ABCD Schema - Task Group on
Access to Biological Collection Data

A joint CODATA and TDWG initiative supported by GBIF


The ABCD Schema

Documentation and version history 2001-2005

27 June 2005: Schema version ABCD 2.05 ( XSD, Single files xsd (zip), Changes from v. 1.2., CommentsCommented, Schema Viewer ).

8 March 2005: Schema version ABCD 2.00 ( XSD, Single files xsd (zip), Changes from v. 1.2., CommentsCommented, Schema Viewer ).

Versions 1.49a-g

12 Aug 2004: Schema version ABCD 1.49 ( XSD, Single files xsd (zip), Changes from v. 1.2., CommentsCommented).

30 Jun 2004: Schema version ABCD 1.48 ( XSD, Single files xsd (zip), Changes from v. 1.2., CommentsCommented).

29 Jan 2004: Schema version ABCD 1.30 (XSD, Single files xsd (zip), Changes from v. 1.2., CommentsCommented).

15 Aug 2003: Schema version ABCD 1.23 (XSD, HTML-Documentation ). Incorporating suggestions for changes.

6 Aug 2003: Schema version ABCD 1.20 ( XSD, HTML-Documentation , Schema Viewer ). Version used for the initial BioCASE unit-level data network.

26 May 2003: Schema version ABCD 1.04 ( XSD, HTML-Documentation ).

29 April 2003: Schema version ABCD 1.03 ( XSD, HTML-Documentation ).

2 March 2003: Schema version ABCD 1.02 ( XSD, HTML-Documentation ).

11 Dec 2002: Schema version ABCD 1.01 ( XSD, HTML-Documentation ).

For details on earlier versions see http://www.bgbm.fu-berlin.de/tdwg/codata/Schema/CTB-VersionHistory.htm).  

6 Nov 2002: Schema version CTB 1.39 / ABCD 0.91 ( XSD, HTML-Documentation ). Minor additions  [Walter Berendsohn (BGBM) for ABCD].

2 Nov 2002: Schema version CTB 1.38 / ABCD 0.90 ( XSD, HTML-Documentation ). Inclusion of comments from during and after Indaiatuba meeting.  [Walter Berendsohn (BGBM) for ABCD].

17 Oct 2002: Schema version CTB 1.37 ( XSD, HTML-Documentation ). Partial inclusion of reviews returned from first request for comment. This is the version discussed by the ABCD working group in its Indaiatuba meeting [Neil Thomson (NHM) for BioCASE].

25 Sept 2002: Schema version CTB 1.36 (XSD, HTML-Documentation). Further restructuring and revision of schema.  [Neil Thomson (NHM), Walter Berendsohn (BGBM) and Charles Copp (NHM) for BioCASE].

18 Sept 2002: Schema version CTB 1.33 (XSD, HTML-Documentation). Further restructuring and revision of schema.  [Neil Thomson (NHM), Walter Berendsohn (BGBM) and Charles Copp (NHM) for BioCASE].

12 Sept 2002: Schema version CTB 1.32 (XSD, HTML-Documentation). Further restructuring and revision of schema (for details see top of XSD file).  [Neil Thomson (NHM), Walter Berendsohn (BGBM), and Charles Copp (NHM) for BioCASE].

23 Aug 2002: Schema version CTB 1.31 (XSD, HTML-Documentation). Further restructuring and revision of schema (for details see top of XSD file).  [Walter Berendsohn (BGBM) and Charles Copp (NHM) for BioCASE].

19 Aug 2002: Schema version CTB 1.30 (XSD, HTML-Documentation). Substantial restructuring and revision of schema, particularly of Unit-level data items (for details see top of XSD file).  [W. Berendsohn (BGBM) for BioCASE].

15 Aug 2002: Schema version CTB 1.24 (XSD). Changes: several deletions of duplications and other measures to further tidy up the schema; changes in placement of structures under GatheringEvent and GatheringSite  (for details see top of XSD file). 

12 Aug 2002: Schema version CTB 1.23 (XSD, HTML-Documentation). Changes: This release addresses the remaining problems with the SourceType and LookupType structures which were leading to an explosion of elements, partly through self-referencing. Split the usage of the Source elements into their Reference and Image constituents. Image is used once, in SpecimenUnit / SpecimenImage. Other occurrences of Source have been either deleted or converted into Reference. SourceType has been deleted. LookupType has been simplified into Term, TermListName and TermListVersion, plus a Comment. This should be sufficient to identify the term in separate thesaurus structures, rather than trying to build the thesaurus structure into the unit profile. LookupTermType has been deleted. [Neil Thomson (NHM) with contributions from W. Berendsohn and M. Döring (BGBM), for BioCASE].

9 Aug 2002: Schema version CTB 1.22 (XSD). Selected changes: reverted to the original structure for HigherTaxonType of a single element with an attribute for rank,  also reverted to the original structure for GatheringSite / CountrySubdivision for the same reason.  Drastically reduced SourceType and ImageType  [Neil Thomson (NHM) following comments by Walter Berendsohn (BGBM), for BioCASE].

1 Aug 2002: Schema version CTB 1.21 (XSD). Selected changes: All Darwin Core 2 Elements mapped or added. Single place for name string searching. Higher Taxon with several fields as in DC2. Elements added to Bacteriological Name Type. Various changes to gathering site and gathering event elements. Removed geology elements. Preset audience tags to "BioCASE" and "CODATA TDWG".  [Neil Thomson (NHM), for BioCASE]. 

15 Jul 2002: Schema version CTB 1.20 (XSD), with the following changes: (i) restructuring of the annotation element completed, (ii) audience of "BioCASE" and "CODATA TDWG" added to pre-defined <audience> items, (iii) removal of relict elements, leaving the root element as the only global element, and (iv) removal of geology-related elements (an extension of the schema for these elements is contemplated). [Neil Thomson (NHM), for BioCASE].

1 Jun 2002: Schema Viewer software version 1.0 available [M. Döring, BioCASE]

13 Mar 2002: Schema version CTB 1.13 (XSD, HTML-Documentation), with structured element documentation (see above) & types cleaned up  [Markus Döring, BioCASE].

11 Mar 2002: Schema Viewer software prototype available [Markus Döring, BGBM grant].

25 Feb 2002: Request for Comment: A schema-like representation of the xsd:documentation element (XSD, HTML-Documentation). [M.Döring, BGBM grant] 

23 Jan 2002: Schema version CTB 1.01 (XSD, HTML-Documentation), with references converted to types [M. Döring, BGBM grant]

14 Jan 2002: Schema version CTB 1.0 (XSD), converted from previous version [Markus Döring, BGBM grant]

21 Dec 2001: DTD (available as DTD or Text of DTD) incorporating the changes decided in Sydney [Charles Copp for ENHSIN] 

07 Nov 2001: Base information: list of metadata items ("element definitions") noted during the Sydney workshop

22 Oct 2001: DTD (available as DTD or Text of DTD) compiled for the Sydney workshop [Charles Copp for ENHSIN and Walter Berendsohn] 

15 Jun 2001: List of data items compiled during the Santa Barbara workshop (HTML Text)


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This page last edited on 06.09.2005