest
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mif-core-base.xsd\Annotations\documentation\deprecationInfo
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